“Qala, qala, gijima” uyakhumbula? Waqala kanjalo-ke umjaho esikoleni samabanga aphezulu.
I-24 Hours of Le Mans, kuze kube uhlelo luka-1969, yayingahlukanga kangako. Abashayeli bagijimela ezimotweni njengezingane enkundleni yokudlala. Kodwa kunomshayeli oyedwa owaba nesibindi sokuweqa lowo mthetho.
Ngo-1969, abantu abangaphezu kuka-400,000 babukela ukuvulwa kwe-24 Hours of Le Mans. Lapho kuphuma uphawu, bonke abashayeli baqala ukugijimela ezimotweni zabo ngaphandle koyedwa… Jacky Ickx.
Ukuhamba ngomoya ophansi ngeFord GT40 yakhe ngenkathi abanye abashayeli begijima kwaba yindlela uJacky Ickx, owaziwa ngokuthi “Monsieur Le Mans”, atholwe ephikisana nalolo hlobo lokuhamba.
Bekungaphephile. Ukuze bonge imizuzwana embalwa, abashayeli bezindiza baze basuka ngaphandle kokuwabopha kahle amabhande.
Kwakungaphansi kwalezi zimo lapho umlingane kaJacky Ickx u-Willy Mairesse alimale kanzima oshicilelo lwangaphambilini lwe-24 Hours of Le Mans. Umphumela waleyo ngozi uholele ekutheni umshayeli waseBelgium owayengaphilile kahle azibulale, ebhekene nenkinga yokubuyela emjahweni.
Ngenxa yohambo lwakhe lokubhikisha, u-Jacky Ickx ube ngowokugcina ukuthatha uhambo. Futhi kwenye yalezo zigigaba ezidabukisayo, ngisho nasemzuliswaneni wokuqala we-24 Hours of Le Mans, lolu hlobo lokuqala lwathatha enye impilo engozini. Izingozi ezatholwa umshayeli wendiza uJohn Woolfe (Porsche 917) zibulale. Ukulimala obekungagwemeka ukube uWoolfe ubefake ibhande lakhe.
ukunqoba kabili
Yize ehle walala endaweni yokugcina ekuqaleni komjaho, uJacky Ickx uzogcina ephumelele i-24 Hours of Le Mans ehlangene noJackie Oliver esondweni leFord GT40. Bekungenye yezinqola eziqhudelana kakhulu emlandweni we-24 Hours of Le Mans. Imajini ka-Ickx no-Oliver (Ford GT40) ka-Hans Herrmann kanye no-Gérard Larrousse (Porsche 908), abalandele endaweni yesibili, bekuyimizuzwana embalwa kuphela ngemva kwamahora angu-24!
Ukunqoba kuka-Jacky Ickx kwango-1969 bekungokokuqala kokuningi (inani lokunqoba okuyisithupha) kulo mjaho wenganekwane wokukhuthazela. Okunye ukunqoba kuka-Ickx, okungabalulekile kangako, kwaba ukuphela komdlalo womjaho. Umbhikisho wayo we-sui generis kanye nokuphulwa kwezokuphepha okusobala kubangele ukuphela kwalolu hlobo lomdlalo wezemidlalo. Kuze kube namuhla.
Umpetha womhlaba we-Endurance izikhathi ezimbili, ophume isibili kuFomula 1 emhlabeni kanye nowine i-Dakar, u-Jacky Ickx uyinganekwane yangempela ye-motorsport. Umnumzane ophumayo emathafeni.