SuperVan & I

Book excerpt: THE CARS, THE RACES, THE RIVALRIES, THE WOMEN ... WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SAREL VAN DER MERWE, SOUTH AFRICA’S GREATEST RACING DRIVER. IT’S TIME TO FASTEN YOUR SEATBELT FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE ... Sarel van der Merwe is a certified, card-carrying legend – the Clint Eastwood of South African motor sport. Not only is Sarel the most gifted driver ever to come out of this country, winning both off-road and on the track, but he’s been utterly uncompromising in his approach. Since he and his alter ego, SuperVan, have been racing, Sarel has been super-competitive, scratching paint off racing cars from Kyalami to Le Mans. And he’s certainly pissed some people off. In this no-holds-barred story of his life, Sarel reveals the skinny behind all his big rivalries, his run-ins with team owners and his frequent disagreements with motor-sport authorities. Along with a behind-the-scenes look at the world’s legendary motor races, he rates the greatest – and worst – cars he ever drove, remembers some of the colourful characters that featured in his long career, and explains exactly why motor sport in South Africa is no longer what it used to be. And then, of course, there were the women?... ‘Sex is like motor sport,’ Sarel says. Though you’ll have to read the book to find out why.