Jwaneng and Matshwabisi are firmly enshrined in local motor racing folklore as are the names of such enduro drivers as Duncan Vos, Anthony Taylor and Giniel De Villiers. It is therefore only a matter of time before other tenacious characters show their mantle in a race renown for its harsh terrains and unparalleled toughness. Those names are locals who are writing their own personal scripts of triumph over adversity.
One name to watch out for in future is Wickus Haasbroek, a tenacious disabled driver who plys his trade out of the Kalahari in the south of the country. Haasbroek’s story is as remarkable as it is almost unbelievable.
“I drive with one hand. It is a lot of pressure on one shoulder. It is not easy. You get used to it,” said Haasbroek in an interview with The Tswana Times in his pit after the first day of racing.
He said, “I am in a wheelchair now after a car accident in 2011 where I broke my neck. I started off road races two years ago in Stella in the North West. I realized that you cannot just sit still and cry about it. You have to do something.”
Haasbroek has channeled his energy into driving off road after a period in which he struggled to come to terms with the tragedy that almost robbed him of his young adulthood. It is a coping mechanism that is yielding positive dividends given that it is helping him to refocus and build his confidence and sense of purpose.
“You learn to move forward,” said Haasbroek.
His first off road experience was Wumza in South Africa where he began his fledgling apprenticeship. It was a tough education because Haasbroek who is only 27 years old had to learn to race with 1 arm.
“I was driving with 1 arm but came 3rd in my class in G. It was a small race of 250km. The desert race is a step up for me because it is 1000km. I do it for the fun of it,” said Haasbroek.
When you talk to the driver and he discuss his loves and pursuits it is easy to forget that he is person with a number of physical impediments. A bubbly, thoughtful and engaging individual, Haasbroek is an avid livestock farmer and runs a thriving family farm in difficult climatic conditions.
“I moved to Botswana a year ago and run a family farm. I can do everything a normal person can do but I often take a little longer. In the deep Kalahari sands I cannot use normal wheel chair and I need an electric chair,” Haasbroek who supervises a workforce of 30 people.
He said, “You must do the things you love. If you really what you do you will succeed. You will have some families about you will eventually succeed. You must not dream about it. You must just do it.”
However like his local counterpart Lepsy Mosope he struggles with securing sponsors, to alleviate some of the resource challenges he faces in participating in a sport which he loves.
“Local sponsors help me with petrol and car parts. If you work with big sponsors like Toyota they sponsor everything,” said Haasbroek.
He is quick to praise his navigator Jurgens Smith, who helped him negotiate difficult terrain. The importance of teamwork and a good navigator in this sport is not lost on another local racing driver who knows that a failure of a navigator to take care of the small things can have devastating consequences.
“I had a very good navigator. He has a very good team spirit,” said Mosope, who is transitioning to racing cars after a long period riding motor bikes where he has clocked up many accolades.
He confesses to experiencing a rush of adrenaline and excitement when he was cheered and ululated on by fellow Batswana when he approached spectator points and started the race.
“It is nice to see people cheering me on along the route. It is a very good experience. Last year I could not finish. I broke the car when the engine overheated because the fan was not on,” said Mosope.
Mosope who was racing with Stewart Van Graan is not new to desert race. He never completed the race last year because of mechanical issues and was determined to run the race and complete it this year.
“We will take it easy to get back home. You win when you finish. During qualifiers I had no brakes so I really struggled. We were driving at 20km hour. It is an expensive sport and you need P40,000-50,000 to participate. A few people managed to help me. We need solid sponsor for next seasons. It is not just about desert race. I still race motor bikes. I do enduro races like Root of Africa,” revealed Mosope.
He said “I started at 20 years and have been racing for about 23 years. It is not easy to mend broken bones. I have been hospitalized a couple of times with broken bones, shoulders and legs. I therefore felt it was he right time for me to move to driving cars.”
Mosope only does motor cross events and endurance events now. It is however a very lonely preoccupation.
“In off road if you crash there is no one to help you,” said Mosope wistfully.
Hopefully sooner rather than later Batswana from all walks of life will be waving the blue, black and white of the national flag to celebrate the achievements of one of their own in an unlikely sport.
Final Classification for Toyota Kalahari Desert Race 2019.
- Chris Visser/Phillip Herselman Toyota Hilux 55:52
- Shameer Variawa/Juan Mohr Toyota Hilux 57:21
- Lance Woolridge/Ward Huxtable Ford Ranger 57:37
- Johan Van Staden/Mike Lawrenson Renault Duster 58:48
- Lance Trethewey/Adriaan Roets BAT Venom 59:32
- Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer Ford Ranger 57:41
- Jaco Van Dyk/Michael Rust Nissan Navara 1:02:04
- Jacques Van Tonder/Sammy Redelinghuys Ford Ranger 1:07:44
- Clin Gibson/Alaric Smith Stryker 1:03:34
- Schalk Burger/Elvene Vonk Nissan Navara 1:11:37
MOTO FINAL Classification
Quad Master
- Fernando Dos Santos Yamaha 35:40
- Tony Dos Santos Yamaha 36:07
- Roxy Dos Santos Yamaha 32:18
Quad Open
- Ahmed Deen Noble Yamaha Raptor 700 32:16
- Martie Bachfischer Yamaha 32:59
- Kgosi Tsogang Yamaha Raptor 700 1:09:22
Quad Senior
- Sidney Rankgate Yamaha Raptor 700 32:38
- Zayd Noble Yamaha Raptor 31:27
- Kago Mosekiemang Honda 36:02
