|
|
| Subaru
Rally Chicks |
Broadcast
dates : 18th July 2004
22nd July 2004 |
|
 Subaru
South Africa entered National Championship rallying here in
2000. That year, old-stager Schalk Burger also showed the
car's potential by entering the Africa Rally Championship with
an Impreza, and Schalk took the African title in 2001,
partnered by top navigator and Kyalami circuit manager Piet
Swanepoel.
In 2001 the very fast Johnny Gemmel entered the South African
series, winning the newly-instated Class N4 for near-standard
four-wheel-drive cars.
The following season no less than seven Subarus were in the
hands of privateers, and now in 2004, 15 Subarus are entered
in our National Championship events.
|
 One
of these cars is this pink and white Rally Chicks special. It
started its rallying life as a press car, was subsequently
crashed and bought by Eddie Verlaque for his Planet Plant Hire
team.
The driving crew are 29-year-old Lola Verlaque and her
19-year-old navigator, Megan.
The Planet team car is typical of the 15 privateer Subarus run
here.
The South African Subaru division refuses to run a
"works" or factory team in South Africa, but has
consistently supported private teams in terms of spares and
repair assistance.
The car's engine is completely standard, as per Group N4
rules, and although some teams are rumored to run high boost
on their turbochargers, the Rally Chicks run standard boost
levels in the interest of reliability.
Suspension can be uprated, the ride heights can be raised for
rough terrain and obviously special rally tyres can be used.
But this car is as close to a street-standard car as it is
possible to get, with the exception of much of the interior
removed.
Other changes are an approved roll cage, rally seats with
racing safety harnesses, and special lights are fitted when
rallying at night.
Standard or not, this Subaru reaches speeds of up to two
hundred kilometres per hour on dirt roads, and that has
to be very exciting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Car Torque is
produced by
|
|
|
|
