Summarize

Western Cape rally team acciDent Guru heads to its local SA National Rally Championship round in Caledon with a heavy heart after two of its crew lost their lives in recent weeks.

“We had contemplated withdrawing from the upcoming Caledon Rally after a particularly tragic time for the team,” acciDent Guru's Paul van Wyk explained. “Two of our crucial team members, Darren Bosman and Brenton Crow passed away within two weeks of each other in the last month and that has really hit us hard.

“In the end however, we decided to complete Darren’s work in progress and we have entered three cars on the Caledon Rally in honor of these two motorsport fanatics and are now looking forward to dedicating our efforts to Darren and Brenton’s memory.”

20 year old Darren Bosman was tragically killed in a motorbike accident on 29 August. “Darren was the guy solely responsible for planning, fabricating and installing the Toyota Tazz suspension into our Number 419 Golf 1 GTi,” van Wyk pointed out. “He was so proud of his achievements when we tested the car and again when it finished the first event after the conversion.”

Brenton Crow passed away on 12 September after spending time in and out of hospital the past few months. “Brenton was mainly responsible for preparing Piet Bakkes S2000 Toyota Run-X and later running his Toyota Auris of as part of Danie Human’s BDH Motorsport in Johannesburg — he worked with Team acciDent Guru in 2016 to assist in rebuilding Piet Bakkes and Henry Kohne’s Golf after it rolled on the Ceres Rally last year.

“That huge team effort was completed in only two weeks and it took many all-nighters from Brenton, Darren and Paul, but the we pulled it off in the end with very little sleep in those 2 weeks. “Those are just some of so many memories we will celebrate of our men by rallying after all, this weekend.”

Team acciDent Guru will field three cars in Caledon, which rally also counts towards the team’s regular Western Cape Rally Championship. Piet Bakkes will be at the wheel of the Number 419 acciDent Guru ‘Gazz’ — the Golf that Darren Bosman so proudly fitted with a Tazz rear suspension, with experienced Gauteng navigator Terry Illman calling the notes. 

Bakkes has swapped cars with Paul Van Wyk, who will drive the conventionally sprung Number 469 acciDent Guru Golf with another Northern Regions navigator, the up-and-coming Erwee Badenhorst. The very quick and smooth Tiaan Rabe and JP Jacobs will crew acciDent Guru’s third Number 404 Golf with both men committed to a strong result. 

Cape Motorsport Madalas Ian Long and Brian Hoskins will sit this one out as their car will not be ready in time following a nasty roll on the recent Riebeek Kasteel Rally. Both are still bickering about who was to blame for that acciDent, to the extent that Hoskins will be in Hong Kong by the time the action starts in Caledon…

AcciDent Guru’s cars have had mixed fortunes so far this year. “Apart from small mechanical issues, our biggest problem remains the Golf MK1’s unpredictable handling,” van Wyk concluded. “We have made major changes to the suspension geometry and we’ve fitted the best shock absorbers in the rally business from Reiger, but with Caledon also known as the Overberg Grand Prix, high speeds will be the order of the day and we’ll have our work cut out to try and keep up with the more modern Corollas, Tazzes and Polos.”

“Our whole team, as well as our Shatterfix Racing service crew of Sakkie, Rikus and Dawie have worked many late nights and a weekend or two on the cars and we are now ready to put our best foot forward for Darren and Brenton. “May both men rest in peace.”