Written by: Aj Kernick
Thanks to all that made up the HSSA grid. A very respectful representation of the Association!
Obviously with the Formula Vee 60th being the focus and us having special guests, Judy and Arnold Charlton absolute legends of SA racing, sadly they only had a short stay as a two and a half hour journey either way was part of their day.
Rad Dougall, a ZA and international phenomenon, also graced our Association with his presence. The man set up Toleman racing, whilst racing very successfully as well. Such a likeable and humble person too.
We can all learn so much from the dignified conduct of our guests.
Anyhow, a big thank you has to go to Mike Rowe of VW Motorsport for his/their support of our air-cooled treasures!
It is only after days like we have just had, that the true meaning of our cars to the public is realized.
As Pat De Klerk alluded to, the 15 air-cooled cars all together is not a myth, on paper we had a grid of 17 for Saturday which included three air-cooled Vee’s from Sweden. Regrettably the entire Swedish contingent were very conspicuous in their absence, due to the cancelation of their annual SA odyssey.
Adding to our grid we were graced with Paige Lindenberg… jumping from a V8 monster into a 390kg Air-cooled and back again. A more fitting car/driver combination would be very hard to find!
The Formula Ford classes B and C also showcased some mighty tussles, but track respect was great and once again our Association ended standing proud, showcasing what the HSSA is about – making the special/collectable cars the champions.
An added bonus was Jan Jacob’s popping in to visit and if all goes well his ‘ Nemo’ could be back. Jan we are sending positive thoughts!!
Rodney in his 1946 MG Spider, a definite fan favorite, joined us again and thank you so much!
We need those other front engines original or tributes to be around more often.
You showcase the times of men being men, with their only protection being ADT back home!
Lastly thanks to Josh and Ian for the F3 and Atlantic. We do appreciate your consideration to our hugely varied field, along with Colin and Clive in the sports cars.
So in essence another great race weekend, showcasing our moving museum for the first time in 2025.
The good fields are imperative to continue ensuring the HSSA remains very relevant, and not too hard to sustain knowing how many cars were in the wings.
A final thanks must go to Michael he absolutely lives the essence of historic racing and puts so much effort into furthering the Association.
Thank you all for investing your time to read this roundup… Aj Kernick