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AT FOUR O'CLOCK one morning, Rod Van der Straaten's sleep was disturbed by the phone. He picked it up and heard the voice of his friend Steffan Parmander (co-driver to Kenneth Eriksson) wanting to know why he hadn't heard from him, and if anything wrong. That started a chain of events which are a fitting tribute to one the most well-respected, enduring and experienced to co-drivers in Australia. Rod has been struck down by a terminal illness which has cut short his 30-year career as a co-driver.
When Louis Moya (co-driver to Carlos Sainz) heard Rod was in hospital, he interrupted his recce to phone and say "We hope you feel good and you hang in there and we'll see you in October (Rally Australia)." This was better than tonic. the doctor could have prescribed. The next surprise Rod received was an envelope containing a single A4 sheet of paper signed by all the top drivers and co-drivers in the Acropolis World Rally Championship. The signatures were under a simple message: "Dear Rod we are all thinking of you and hope that you will be better soon." The sheet of paper was collected by Louis Moya and sent to Rod in the hope that it would cheer him up.
The Rod Van der Straaten story started in 1968 when after playing around in club rallies, he first competed in as state championship. "I owe a great deal of gratitude to Jackie Dines, because I started with her at the pace at which could learn and that was important." Rod said. The following year he co-drove for a very young Ross Dunkerton, and together they won the Safari in a Volkswagen. In his first full year of rallying, Rod was second in the state championship. It was the beginning of a career which has spanned nearly 30 years of continuous competition.
He has had 79 podium finishes from 139 rallies. (That doesn't include 28 DNFs). He has won the Western Australian Championship six times (1979, '81, '84, '86, '91 and '92), in 1993 was Malaysian Group N champion Co-Driver and Malaysian Group A champion in 1994 and 1995.
If it hadn't been for a puncture in 1972, Rod could have claimed hat-trick in the 2000 miles rallies held in 1969-72. Three events, with three different cars and three different drivers, but two out of three can't be bad.
After the 2000 miles rally in 1969, Rod competed in the Pathfinder, Forest and East West rallies with Jeff Dunkerton before switching drivers to sit beside Bob Naylor in an Austin 1800.
"It was the last event of the year, the BP Rally (full map navigation), I was with Bob and I was line to win the 1969 championship. It was a dice between me and John Large," Rod said. "Through some quirk of fate I put a directional arrow into control from the south-west instead of the south-east. We went through a 'No Through Road' sign, drove under somebody's clothesline, nearly knocked over some chooks, through the backyard of another the house through a field, and all the time I was assuring Bob it was all on the map. "We wrong-wayed the control and I lost the championship."
Rod's eyesight played havoc with him for the intricate map navigation events, inside the car on the co-driver's side was not only a power map light but an equally powerful magnifying glass. Did he ever consider giving away his much loved sport? No, he just increased the strength of the light and magnifying glass.
Between 1976 and 1992 Rod finished in the top three of every championship rally he entered. He has had the pleasure of sitting beside such greats as Bob Watson and Doug Stewart and Western Australian state champio-n's Danny Bignell, Clive Slater, John Macara and Tolley Challis. As recently as last year, Rod competed with Andrew Pinker in a Seat Ibiza in the RAC Rally. His career was still moving forward despite him turning 58. He had a signed contract with Kia to to-drive for their Korean driver for this season.
"I have prided myself on being the oldest co-driver in the world," Rod said. "Last year I was three times the age of my driver (Dean Herridge) - something that no other co-driver has achieved!"
Jokes aside, Rod has continued to give back to the sport by being an integral part of the Youth Group Project. He has taken part in the selection process and trained young Co drivers, and he also looked after the Northam Youth Project in 1995). Throughout Rod's long and successful career he has shown a great deal of kindness to the inter-national champions and in his hour of need they have repaid that kindness, willingly and without compulsion.
Before the Forest Rally this year Rod was asked to give a talk on pace noting, at a time when his illness had been diagnosed and he was recovering from pneumonia. Instead of cancelling the engagement, he went to the Light Car Club's rooms with oxygen bottle in tow and gave his talk to 85 enthusiastic drivers and co-drivers.
Rod has been the guiding light for many drivers who, without his experience, perfection, professionalism and consistency, may never have reached the podium. He had been a mentor to budding co-drivers who he had taken tender his wing. I am not perfect any more than anybody else is, Rod says, but some people would challenge that statement, especially those who have known him for the best part of his 30-year career.
-Barb Clews
(Australian Auto Action : September 26 - October 2 1997)
