Summarize

Hennie de Klerk and Adriaan Roets fought through a series of challenges to bring the TreasuryOne BMW X3 home on a gruelling first full day of the Kalahari Rally from Mafikeng to Digtebos on Sunday. De Klerk and Roets spent 11 hours in the car on a day that comprised two special sections, 194 km in the morning and 246 km in the afternoon, all of which proved invaluable in their preparations for Dakar 2022.

“It was a tough one today,” an exhausted Hennie reported. “We had a decent run with the second quickest time through the special stage 1 this morning, but we had all sorts of problems in the last two hundred kilometres of stage 2 this afternoon. “Our car lost all its hydraulic fluid, which meant that the hydraulic pump stopped working and that left me without the power steering in the thick sand that the organisers promised would test us drivers anyway!

“It was a huge effort on my arms and I had to stop a few times to catch my breath, but we nursed it through. “We came across another crew, who had broken down 30 kilometres before the finish and they let us bleed enough hydraulic fluid from their car to get our system to work again. “That 200 km was detrimental and it did not help to have a few navigational issues too, but we made it to the finish provisionally fourth among the cars.

“But we are here to fight another day and that’s exactly why we are here. “These issues just make us work harder and they add to our experience as we build up to Dakar 2022, — they are all most valuable lessons learned. “The guys have a little work to do on the car this evening and I really need a good rest in the bivouac in the splendid Kalahari tonight after that effort. “We will be ready for another day in the saddle tomorrow — bring it on!” 

Monday’s 864 km Kalahari Rally second day comprises a single 287 km third special stage around Heuningvlei. It incorporates dunes, tracks and salt pans, including the world land speed record Haaksteeenpan along the borders of the Kgalagadi National Park, Namibian and Botswana borders. Ideal for Hennie and Adriaan’s preparations for Dakar 2022 in the TreasuryOne Amarok.