Basilvan Rooyen

The Engineer-Racer: Basil van Rooyen's Enduring Impact

Basil van Rooyen, born on April 19, 1939, and passing on September 14, 2023, was a formidable figure in motorsport, recognized not only as a racing driver but also as a race car developer, inventor, and engineer. His extensive career spanned a remarkable array of disciplines and machinery, from motorcycles to Formula 1 single-seaters, encompassing a diverse range of vehicles including Anglias, Lotus Cortinas, Mustangs, Alfa Romeos, Capri Perana, Chev Can-Ams, Fiat/Ferrari saloon cars, and sports cars.

Early Career and Ascendancy in Saloon Car Racing

Van Rooyen's journey into competitive motorsport began in 1957, at the age of 18, when he started racing motorcycles. His debut was at the 24-hour race held at the narrow Grand Central track near Johannesburg, riding a Puch 250. This early experience laid the foundation for a career marked by technical ingenuity and on-track prowess. Transitioning to four wheels, van Rooyen quickly made his mark in sprint racing. With a Ford Anglia 105E, he demonstrated an early aptitude for vehicle development, applying home modifications and incorporating imported parts. This led to numerous class victories and strong overall finishes in 1961 and 1962 at the newly opened Kyalami Racetrack. His progression continued with an upgrade to a Cortina 1200cc in 1963. His engineering acumen became particularly evident in 1964 when Ford Motor Company SA provided two Lotus Cortinas to their most successful South African racers. Van Rooyen, as Managing Director of Superformance, received one. Initially, his car struggled to match the pace of Koos Swanepoel, who went on to win the 1964 SA Saloon Car Championship. However, by 1965, van Rooyen's development skills had clearly surpassed those of his rival, Willie Meissner. He transformed his Lotus Cortina into a dominant machine, winning all or nearly all races that season. The popularity of SA Saloon Car Championship racing prompted Ford SA to further support its top drivers. In 1966, van Rooyen received a new Ford Mustang V8. This partnership proved incredibly successful, with van Rooyen consistently outperforming his competitors and winning all races to claim the SA Saloon Car Championship in both 1966 and 1967. Concurrently, from 1966, he also competed in the Onyx Production Car Series, racing Alfa GTVs at Kyalami. His reputation for development continued to grow. In 1968, Alfa Romeo imported an Auto Delta Alfa GTA, which proved insufficiently competitive. They enlisted van Rooyen to enhance it. He developed a short-stroke 2000cc engine for the car, which soon demonstrated lap times faster than his own Mustang, allowing it to compete successfully against Meissner’s and Ford SA's new Escorts, equipped with 1800cc and 2000cc 4-valve engines.

Foray into Single-Seaters and Formula 1

Van Rooyen's involvement in single-seater racing began in earnest in 1968. He was persuaded to race the older ex-John Love Cooper Climax in the South African Grand Prix. This experience proved to be a turning point, as he thoroughly enjoyed single-seater competition. Following this, he imported a newer Brabham to contest the remaining South African events of 1968, and then a 1968 McLaren for the 1969 season. By the time of the 1969 SA Grand Prix, he had secured three F1 wins, presumably in local non-championship events. His official Formula One World Championship Grand Prix participation was limited to two entries, debuting on January 1, 1968. He retired from both races and did not score any championship points. A significant setback occurred later in 1969 when he suffered a serious accident on the Kyalami straight during tire testing, which destroyed his car and necessitated a period of recuperation. It is reported that his driving in the 1969 Kyalami Grand Prix had impressed F1 teams to the extent that Ken Tyrrell offered him a Formula 1 engagement as a second driver alongside Jackie Stewart. However, his injuries from the Kyalami crash rendered this opportunity impossible.

Continued Success and Technical Innovation

Despite the F1 setback, van Rooyen continued his successful racing career. In 1970, he won the Onyx Production Car Championship in an Alfa GTV. The following year, 1971, saw him test Paddy Driver's older F5000 single-seater. He finished 3rd and 1st in F5000 races, behind two F1 cars, confirming his continued passion and ability for racing. 1971 also brought new regulations for the Transvaal Production Car Championship. The dominant car was the Ford Capri Perana V8. Van Rooyen acquired one and quickly managed to consistently outperform the factory entries. This experience sparked an idea: he proposed to General Motors to develop a similar high-performance vehicle. He championed the Vauxhall Firenza, fitting it with a 302 cubic inch Camaro V8 engine and running gear. He successfully convinced GM (SA) to build 100 of these vehicles, dubbed the Chev Can-Am, for local sale and race homologation. Two of these race-prepared Can-Ams became highly successful, setting the first saloon car 100 mph lap record, winning their debut race, and achieving easy victories that deterred many competitors. These Chev Can-Am cars remain sought after by collectors today. Van Rooyen's racing extended internationally in 1977, when he competed in Australia's Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 events. Driving a local GM Holden V8 Torana against Ford V8s, he secured a commendable 4th place at Sandown with an older A9X model. At Bathurst, sharing an SL5000 with British Saloon Car Champion Gerry Marshall, he retired due to a broken seat. In 1979, a new racing formula in South Africa allowed for combining any engine and chassis from a single manufacturer. Fiat SA expressed interest, leading van Rooyen to fabricate a space-frame vehicle with fiberglass panels designed to resemble a Fiat 131. This was mated with a turbocharged 2.5-liter Ferrari V6 power unit, producing 600 bhp. The car quickly proved to be one of the fastest saloon cars in its class. However, Fiat, under pressure from sanctions against South Africa, soon withdrew from the country, and the car was sold off, though it continued to be raced by others. This formula was short-lived. Throughout his career, van Rooyen was a regular participant in endurance racing, including the annual Kyalami 9 Hour and the Springbok 3 Hour series. He shared drives with a host of local talents like Arnold Chatz, Eddie Keizan, and Dave Charlton, as well as international owner/drivers such as Nanni Galli and Tony Dean. His best result in these events was a 2nd place with Tony Dean in a Ferrari Dino at the 1968 Kyalami 9 Hour. A notable instance of his hands-on engineering occurred during the 1971 Springbok Endurance Series with a Mazda RX100 Saloon. Disappointed with its handling, van Rooyen, with factory approval, radically re-engineered the front suspension just two days before the race, leading to reported lap time improvements of up to four seconds.

The Inventor's Mind: Beyond the Track

Basil van Rooyen's inventive spirit extended beyond race car development. He is credited with several significant inventions. Observing that automatic swimming pool cleaners often missed certain areas, he invented the 'Twister,' an addition to the suction line, which was patented and proved so successful that royalties continue to be generated from it. Ahead of his time, he also addressed safety concerns in motorsport. After witnessing serious F1 accidents caused by jammed throttles, he devised a special device for brake hydraulics that would cut power to the ignition when excessive brake pressure was applied. Furthermore, long before top F1 teams considered such concepts, he invented and fabricated an automatically spring-activated rear wing drag reduction setup for his F1 vehicle, a precursor to modern DRS systems. This system reduced the wing's angle of attack, though the high wing configuration it was designed for was later banned by the FIA due to structural failures. His innovative work continued with the development of the CITS (Crankcase Independent Two-Stroke) power unit, which is still being perfected. This engine design is considered one of the most promising new internal combustion ideas, offering reduced fuel consumption, eliminating the need to mix oil with fuel, meeting global emissions regulations, and providing improved torque and power across all RPMs, along with a better power-to-weight ratio compared to other two-stroke and four-stroke units.

Legacy

Basil van Rooyen's career was a testament to his multifaceted talents as a driver, engineer, and inventor. His impact on South African motorsport was profound, marked by numerous championships and groundbreaking vehicle developments that left an indelible mark on the racing landscape. In his later years, van Rooyen was diagnosed with mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure. He passed away in New South Wales, Australia, at the age of 84. Van Rooyen's legacy is that of a true pioneer, whose technical acumen and relentless pursuit of performance not only brought him success on the track but also contributed innovative solutions that had an impact far beyond the confines of motorsport.