Posted: December 2005
Men On The Side Of The Road Founder Lauded
by Karen Roberts
Charles Maisel of Cape Town, whose ground-breaking Men
of the Side of the Road project has provided jobs for
many unemployed people throughout South Africa, is to
be honoured by his alma mater, Rhodes University in Grahamstown.
He will receive the revered Old Rhodian Award in August.
Maisel, whose internationally recognized, social responsibility
projects have earned him the award, said, “I feel
exceptionally honoured.”
These awards are only given to exceptional alumni who
have enhanced the university’s reputation through
their actions and achievements. It also acknowledges Old
Rhodians as role models.
Maisel, who went to SACS, started his studies at Rhodes
a few months before turning 17. He completed his BA Honours,
there in 1987, focusing on economics and psychology.
Maisel returned to Cape Town and started a pioneering
domestic violence project, working closely with abusive
men.
In another trend-setting enterprise, he later started
the Men on the Side of the Road project, which seeks to
equip men who wait for casual labour at roadsides with
the skills to work as gardeners, carpenters or builders.
Once trained the men make use of tools kept in tool libraries.
Maisel’s aim was to collect a million unused tools,
and to date, some 80 000 have been donated.
“We’ve only just started collecting tools in
Guateng,” he said.
He estimates there are now about 500 sites around the
country where men gather for odd day jobs.
Maisel is no stranger to receiving awards. Last year,
he was the only South African selected for the Echoing
Green fellowship programme, run by a US-based organization
offering two-year fellowships to individuals with innovative
ideas for tackling seemingly unsolvable social challenges.
It’s fantastic, but I must get more South Africans
to apply,” Maisel said.
In 2002 he got a $50 000 grant from the United Nations
which was handed over by a member of the Saudi royal family,
prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, on behalf of a charity
called the Arab Gulf programme for United Nations Development
Organizations.
Another project Maisel initiated, the “5 in 6”
saving scheme which assists women domestic violence victims,
is still running but he is no longer in charge of it.
Maisel is in now setting up a project where people with
innovative ideas are encouraged to share them.
“South Africans have exceptional ideas that nobody
has unearthed yet. There are a lot of young people out
there with brilliant ideas. We need somebody to tap into
them,” he said.
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Posted: December 2005
Ken Ball's High School Prize Giving Report
Good evening Mr Chairman; our special guest, Ms Cheryl
Carolus; Mr Len van der Rede – Circuit Manager; members
of the SGB; members of the OBU; Mr Stuart Anderson, headmaster
of SACS Junior; other special guests; parents; members
of staff; and, most importantly, SACS men.
Mr Chairman, in a moment we will hear from the headboy
and deputy headboy many of the activities, events and
achievements of 2006. However, before doing that, I wish
to digress for a moment and pay a special and brief tribute
to my predecessor, Mr Gordon Law. I am certain that much
tribute was indeed paid to Mr Law during his final year
in office, but it would be remiss of me if I did not make
mention of the “handing-over” process. As is
his want, Mr Law was absolutely professional and impeccable
– the systems and infrastructure I inherited upon
arrival at SACS bear testimony to the enormous amount
of hard work put in by Mr Law during his 21 year tenure,
and certainly eased my introduction into this great school
– thank you, Mr Law!
Mr Chairman, at this stage I would like to welcome the
outgoing deputy headboy, Andrew Russell, to the stage
to give the School’s cultural report. He will be
followed by Headboy, Brennan Hodkinson, who will tell
us about the sporting achievements of 2005.
HEADMASTER’S REPORT (continued)
Thank you to these fine young SACS men – they have
led the Prefects and the School with distinction, pride
and tremendous loyalty. I also wish to congratulate the
other Prefects on the role they played in leading the
School this year and wish the Matrics of 2005 much success
in their exams, their further studies in the years ahead,
and indeed their future careers – I am confident
they will uphold the legacies of those who preceded them.
Mr Chairman, in this day and age of uncertainty in the
realm of Public Education, especially with respect to
concerns regarding amendments to the SA Schools Act and
the alarming rhetoric one hears from time to time about
education in public schools, if I were asked “are
you optimistic (or confident) about the future of education
at SACS?”, my answer would be an emphatic “yes”!
You might ask how I could be so decisive and certain (and
possibly even arrogant), well let me elucidate.
Andrew and Brennan have eloquently shared with you the
many successes and activities of the school this year
and their reports confirm that we can be very positive
about the future of SACS, because it is set on a foundation
of excellence.
However, I wish to digress slightly and illustrate why
I am so “bullish” about SACS.
A few years ago, when the British Government appointed
a commission to examine the standards in British education,
the Chairman reported back to the Government and made
certain recommendations. I found it interesting to note
that perhaps the Commission’s key thought is that
of raising pupils aspirations and of providing opportunities
for all pupils to learn to succeed. “The learning
to succeed – THAT is at the heart of good education.
It is central to our vision for education in the next
century that all children should learn to succeed and
go on succeeding ... Our education system should be rich
and varied enough to offer real opportunity for all.
In the opinion of the Commission, some of the following
features are most commonly found amongst successful schools:
- Strong, positive leadership by the Head and staff.
- A good atmosphere or spirit generated both by shared
aims and values, and by the physical environment, which
is as attractive and stimulating as possible.
- High and consistent expectations of all pupils in
all spheres of school life.
- A clear and continuing focus on teaching and learning.
- Well-developed procedures for assessing how pupils
are progressing.
- Responsibility for the learning shared by the pupils
themselves.
- Participation by pupils in all other spheres of school
life (sporting, cultural, etc.)
- Rewards and incentives to encourage pupils to succeed.
- Parental involvement in supporting the aims of the
school.
- Extra-curricular activities which broaden pupils interest
and experience, expand their opportunities to succeed,
and help to build good relationships within the school.
Well, when I consider these features of successful schools,
I cannot help but feel exceptionally positive about what
our men are experiencing here at SACS. They are offered
countless opportunities to express themselves academically,
culturally and on the sportsfields. They have much scope
to succeed and our curriculum develops leadership skills,
initiative, organizational skills, independence, inter-dependence
and teamwork. Most importantly, our value-systems at SACS
are second-to-none and are at the very core and heart
of SACS.
I certainly believe that we would measure up outstandingly
well (although there is still much room for improvement
in certain spheres), based on the commission’s criteria
for successful schools. Far more important, however, is
the fact that we inspire and challenge our lads –
we give them direction; we raise their self-esteem and
confidence; we encourage them to make full use of their
talents and find their niche amongst the vast array of
opportunities on offer. In short, we believe in having
very positive and very high expectations of our SACS men.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I can go on and on, but that is
not the point of this evening – I am merely attempting,
in this address, to confirm for you that your sons are
at the right school – that you should also have confidence
in SACS – it is not only the oldest school in the
land, but one of the very finest in this country and indeed,
we do offer a world-class education.
I need to thank all of those responsible for this positive
state-of-affairs.
- Firstly, the teaching, administrative, cleaning and
ground staff must be thanked for their enormous contribution.
They work long hours, travel vast distances, make tremendous
sacrifices, care for the boys and the school, and are
all thoroughly professional.
- The SACS men have accepted the challenges offered
and the vast majority are very positive – they
share our vision and are excited at being here –
I thank them.
- The parents have played an active role in their son’s
education and we thank them for their support of their
sons and of the school.
- The SACS OBU, under the leadership of Mr Mike Minnaar
(Chairman) (and Director, Mr John Ince), have gone way
beyond the normal call of duty in all that they have
done, are doing and will continue to do for this school
by way of financial and moral support of SACS.
- The SGB have always been present to support boys and
staff and share in our positive vision for SACS. I wish
to thank them, under the Chairmanship of Mr Nigel Cones,
for countless hours of thankless and totally unselfish
service to the school and, also, for being pro-active
and innovative.
Mr Chairman, I commenced by posing the hypothetical question,
“are you optimistic about the future of SACS?”
I believe I have answered the question, quite emphatically
and, in conclusion, I wish to quote from that great man,
ex-President Nelson Mandela’s autobiography: “Part
of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed
towards the sun, one’s feet moving forward.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, there is still very much to be
done and we must keep moving forward step-by-step, inch-by-inch,
confident in the knowledge that we are producing young
men who can take up their rightful places in society one
day.
I thank you.
K R BALL
HEADMASTER
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Posted: December 2005
Headboy Brennan Hodkinson's Sports Report at Prize Giving
Good evening Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ball, Mrs. Carolas, honoured
guests, parents and fellow SACS men.
At SACS, as in most South African schools, sport is the
most prominent and influential extra mural activity. However,
at SACS we seek to achieve the right balance between sport
and other cultural extra-murals in an attempt to provide
a holistic education to all SACS men.
No less than 17 sports are played at SACS ranging from
our traditional rugby, hockey and cricket to bodyboarding,
golf and even fencing. For 176 years SACS has consistently
produced top athletes and sportsmen and this year was
no exception with a total of 19 boys in 11 different sports
being selected to play for Western Province. We all know
what an achievement this is.
Our sporting facilities improve each year. The recent
addition of the Astroturf and completion of the Aqua-Centre,
combined with plans to upgrade all of the playing fields,
ensures that this school, in this setting, will continue
to provide the best facilities for all SACS boys to enjoy.
Every sporting year is filled with success and failure
and this past year has certainly had its share of both,
but wherever we went and whatever we did, we always “spread
the name and swelled the fame of the SAC”.
I will now summarise the results for the year and begin
my report with the winter sports highlights.
Our rugby season was a roller coaster ride for most of
our sides. The season commenced with the 1st team playing
in the Toyota Schools Tournament at Newlands. Playing
at Newlands was a dream come true for most of us, which
was made even better with a 20 - 15 victory over Tygerberg.
Other highlights include our 22 - 21 win in Wellington
against Huguenot and the FNB Classic Clash when we beat
our arch rivals Wynberg 15 - 10, a day on which SACS won
9 of the 14 games played. I have to mention the outstanding
achievements of two of our players namely Khotso Micha,
who was selected to play for the Western Province U18
Craven Week side, and Kevin Dolley who was selected for
the South African Academy team and attended trials for
next years U19 World Cup. We wish them both every success
for the future.
A total of 19 rugby teams took to the field for SACS
this season and some outstanding performances were enjoyed,
especially by our U16 and U15 sides. The U15 A’s
won 4 of the 6 games played against Wynberg, Rondebosch
and Bishops and the U16 A’s won all 6 of these derby
games.
All 12 of our hockey sides had a mixed season. Our U14
A’s, U16 A’s and the 1st team took part in the
annual knock-out cup competition, where the U14’s
and the 1st team made the quarter finals and the U16’s
made the semi-finals. The 1st team enjoyed a successful
tour to Potchestroom where they played 5 games, winning
2, losing 2, and drawing 1. The recent implementation
of a managers program for each team involving coaches
which include 5 provincial players and a national player
has taken SACS hockey in a positive direction. This process
has produced an improved approach to attacking hockey,
which will hopefully produce good results next season.
The early mornings and blisters proved to be worthwhile
for our rowers.
The SACS oarsmen performed with great credit at the SA
Championships - 7 crews reached the finals and pride of
place went to the U15 Quad who came 2nd in the finals.
Incredible achievements were made by Justin Groenewald
and Tyrone Delaney who both represented South Africa at
the World Junior Rowing Championships in Germany.
Our Cross-country sides had a great season competing
in the Table Bay Zone where 9 league races were held.
The U15’s won 7 out of 9 races.
The U17’s won 9 out of 9 races.
And the U19’s won 7 out of 9 races.
While there were many exceptional performances in this
gruelling sport a special mention has to be made of Brendan
Lombard who not only won every U17 race he ran but as
a biathlete represented South Africa in the Junior World
Championships in Monaco
Both our squash and shooting sides produced players who
made WP selection, and in badminton Grant Gartshore was
crowned Triple Champion at the Western Province U17 championships.
Both Graeme and Culum Budge became South African champions
at the SA Kumite Karate Championships and even ice hockey
was represented by a SACS man, when Chris Reeves played
for the SA U18 side at the World Championships in Estonia.
And now to our summer sports.
Busloads of athletes and supporters enjoyed yet another
annual athletics meeting at Paarl Boys High. The event,
held under lights is one of the best spirit building events
of the year and one in which SACS always does well. The
annual Triangular meeting between Bishops, Rondebosch
and SACS, was hosted by Bishops, where our athletes achieved
5 first, 8 second, and 11 third places. On this day Kevin
Dolley equalled the shot-put record, held since 1983.
Cricket continues to be a strong and well-supported sport
at SACS.
The 1st team enjoyed a solid start to the year, winning
12 of the 16 games played.
Our U15 A’s have had an exceptional year winning
10 and drawing 1 of the 13 games played
In the annual Knock-Out Competition the 1st team made
the quarter-finals and the U15’s made the finals,
but unfortunately lost to Bishops at Newlands. The consistent
batting performance of our 1st team captain Carl Lewis
was recognized when he was selected for the U18 Nuffield
side.
The future of cricket in the school will be greatly assisted
by the appointment of one of South Africa’s most
talented sportsmen and SACS Old Boy, Peter Kirsten, who
joined us last term as our Director of Sport.
Our bodyboarding 1st team excelled this year with the
exceptional record of 7 victories from 7 competitions.
Jonathan Mellish was crowned Western Province Series Champion
after winning the Western Province, Boland and Southern
Cape titles.
The SACS swimming team took part in 7 galas this year
with the highlight being the Western Province A League
Gala at Newlands, where we came 3rd. The season produced
some outstanding individual performances with 4 boys swimming
in the High Schools National Aquatic Championships in
Durban.
Eight records were broken at our annual Interhouse Gala
with Sebastian Rosseau breaking 3 of them. Sebastian also
broke the 400m freestyle record in his age group at the
National Championships in March and has also qualified
for the FINA World Cup to be held next month.
Over the years SACS has consistently produced strong
waterpolo teams. This year was no exception. In the first
term the U15 A team won the Waller Cup and the 1st team
won the prestigious Mazinter Cup. Just last week, SACS
hosted the annual Waterpolo Festival for the 21st time,
and under the captaincy of Wade Holland achieved tremendous
results.
This tournament is held over 3 days and includes most
of the best waterpolo teams in the country. SACS made
it to the final, after beating a highly rated DHS side
in one of the most exciting games of the tournament.
Unfortunately, we lost in the final to a very strong
St Johns side, but taking into account that there is only
one matric in the team and that the balance is made-up
of Grade 11’s, 10’s and even some grade 9’s,
we can definitely say that the best is still to come.
Congratulations go to all those boys who have achieved
provincial honours and team awards in their respective
sports, with special mention to our young Springboks who
have achieved the greatest honour, the chance to represent
one’s country.
SACS salutes all of you who have made this year such
a sporting success. While I have acknowledged the success
of certain achievements I must acknowledge the support
we have enjoyed from our coaches, teachers, parents, and
old boys, it is this contribution that has made and will
continue to make SACS such a great school.
Succeeding in life is a lot like succeeding on the sports
field, it requires self-discipline, practice, persistence
and a lot of teamwork. SACS provides us all with the opportunity
to succeed, but it is up to each and every one of us to
seize it. By doing so you will learn to handle success
and cope with failure, things that teach us so much about
life itself.
THANK YOU
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Posted: December 2005
Deputy Head Boy Andrew Russel's Cultural Report at Prize
Giving
Good Evening Mr Chairman, Mr Ball, Ms Carolus, honoured
guests, ladies and gentlemen and SACS
Along with the sporting aspect of school life, the cultural
and academic spheres are pivotal to a well-rounded education,
an education that SACS is renowned for. I would like to
take this opportunity tonight, to report back on the numerous
achievements attained by SACS men, in both the academic
and cultural facets of SACS life over the past year.
On the academic front, SACS has again excelled. Along
with strong 2004 Matric results and 100% pass rate, some
more individual achievements deserve mention.
In February the annual Mintek Quiz was held. Simon Scott,
Vinesh Rajpal and Brennan Hodkinson, represented SACS.
After two rounds the traditional boys schools of SACS,
Rondebosch and Bishops were tied. A tense sudden death
round saw SACS beat Rondebosch and narrowly come second
to Bishops in a competition of the Western Cape’s
top 30 schools, ironically on the same day as the other
triangular.
Also in February, the Internal Scholarship Examinations
were held. The prestigious, 100 year old Victoria Scholarship
went to Simon Scott and Vinesh Rajpaul. A host of other
boys picked up a variety of bursaries and scholarships
and they are all deserved of congratulations for their
fine achievements.
Various Olympiads were held throughout the year for many
of the subjects offered. Many of the SACS men excelled
in the many Olympiads that SACS took part in. Simon Scott
did exceptionally well this year in the many Olympiads
he took part in. In the National Accounting Olympiad Simon
was placed 1st in the Western Cape and 2nd in the country.
Simon did extremely well and came 10th place in the National
Science Olympiad as well as came in the top 10 and 30,
for the National Computer Olympiad and the UCT Mathematics
Olympiad respectively. Michael Talbot and Min Young Wu
also did well in the Physics section of the Science Olympiad,
finishing merely a few places behind Simon.
Society for Alternate Mental Stimulation hosted speakers
throughout the year. Such talks are a unique opportunity
for the SACS men to learn from prominent members of academic
society. This year SAMS hosted the editor of Noseweek,
Mr Martin Welz as well as university professors, including
the distinguished, Dr Anthony Holiday.
The SACS Debating team had another excellent year. Gordon
Inggs, John Seth and Marc Rontsch saw the team to second
place in the annual provincial tournament. John was placed
7th in the province with Gordon and Marc coming in close
behind as 11th and 12th respectively. They were all asked
to go through to the next round of provincial trials but
declined as they interrupted matric final exam preparation.
Culturally, SACS has always been a leader and this year’s
achievements stand has a testament to that. Numerous theatrical
endeavours were embarked upon this year, all with enormous
success. The Theatrical Society produced an extract from
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. With the exception
of one UCT drama student the entire play was produced
by the SACS men of the theatrical society and for that
a large amount of credit goes to David Luyt and his team.
This year’s feature production was Little Shop of
Horrors. Both the boys and staff involved put in a massive
effort and this was evident from the high calibre of the
performance. The show was practically sold out for all
four nights and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
This year a profit was made on the production, which went
straight into the back pocket of the production crew,
and then out again and into the school’s bank account.
The annual house plays were held in the beginning of the
third term and was another enjoyable evening. Best director
went to David Luyt and best actor to Nicholas Kerswill,
both of Baxter.
SACS prides itself on its music department and with over
100 boys involved in its broader activities its no wonder
that it is what it is. This year has been another phenomenal
one for the music department and along with the many competitions
and performances many achievements were attained. The
coveted Walter Swanson Bursary and Christopher Brown internal
competitions were held this year with exceptionally high
standards. The evening was both enjoyable and an immense
success. The Walter Swanson Bursary went to Riaven Hansmann
for his singing, while Jody Kriel came in 2nd on his trumpet.
Raiven Hansmann again excelled in the Christopher Brown
Competition, winning the vocal section and coming 2nd
in the instrumental. John Seth won the instrumental section
with a superb performance on his clarinet, while Bradley
Price came after Raiven in the vocal section. It is encouraging
to see the involvement of grade 8 and 9 boys in such competitions
and what is even more encouraging is the level at which
they perform.
At the annual Eisteddfod, SACS again flexed its musical
muscle in an extraordinary tone. Bradley Price received
3 diplomas for his singing. The Senior Choir was awarded
high honours for their performance while the Madrigal
and Jazz ensemble achieved a quite amazing 99% in their
section. The Concert and Jazz bands did SACS proud again
by winning their sections for the 2nd year running.
Along with the many gigs that our various bands played
in, as well as the greatly enjoyed Friday morning presentations,
the SACS Band, more specifically the SACS Marching Band
led the UCT rag parade. Our Junior Jazz Band and Madrigal
and Jazz ensemble performed at the opening of the UCT
International Medical Convention and did the SACS name
much justice by their sterling performance. At the National
Youth Jazz Festival held in Grahamstown this July, Sisonke
Xhonti was selected to represent the National Schools
Jazz Band for the 2nd consecutive year. This is an incredible
achievement and equivalent to making the national rugby
team for your respective age group.
The African Sanctus was held this August in the City
Hall. Consisting of the Choirs and Concert Bands of SACS,
Rustenburg as well as that mediocre school down the road,
Rondebosch, it was well received by the full house it
played to on both nights. The fine musicians of SACS must
be thanked for the huge amount of effort they put into
their music and the successful results they receive. For
the SACS music department to produce the results that
it does, many thanks are owed to the staff who really
do work around the clock to make music at SACS experience
that it is.
Commemoration Day is an event that uniquely separates
SACS from the many other boy’s schools across the
country. As we remembere the fallen and celebrate our
founding, many SACS boys actively participated. The volunteer
platoons were well organised and smartly dressed and coupled
with the slick marching band it led to a memorable day.
Thanks are due to Mr Cromhout, Mr Walton as well as all
the boys who formed an integral part of the special occasion.
A society deserved of mention is the often forgotten
about First Aid Society. They work tirelessly throughout
the week and Saturday mornings providing first aid to
the SACS sportsman. The efforts of Mrs Potgieter and the
rest of the First Aid Society are not ignored and much
appreciated.
All the Clubs and Societies, Interact, Christian Union,
Muslim Students Association, Wine Club, Science Club,
Waterpolo Club, Multimedia Society, History Society and
Music Society are all fully functioning. Thank you to
all those involved in these societies who work extremely
hard and allow for all these societies to function as
effectively as they do. Exactly the same can be said of
all boys involved in the library and book room. Your work
is greatly appreciated.
I could speak for hours this evening about the achievements
of the SACS men both culturally and academically but unfortunately
there exists a time constraint, which has allowed me to
only give brief highlights. For such heights to be reached
there must exist a strong base from which to develop and
while we praise the individuals who have achieved, praise
is also due to the many SACS men who form and partake
in the many academic and extra-mural programmes offered.
These men do not always get a personal mention yet their
role is a vital one in making SACS the institution that
it is. Those same sentiments extend to all the staff who
go the extra mile and work so hard to make the SACS academic
and cultural experience the success that it is.
Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen…
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Posted: December 2005
2005 Stellenbosch Graduates
| Name |
Qalification |
| SJ Raubenheimer ('98) |
BA (Sportwetenskap) |
| DP Bell ('99) |
BComm (Landbou-Ekonomie) |
| RL McGregor ('99) |
Hons BComm |
| MJ Nell ('00) |
BRekeningkunde |
| RD Thompson ('00) |
BA (Sportwetenskap) |
| AS Venter ('00) |
BA (Sportwetenskap) |
| N Pienaar ('01) |
BRekeningkunde |
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Posted: December 2005
Steven Simpson
by Paul Simpson
CLICK HERE to download a video of Steven Simpson with
Tokyo Sexwale after an A1 Race.
Since winning the South African Formula Ford Championship
whilst still at SACS in 2000, (we gather that he is still
the youngest driver to have won a National Formula Ford
Championship in the World, at 16), Stephen has been developing
his skills in the most competitive racing environments
in the World: Europe and the UK. It has been a very tough
path he has chosen to follow and it has taken huge reserves
of determination and self belief. When he moved to the
UK in 2001 with his mentor, top race engineer Trevor Van
Rooyen, they were forced, due to limited funds, to run
their own racing team. He finished the year by being voted
"Race Ace of Great Britain" by top motor magazine
Motorsport News. The following year he was signed by the
Benetton Junior Formula Renault team and he moved to Italy
to race all over Europe; this was to be followed by a
move into Formula 3000 but shortage of funds caused him
to sit out the season at the very last moment. He loved
Italy and Mr Law would be pleased to know that he did
at least learn another language since leaving SACS, as
he became quite fluent in Italian!
In 2003 he was back in action and began the first of two
season's racing Formula Renault in the British Championship.
He won a number of races and was Vice Champion in 2003
before being selected earlier this year to drive for Tokyo
Sexwale's new A1Grand Prix Team. To secure this drive
he was pitched against the cream of South Africa's professional
drivers and came out on top. The opportunity to drive
in the innaugural "World Cup of Motorsport"
representing his country, has been both an honour for
him and a big boost for his career, which has always suffered
from a shortage of funding. He is however indebted to
the small group of businessmen who were prepared to back
him financially and give him the platform to show his
abilities.
He is currently the No.2 driver for A1 Team RSA, being
junior to No. 1 driver Tomas Scheckter. Probably the most
memorable race of his life came at the very first A1 Grand
Prix at Brands Hatch in October this year. The team had
entrusted their debut on the International stage to Stephen
and he had a fantastic weekend. Running as high as 4th
in the three practice sessions he put in a storming drive
from the back of the grid to finish 6th out of the 15
countries competing, sandwiched between two far more experienced
Formula 1 drivers, Jos Verstappen, whom he beat and Alex
Yoong who managed to fend him off!
A1Grand Prix is proving to be a major success, with global
TV coverage and the fans are really getting behind the
idea of Nation racing Nation. After Tomas competed in
the next two races, Stephen was back behind the wheel
in Australia and made very good progress developing the
performance of the car but sadly had some atrocious luck
during the races which ended with a heavy crash, as he
took evasive action to avoid Team Italy as their car suddenly
slowed, mid corner.
Now 21 years old he is hoping that in addition to the
A1GP season, he will be racing in the Formula 1 support
series called GP2 next year. This championship is regarded
as the F1 feeder championship and includes races such
as Monaco and Silverstone!
He remains as dedicated now as he was when he laid out
his career plan at 8 years old; a strictly controlled
diet and gym training are a part of everyday life He is
currently in Australia before he flies to Malaysia for
the next round of the World Cup of Motorsport at the Sepang
circuit.
Top International racing team boss and ex Ferrari and
Williams GP man Enrique Scalabroni described him recently
as being "a calm, intelligent and well educated young
man who will go far!" He owes much to SACS.
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