I recently was asked to start writing for RunRideDive (www.runridedive.com) as a motorsports and motoring correspondant. This was started this little beginning of a blog, which is a mess but will be made awesome soon. Below is the profile that went up on their site. This is me… Who I am.

Dirk Vale

I am lucky enough to have two racing driver parents. My father is an ex off road racer, THE Don Vale, infamous for a lot of things but in a car he had no fear and would go flat out through dust storms. No slowing down or checking anything. He is THE Don, it’s the way he is. He’s raced the hardest offroad rallys in the world the South African rally – The Roof of Africa 13 – times, not the new one but the old even more hardcore one. He did the Roof in everything from bikes to an Austin Marina car. He raced alongside the likes of Geoff Mortimer and Richard Leeke. He has since retired from racing.

My mother is The First Lady, Mrs Fast, she is Clare Vale. She was the first, and so far only, lady racer to race in Production Cars Class A in a Subaru which unfortunatley ended as quickly as it began. It lead to her racing in the WesBank V8 Supercar series in a 600hp Mustang. She was the first lady to race in this series and went on to have a pole position, lead a race and recently at the East London circuit finish on the podium. At East London the V8s reach speeds of 300kmph. She raced alongside the likes of Hennie Groenewald and Willie Hepburn. There is also a drift car being built and she’s currently racing a Porsche 917 in the Zwartkops International. We also work closely with the Anne van Dyk Cheetah Trust and the Road Safety Foundation. No matter who you are, it is important to give back. You only keep what you have by giving it away.

I’ve grown up with cars and in cars. I’m admittedly better behind the wheel than under the bonnet, but I was brought up by racing drivers and not mechanics! I may be racing myself this year but this is TBA. I have raced in 12 hour endurance karting races, where in the last two years my team has managed to beat my Mom’s!

My great uncle was Captain “Jack” Duff; he in his time set multiple speed records and was one of the original Bentley Boys. He raced in the first ever Le Mans finishing 3rd and won the second Le Mans famously in a Bentley. He raced all around world and competed in races such as the Indianapolis 500.

Bentley Boys - Captain 'Jack' Duff

I have been lucky enough to grow up driving some amazing cars. I was on track before I had my driver’s licence! My opinion on cars is very much emotional but to me that’s what cars are supposed to evoke, right? I will also be giving you insights into the world of motor sport. With some luck, some of the nice people I have made friends with will let me take their race cars around the track. Every race car has a different personality and they are all fascinating to drive. Don’t expect this to just be about Sports Cars though, I will also show you why SUVs are useful, what entry level models are doing right and what they are doing wrong.

Have some fun, that is what I will be trying to remind you to do but I am also good friends with the Road Safety Foundation peeps so mostly I will remind you to behave.