Magnum Rally goes full throttle
In 2020 the Magnum Rally was cancelled because of the pandemic.
“But”, says organiser Leo Middelberg, “although we could not acquire all the necessary permits to run the event this year as a full-blown regularity race, we decided it important to not skip another year and it became the Magnum Tour. We still did the required route planning, road inspections and route maps.”
The Magnum has been going for some 42 years and it was decided, to keep the event part of the annual motoring calendar and also address the desire and longing of participants to get together with their like-minded friends, to run the event as a Classic Tour. Participants could thus use the maps and other route info but the only requirement really was that they be at specific places and times for lunch, dinners and accommodation. Hotel Numbi as has been the tradition, was the HQ.
And while mentioning HQ – if Hotel Numbi was a human – one could happily refer to it as a mensch. It has become part of the soul of the Magnum and many other motoring and biking events and participants have seconded this observation many times.
The event took participants all over the Lowveld – the Kruger Park, places of local and motoring interest, and to local collectors and, of course, the Magnum is Lowveld[1]based because of the roads and the scenery.
On Saturday participants explored some of the local passes. “But”, says Leo, “the provincial government should really put its mind to proper road maintenance. We would love to bring international participants to SA for this event, but the conditions of some of the roads we use will not win us any goodwill.”
Considering that this event contributes about R500 000 to the Lowveld economy, road maintenance should be attended to. This amount could be doubled and tripled should roads be properly maintained.”
Although the entry list was a lot shorter than in the past, camaraderie, fun, mischievousness and brilliant service from all the places where the tour stopped for a breather or fuel, were full throttle all the way. “This is what we came here for,” said a classic car enthusiast and endurance race organiser extraordinaire, Roger Pearce.
Interesting titbit: Leo has been involved with this event since its start – in fact, he developed the software programme which they still, today, use for route planning, timing and the rest.
Let’s hold thumbs for a Covid-19-free event in 2022 and a full house of competitors.
