Sarel van der Merwe
| Sarel van der Merwe | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | South Africa |
| Born | 5 December 1946 Pretoria, South Africa |
| Retired | 2002 |
| Championship titles | |
| 1975, 1977-1985, 1988 1994 1994, 2001 | South African Rally Drivers Championship South African Saloon Car Championship South African Modified Saloon Car Championship |
| Awards | |
| 1976 1997 2002 | Springbok Colours South African National Colours MSA Lifetime Achievement Award |
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| Best finish | 78th (1990) | ||||||
| First race | 1990 Budweiser at the Glen (Watkins Glen) | ||||||
| |||||||
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.