Circuit racing driver Tschops Sipuka, winner of the 2002 Engen VW Cup and South Africa’s first black motor sport champion, is the 2002 Bridgestone Firestone Guild of Motoring Journalists Motor Sportsman of the Year.
Sipuka has been honoured by the country’s motoring journalism fraternity for his achievement in the highly competitive one-make VW Cup series, which features many of the country’s top circuit racers. On the way to his title he scored nine pole positions, won eight races and finished on the podium 15 times in 20 starts. He came close to winning the series in 2001, with a record 12 poles and 12 wins.
Born in Qumbu in the Transkei, Sipuka started racing late in 1998, under the guidance of mentor Terry Moss, former national saloon and touring car champion. He has competed successfully in international truck racing in South Africa as well as in long distance saloon car racing, including the Spa 25 Hours in Belgium and the VW Cup in Europe. He also competed in a Proton race as a curtain raiser to the Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Sepang.
Seven other motor sportsmen, all of whom were nominees for the 2002 award, received special commendations.
Alfie Cox was honoured for finishing second overall in the motorcycle section of the 2002 Dakar Rally, the world’s toughest off-road race, on a KTM. Johan Fourie received his award for winning the 2002 Wesbank V8 Championship and, with it, the SA Drivers’ Championship.
Johnny Gemmell and co-driver Robert Paisley were recognised for winning the 2002 FIA Africa Rally Championship in a privately-entered Subaru. Philip Kekana was winner of Class D of the 2002 SA Production Car Championship with five wins and 12 podium finishes.
Claudio Piazza-Musso won the 2002 Rotax Max Kart World Finals in Malaysia, beating 75 drivers from 33 nations. Russell Wood was honoured for winning the 2002 SA Superbike Championship, his 13th national racing motor cycle title, making him the most successful two-wheel circuit racer in SA history.
Winner of the Colin Watling award for meritorious service to motor sport (other than race results) was Sarel van der Merwe, honoured for his lifelong dedication to motor racing and the high level of competition he has maintained throughout his career. Arguably South Africa’s best-known motor sportsman, both here and overseas, Van der Merwe has gathered a record 16 national motor sport titles, in rallying and circuit racing, plus many overseas World Sports Car Championship achievements. He won the final race of his career at Kyalami in November 2002.
Aside from his impressive racing record spanning three decades, Van der Merwe has over the years put a lot back into motor sport. His accomplishments and personality raised awareness of motor racing in South Africa and gave motor sport an international profile. He has also recently taken young drivers under his wing in the Wesbank V8 Championship in his own team, Supervan Racing. His lead driver, Johan Fourie, won the 2002 Wesbank title and the SA Drivers’ Championship.
Last year’s winner of the Colin Watling award, Peter du Toit, owner of the Zwartkops motor racing complex near Pretoria, received a merit award for building a world-class karting circuit at Zwartkops that hosted the 2003 Rotax Max World Finals.
Other nominees honoured with special achievement merit awards were:
Rory Byrne, designer of the Ferrari F2002 that virtually broke every record in the Formula One motor racing book and took Ferrari to its fourth successive constructors’ title in 2002 and Michael Schumacher to his fifth world drivers’ championship.
Glyn Hall, motor sport manager of Nissan South Africa, who steered Nissan to four consecutive SA Touring car championships from 1997 to 2000 and two consecutive SA off-road championships in 2001 and 2002. More recently, he has guided Nissan’s re-entry into international motor sport via the Dakar Rally, where his South African-built Hardbody pickups won five stages in the 2002 event.
Neville Jordan, for his services in promoting SA circuit racing through the Vodacom Power tour and sponsoring the VSP and Isondo Sports 2000 series. An avid motor sport fan and racer, he was the major influence in securing Vodacom’s ongoing sponsorship of the Vodacom power tour, SA’s premier circuit racing road show.
Peter Kaye-Eddie, who has successfully supported and run a two-car team in the SA Production Car Championship for over 10 years.
Terry Moss, for his tireless efforts to develop and improve motor sport in the Eastern Cape. Since retiring from competition, the former Bankfin Touring Car and Wesbank V8 star has taken charge of two local circuits, Aldo Scribante (motorcycles and saloon cars) and Celso Scribante (karting), and is also heavily involved in developing young driving talent. His greatest success to date is his mentoring of Sipuka.
Ed Murray, for being instrumental in SA’s successful participation in the 2001 and 2002 Rotax Max karting world finals, held in Puerto Rico and Malaysia and won by South Africans Gavin Cronje and Claudio Piazza-Musso respectively, and for arranging to bring this prestigious event to South Africa in 2003. The former kart champion and organiser of the SA Rotax Max Challenge was also involved in building the new international standard karting circuit at Zwartkops.
Nino Venturi, for his long service to South African Formula Ford racing, a formula that has developed into one of the closest and hardest-fought series on the national championship calendar.
Danie van Jaarsveld, for establishing the Motorpics media photographic website service through great effort, cost, personal sacrifice and commitment. He offers a unique and much-needed service to most motoring publications in SA, thereby making a significant contribution towards motor sport. – Sapa