With this finish, he also celebrated 21 years and competing in 115 rallies with the Datsun and the Beamer. The Theunissen family is well-known within rallying circles. Nick’s wife, Yvonne – sometimes also referred to as Ma Baker, is his pit chief and quite capable of dropping an engine, gearbox and diff in no time. Their four daughters – Chantelle, Bianca, Yvonne Jnr, and Patricia, have all been navigators to dad, or part of the pit crew. Bianca is now also driving and racing. The boyfriends and husbands have all become involved in the business of racing and supporting. To spent time with them is a vibrant energetic experience because although dad – also lovingly called Knorpot – can be tense during a race – banter, humour and trust in one another, are what make them special. The family is also endeared by a large social following. Nick’s uncanny and spectacular ability to drift his big yellow BMW through both wide open and tight gravel corners alike, enjoy airtime over jumps, and just generally to flat foot the accelerator, has become that which spectators crave and are willing to wait for in every stage in every race in which they participate.

Nick has navigated for Bianca in her Opel Corsa. He has also driven the little front-wheel drive with some success but his first love, other than Ma Baker, is rear-wheel technology. “To rally successfully as a privateer is challenging on many more levels than just finance. You also need the ability to make a plan when you encounter mechanical problems during a race. In the Dullstroom event, we broke the rear right control arm. We were determined to finish this race, so duct tape and tie downs were employed to take us to the finish,” he says. “I became interested in racing while I was doing my apprenticeship with Volkswagen and helping Nico de Waal and Andre Vermeulen at the time. My first competitive racing was oval track at Matubatuba in 1993/94”. In 1995 he won Rookie of the Year, driving a Mazda with a Datsun engine. In 1996 he fitted the Mazda with a screaming rotary engine racing in the Super’s class. “In 1996 I stopped because of the politics becoming a pain in the butt.” In 2000 he bought a race-prepared Datsun SSS from Jan van der Merwe in Benoni and started racing under the flag of the SA Historic Racing Association in Class X. “In those days we were 80 plus cars in the rally and I finished 3rd in class. In my 1st Sasol rally, I started in 76th out of 80 and finished 5th in class. I was hooked.” He reminisces on the SARHA 300 race with its night stages and how getting lost was no option. In 2000 he also sets the fastest stage time in the Mondi Bosloop, beaten only by Johnny Gemmel in his Subaru, by 100th of a second. In this race, only six cars did the stage in less than six minutes. He was driving his 1969 Datsun SSS at the time. “Although I have been noticed and acknowledged by factory teams, I was never been presented with an opportunity to race with a factory team support. I guess this may be because I did not have the means to make a substantial financial contribution. Be that as it may, I have and do enjoy every opportunity to race and throw the Beamer through corners. “ “The Beamer was a sponsorship from a dealer in Barberton, who, when I wanted to buy it and shared my rallying aspirations with him, gave me the car. This was in 2009 and since that time, and after we fitted it to a full-blown rally car, it has served us well.”

“We have always finished the races in which we participated. The fact that the girls, even while still at school, participated as navigators, is just an awesome blessing. I have to slow down a tad in 2021 but my focus will be on supporting Bianca and Yvonne Jnr and yes, some of the brave boyfriends and son-in-law who will be racing at the oval track.” Ma Baker has driven with both Nick (BMW) and Bianca (Opel) once only. “They drive like hooligans. No thank you, I’ll drive the service crews and manage the pits during a race.” “Success with anything, be it work or sport, is about teamwork,” says Nick. “With racing, seat time – a competent and patient mentor – is gold. If your intention is to enjoy a race, you will also win some. Start with what you can afford and allow yourself time to achieve your set intentions – treat other competitors and people with respect. It is not the best tools or the best car that will make you a champion – yes, it will help, but ultimately it is about driving skill and attitude.” In the Lowveld, Nick is a groot krokkedil when it comes to racing and family values. The girls are also not going to allow his legacy to die and will probably teach ou Knorpot a few things before he retires which, believe you me, is not anytime soon though.