Sarel Daniel van der Merwe (born 5 December 1946) is a former rally and racing driver, who was a multiple South African Rally Drivers Champion. He is sometimes referred to by his nickname "Supervan".
Van der Merwe won the South African Rally Drivers Championship a record eleven times in 1975, from 1977 to 1985 and in 1988. Van der Merwe's IMSA career included time at Hendrick Motorsports during the Corvette GTP era, which also led to one NASCAR Winston Cup start for the team. This would be at Watkins Glen in 1990 when Hendrick driver Darrell Waltrip was recuperating from a severe leg injury at the Firecracker 400 final practice. Van der Merwe finished 24th by the end of the race.Sarel van der Merwe - NASCAR Sprint Cup Results. Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved 2013-03-27 Van der Merwe attempted to qualify for the 1988 Daytona 500 in a Hendrick-owned car, but failed to make the race. He also held the SA Saloon Car Championship in 1994, SA Modified Saloon Car Championship (1994 & 2001), and won the 1996 Castrol International Rally. He was awarded the Motorsport South Africa (MSA) Lifetime Achievement award in 2002.
Racing career Van der Merwe began his racing career in 1967 racing saloon cars. His international career took off in 1983 in the IMSA series in the United States, with his most notable win in the 1984 24 Hours of Daytona race driving for Kreepy Krauly Racing, an all-South African team in a March 83G-Porsche. He shared the win with Graham Duxbury and Tony Martin. Van der Merwe did well in the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans where he finished third on debut. In the 1986 Le Mans race, van der Merwe pulled in a lap early, and Jo Gartner took over. A lap later the suspension broke and the car veered off the Mulsanne Straight in the middle of the night and Gartner was killed.
His father Sarel Sr. also had a history of racing and won an award from the Auto Union company in Germany. Van der Merwe then moved up the ranks to sport a works team Ford Escort Mk II BDA. After leaving Ford because of a disagreement , Van der Merwe had a short stint in several Datsun cars and would later race with Audi and Volkswagen. .His co-driver and navigator was Franz Boshoff.
Van der Merwe retired from competitive motor racing in November 2002 after Round 12 of the Vodacom Power Tour.
Other activities Van der Merwe also worked as a correspondent for South African motor publications in the 1970s.
Racing record
Complete WRC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pts 1980 David Sutton Cars Ltd Ford Escort RS1800 MON SWE POR KEN GRC ARG FIN NZL ITA FRA GBRRet CIV NC 0 1984 Audi Sport Audi Quattro A2 MON SWE PORRet KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR NC 0
24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 1984 Skoal Bandit Porsche Team John Fitzpatrick Racing David Hobbs Philippe Streiff Porsche 956 C1 351 3rd 3rd 1985 Porsche Kremer Racing George Fouché Mario Hytten Porsche 956B C1 361 5th 5th 1986 Porsche Kremer Racing Jo Gartner Kunimitsu Takahashi Porsche 962C C1 169 DNF DNF 1987 Joest Racing David Hobbs Chip Robinson Porsche 962C C1 4 DNF DNF Stanley Dickens Hurley Haywood Frank Jelinski Porsche 962C C1 7 DNF DNF 1988 Porsche AG Vern Schuppan Bob Wollek Porsche 962C C1 192 DNF DNF 1989 Brun Motorsport From-A Racing Harald Grohs Akihiko Nakaya Porsche 962C C1 78 DNF DNF 1990 Porsche Kremer Racing Hideki Okada Kunimitsu Takahashi Porsche 962CK6 C1 279 24th 21st
NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Pts Ref 1988 Hendrick Motorsports 18 Chevy DAYDNQ RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL NA - 1990 17 DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN24 MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 78th 91
References
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