Motorsport in Namibia
editMotorsport can be defined as the group of sports which is primarily involved in the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing.[1]
Then there are three types of commissions responsible for the different variations in motorsport and they are as follows: [2]
- Motor Cars
- Motor Cycles
- Touring
Then under these three commissions there are sub-commissions like:
- Motor Cars which includes:
- Rally
- Circuit Track
- Oval
- Go-Carts
- Vasbyt
- Off-road
- Drag Racing
- Motor Cycle which includes:
- Moto X
- Enduro
- Off-Road
- Touring which includes:
- Touring
- Road Safety
- Vintage
Rallying in Namibia is an very important sport for participants as well as the fans. Due to the fact this sport give each individual an adrenaline rush to satisfy the need of being into fast cars that can really finish a stage in the shortest period of time. The main aim of the sport is to complete a stage in the shortest possible time. Therefore the drivers and navigators should work together in order to be the best in the shortest time. The winner of this sport at the end of an event would be the guys that had the shortest times during the entire event. Rallying is a team sport that consists out of two people being in the car the driver and the navigator. Then each team has its own service crew which checks that everything is in order. Rally is definitely a team sport because without a proper team you would not be able to compete without any drama. There would be too many things for you as the driver or navigator to do between stages or vise versa.
Important events taking place in Namibia during a Rally Racing Season are:
- Tsumeb Rally
- Windhoek Rally
- Okahandja Rally
- Henties Rally
- Swakop Rally
- Tara Rally
The Tara Rally will be holding the 44th event to represent the 44years of Tara Rally's existence in Namibia. The main sponsor for this event is Total. Total have been sponsoring this events for a few years now. Total Tara got her name from Dennis Kent's which got inspired by his cat which was also named Tara. [3] Total Tara Rally is therefore the final draw for the rally championships. Usually after this three day event the winner is announced for the year. Therefore this event is one of the biggest in Namibia due to the fact the drivers and navigators would know who was the best team for the year and also would show which team would be the team to beat in the next season. To able to win the rally championships you should participate in a certain number of events and finish them as well in order to qualify for the championship.
Each of these rallies are held in the named towns and it is usually a one day event but the Tara Rally is the final rally for the seasons each year and is usually three day event.
There are also different clubs that fall under NMSF which stands for Namibian Motor Sport Federation which has all the sporting power in Namibia as appointed by FIA and FIM.
The different Motorsport Clubs in Namibia:
- Okahandja Motor Club [4]
- Redline Motor Club [5]
- Windhoek Motor Club [6]
- Walvisbay Motor Club [7]
- Tsumeb Motor Club [8]
- Rehoboth Motor Club [9]
Therefore it is a known fact that rallying and therefore motorsport is very important to many people in Namibia especially the participants and the supports that love their sport to the fullest. The adrenaline rush received from this sport is an amazing feeling.