Ian Little
STUNTMAN and driving wizard Deon de Waal will be back in action this Saturday at the Tygerberg Raceway, Old Paarl Road, Kraaifontein where he will be attempting another of his daredevil heart-stopping acts.
De Waal, now in his early fifties is no stranger to risk having plied his trade for the past three decades. This has including driving a vehicle through a double-decker bus and jumping a dozen cars with a caravan attached to his stunt vehicle.
On Saturday De Waal will attempt to negotiate a 150 foot tunnel of fire while riding a motorcycle, a feat he has performed in the past and which he himself rates as highly dangerous.
De Waal, who lives in Durbanville, has built an unconventional motorbike for the attempt. He fitted a special short operational front fork and a lower saddle, as the tunnel opening is only two metres in height.
Lower gearing plays an important part in the stunt. Acceleration is vital as the bike could well cut out in the middle of the tunnel due to lack of oxygen to the carburettor and fuel system.
At his last attempt, De Waal when breaking the South African Tunnel of Fire Record found his crash helmet to be burnt.
Spectators viewing the feat from the top of the grandstand could feel the heat generated by the six-metre high flames. On emerging from the tunnel, amidst gasps from spectators, De Waal had the motorcycle in a power slide, as he had been overcome by the intense heat and fumes.
Although concentrating more on stunts these days De Waal is still remembered by those who frequented Goodwood Oval for his many victories achieved behind the wheel of his stock car, which displayed the number 44.
At the time De Waal won virtually every title there was to be had as he fought out duel after duel with the likes of Johnny Clifton, Bill Lenz, Jack Holloway and other drivers of the era.
When asked as to why we have not seen him participating in stock car events of late, De Waal explained that with the closing of Goodwood Oval five years ago he has become more laid-back.
He added that he preferred the noise and boisterous atmosphere of a jam-packed Goodwood to that of Killarney. The gravel surface of the old track was also more to his preference and driving style, De Waal said.
However the veteran driver still finds racing fuel coursing through his veins. He is in the final stages of preparing a stock car for Killarney and said he intended putting in plenty of practice in order to make the V-8 space-frame panel-van competitive before entering.
His vehicle will be finished in red, white and blue.
Of course the racing number will be good old number 44 and hopefully stock car racing fans will see man and machine in action before December.
Photo caption:
Deon de Waal rides through flames of fire.
Source: Tyger-Burger – 5 November 1997