# Sarel van der Merwe

Sarel Daniel van der Merwe (born 5 December 1946) is a former rally and racing driver, who was a multiple South African Rally Drivers Champion. He is sometimes referred to by his nickname "Supervan".
Van der Merwe won the South African Rally Drivers Championship a record eleven times in 1975, from 1977 to 1985 and in 1988. Van der Merwe's IMSA career included time at Hendrick Motorsports during the Corvette GTP era, which also led to one NASCAR Winston Cup start for the team. This would be at Watkins Glen in 1990 when Hendrick driver Darrell Waltrip was recuperating from a severe leg injury at the Firecracker 400 final practice. Van der Merwe finished 24th by the end of the race. Van der Merwe attempted to qualify for the 1988 Daytona 500 in a Hendrick-owned car, but failed to make the race. He also held the SA Saloon Car Championship in 1994, SA Modified Saloon Car Championship (1994 & 2001), and won the 1996 Castrol International Rally. He was awarded the Motorsport South Africa (MSA) Lifetime Achievement award in 2002.

## Racing career

Van der Merwe began his racing career in 1967 racing saloon cars. His international career took off in 1983 in the IMSA series in the United States, with his most notable win in the 1984 24 Hours of Daytona race driving for Kreepy Krauly Racing, an all-South African team in a March 83G-Porsche. He shared the win with Graham Duxbury and Tony Martin. Van der Merwe did well in the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans where he finished 3rd on debut. In the 1986 Le Mans race, Sarel pulled in a lap early, and Jo Gartner took over. A lap later the suspension broke and the car veered off the Mulsanne Straight in the middle of the night and Gartner was killed.
His father Sarel Sr. also had a history of racing and won an award from the Auto Union company in Germany. Van der Merwe then moved up the ranks to sport a works team Ford Escort Mk II BDA. After leaving Ford because of a disagreement, Van der Merwe had a short stint in several Datsun cars and would later race with Audi and Volkswagen. .His co-driver and navigator was Franz Boshoff.
He retired from competitive motor racing in November 2002 after Round 12 of the Vodacom Power Tour.

### Other activities

Van der Merwe also worked as a correspondent for South African motor publications in the 1970s.

## Racing record
### Complete WRC results

| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | WDC | Pts |
| 1980 | David Sutton Cars Ltd | Ford Escort RS1800 | MON | SWE | POR | KEN | GRC | ARG | FIN | NZL | ITA | FRA | GBR Ret | CIV | NC | 0 |
| 1984 | Audi Sport | Audi Quattro A2 | MON | SWE | POR Ret | KEN | FRA | GRE | NZL | ARG | FIN | ITA | CIV | GBR | NC | 0 |

### 24 Hours of Le Mans results

| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
| 1984 | Skoal Bandit Porsche Team John Fitzpatrick Racing | David Hobbs Philippe Streiff | Porsche 956 | C1 | 351 | 3rd | 3rd |
| 1985 | Porsche Kremer Racing | George Fouché Mario Hytten | Porsche 956B | C1 | 361 | 5th | 5th |
| 1986 | Porsche Kremer Racing | Jo Gartner Kunimitsu Takahashi | Porsche 962C | C1 | 169 | DNF | DNF |
| 1987 | Joest Racing | David Hobbs Chip Robinson | Porsche 962C | C1 | 4 | DNF | DNF |
| 1987 | Joest Racing | Stanley Dickens Hurley Haywood Frank Jelinski | Porsche 962C | C1 | 7 | DNF | DNF |
| 1988 | Porsche AG | Vern Schuppan Bob Wollek | Porsche 962C | C1 | 192 | DNF | DNF |
| 1989 | Brun Motorsport From-A Racing | Harald Grohs Akihiko Nakaya | Porsche 962C | C1 | 78 | DNF | DNF |
| 1990 | Porsche Kremer Racing | Hideki Okada Kunimitsu Takahashi | Porsche 962CK6 | C1 | 279 | 24th | 21st |

### NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

#### Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results :
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | NWCC | Pts | Ref |
| 1988 | Hendrick Motorsports | 18 | Chevy | DAY DNQ | RCH | CAR | ATL | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL | CLT | DOV | RSD | POC | MCH | DAY | POC | TAL | GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | CLT | NWS | CAR | PHO | ATL | NA | - | |
| 1990 | Hendrick Motorsports | 17 | Chevy | DAY | RCH | CAR | ATL | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL | CLT | DOV | SON | POC | MCH | DAY | POC | TAL | GLN 24 | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | PHO | ATL | 78th | 91 | |