Richard Rockell – Man and machine

Motor sport is more than just an adrenaline filled hobby for Richard Rockell. It is a way of life.

“It is a totally different sport. It is about man and machine, and if the machine isn’t right, then no matter how good the man is, he won’t get far,” Richard said.

Richard started his racing career in 1963 in Windhoek, never imagining his journey would span 40 years.

“I’ve had a passion for motor sport for as long as I can remember. When General Motors launched the Opel Kadett in 1963, they entered it for a 1000 mile race as a publicity stunt, and I drove it.” From that moment on, Richard spent the better part of his life living out his dream behind a steering wheel and racing every opportunity he had, upgrading his vehicles as time passed.

However, it was in 1970 he made his biggest mark in the racing world with his trusted Formula Ford.

“I won the South West Africa Championships. Shortly after that, I moved to Johannesburg and started racing Kyalami with my Formula Ford, going all over South Africa with it.”

After a friend died in the 1980s, Richard vacated the seat behind the steering wheel of his Formula Ford.

“I moved to Newcastle in 1976, and after my friend died, I decided not to race with Formula Fords any more.

“I joined a rally club here, where I drove an Escourt and then a Golf.”

However, Richard said the rally club eventually folded as most of the members were not able to afford rallying any longer.

“When you are involved in motor sport, you don’t have much time or money for anything else,” he laughed.

Despite this, Richard soon found himself in racing again after he helped form the Oval Track.

“Hennie Erlank and myself discussed opening an Oval Track. We formed a committee and got permission from the municipality to build it,” Richard said.

With nothing more than R5000 funding from the municipality and R7 500 from the rally club, Richard and his committee formed the Oval Track.

After the track was built, Richard continued racing.

“Competing in motor sport takes away all your other troubles, and all you concentration goes into the race. It is like an addiction.”

Now, 20 years later, Richard has finally pulled out of the racing scene.

“I just do the announcing now at the track,” he smiled.

Despite winning the South West Championships in 1970, Richard said one of his greatest highlights was watching his son, Kevin, come second place in the South African Championships in the early 1990s.

Would he encourage others to join the ranks of the motor sport world?

“I would. You learn so much from it, in terms of mechanics. It is really a sport like no other,” he concluded with conviction.