Sarel van der Merwe

Last updated

Sarel van der Merwe
NationalityFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Born (1946-12-05) 5 December 1946 (age 78)
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Retired2002
Championship titles
1975, 1977-1985, 1988
1994

1994, 2001
South African Rally Drivers Championship
South African Saloon Car Championship
South African Modified Saloon Car Championship
Awards
1976
1997
2002
Springbok Colours
South African National Colours
MSA Lifetime Achievement Award
NASCAR Cup Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish78th (1990)
First race 1990 Budweiser at the Glen (Watkins Glen)
WinsTop tens Poles
000

Sarel Daniel van der Merwe (born 5 December 1946) is a former rally and racing driver, who was a multiple South African Rally Drivers Champion. He is sometimes referred to by his nickname "Supervan". [1]

Contents

Van der Merwe won the South African Rally Drivers Championship a record eleven times in 1975, from 1977 to 1985 and in 1988. Van der Merwe's IMSA career included time at Hendrick Motorsports during the Corvette GTP era, which also led to one NASCAR Winston Cup start for the team. This would be at Watkins Glen in 1990 when Hendrick driver Darrell Waltrip was recuperating from a severe leg injury at the Firecracker 400 final practice. [2] Van der Merwe finished 24th by the end of the race. [3] Van der Merwe attempted to qualify for the 1988 Daytona 500 in a Hendrick-owned car, but failed to make the race. [4] He also held the SA Saloon Car Championship in 1994, SA Modified Saloon Car Championship (1994 & 2001), and won the 1996 Castrol International Rally. He was awarded the Motorsport South Africa (MSA) Lifetime Achievement award in 2002. [5]

Racing career

Van der Merwe began his racing career in 1967 racing saloon cars. His international career took off in 1983 in the IMSA series in the United States, with his most notable win in the 1984 24 Hours of Daytona race driving for Kreepy Krauly Racing, an all-South African team in a March 83G-Porsche. He shared the win with Graham Duxbury and Tony Martin. Van der Merwe did well in the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans where he finished 3rd on debut. In the 1986 Le Mans race, Sarel pulled in a lap early, and Jo Gartner took over. A lap later the suspension broke and the car veered off the Mulsanne Straight in the middle of the night and Gartner was killed.

His father Sarel Sr. also had a history of racing and won an award from the Auto Union company in Germany. [6] Van der Merwe then moved up the ranks to sport a works team Ford Escort Mk II BDA. After leaving Ford because of a disagreement [ citation needed ], Van der Merwe had a short stint in several Datsun cars and would later race with Audi and Volkswagen. .His co-driver and navigator was Franz Boshoff.[ citation needed ]

He retired from competitive motor racing in November 2002 after Round 12 of the Vodacom Power Tour. [7]

Other activities

Van der Merwe also worked as a correspondent for South African motor publications in the 1970s. [6]

Racing record

Complete WRC results

YearEntrantCar123456789101112WDCPts
1980 David Sutton Cars Ltd Ford Escort RS1800 MON SWE POR KEN GRC ARG FIN NZL ITA FRA GBR
Ret
CIV NC0
1984 Audi Sport Audi Quattro A2 MON SWE POR
Ret
KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR NC0

24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-driversCarClassLapsPos.Class
pos.
1984 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Skoal Bandit Porsche Team
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Fitzpatrick Racing
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Hobbs
Flag of France.svg Philippe Streiff
Porsche 956 C13513rd3rd
1985 Flag of Germany.svg Porsche Kremer Racing Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg George Fouché
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Mario Hytten
Porsche 956BC13615th5th
1986 Flag of Germany.svg Porsche Kremer Racing Flag of Austria.svg Jo Gartner
Flag of Japan.svg Kunimitsu Takahashi
Porsche 962CC1169DNFDNF
1987 Flag of Germany.svg Joest Racing Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Hobbs
Flag of the United States.svg Chip Robinson
Porsche 962CC14DNFDNF
Flag of Sweden.svg Stanley Dickens
Flag of the United States.svg Hurley Haywood
Flag of Germany.svg Frank Jelinski
Porsche 962CC17DNFDNF
1988 Flag of Germany.svg Porsche AG Flag of Australia (converted).svg Vern Schuppan
Flag of France.svg Bob Wollek
Porsche 962CC1192DNFDNF
1989 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Brun Motorsport
Flag of Japan.svg From-A Racing
Flag of Germany.svg Harald Grohs
Flag of Japan.svg Akihiko Nakaya
Porsche 962CC178DNFDNF
1990 Flag of Germany.svg Porsche Kremer Racing Flag of Japan.svg Hideki Okada
Flag of Japan.svg Kunimitsu Takahashi
Porsche 962CK6C127924th21st

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
YearTeamNo.Make1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829NWCCPtsRef
1988 Hendrick Motorsports 18 Chevy DAY
DNQ
RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL NA- [8]
1990 17 DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN
24
MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 78th91 [9]

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References

  1. McGeorge, Lee (30 July 2009). "Supervan and Wyndham on track at Killarney". Motoring.co.za. Motoring & Independent Online. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  2. Rhodes, Beth (2 August 1990). "Waltrip's Sub: van der Merwe - Road-Racing Star to Debut in Budweiser at the Glen". Orlando Sentinel . Orlando, FL. p. C6. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  3. Sarel van der Merwe - NASCAR Sprint Cup Results. Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved 2013-03-27
  4. "Allison, Waltrip Easily Win 125-Mile Races at Daytona". The State . Columbia, SC. 12 February 1988. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  5. "MSA Handbook 2007" (PDF). MOTORSPORT SOUTH AFRICA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
  6. 1 2 Haler, Justin, ed. (July 1979). "Editor's Log". SA Motor. 17 (7). Randburg, South Africa: SA Motor (Pty) Ltd: 7.
  7. "Sarel van der Merwe". HISTORIC RACING. Retrieved 22 October 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. "Sarel van der Merwe – 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  9. "Sarel van der Merwe – 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
Sporting positions
Preceded by SA Rally Drivers Championship
1975
Succeeded by
Preceded by
None
SA Group 1 / Group A Championship
1977
Succeeded by
Preceded by SA Rally Drivers Championship
1977 to 1985
Succeeded by
Preceded by SA Rally Drivers Championship
1988
Succeeded by
Preceded by SA Saloon Car Championship
1994
Succeeded by
Preceded by
None
SA Modified Saloon Car Championship
1994
Succeeded by
Preceded by SA Modified Saloon Car Championship
2001
Succeeded by