Da Cunha scored a seventh and an eighth in Saturday’s races after qualifying an excellent fourth on Friday, while Lobb endured a character-building debut in the production car category after winning last year’s Shelby CanAm sports car series. He qualified 10th, spun out of the first race after three laps and was ninth behind his team-mate in race two.
“We had quite high expectations after qualifying,” said Da Cunha, “but Michael Stephen (Audi quattro) ran me wide on the opening lap of the first race as we came through Nashua Corner (turn 3). This dropped me back to fifth and I lost my momentum. Johan Fourie also got past me and then Shaun Watson-Smith as I battled with understeer and an increasing lack of grip.
“It was much the same in the second race, where I couldn’t take advantage of my front row grid position (the grid for race two is based on the reverse of the top eight finishing order in race one). Watson-Smith got past me on lap one and Taylor (BMW) on lap two. Stephen and I clashed again, this time in the Bowl (turn 9) and I lost time putting a wheel in the dirt. It was a frustrating day, but we came to Kyalami without having a chance to test our cars and will now be in a stronger position to challenge for better results in the next round in Cape Town in April.”
Lobb thoroughly enjoyed his first experience of production car racing. “I was impressed with the Nissan and felt at home behind the wheel – it has a lot of power and is rear wheel drive, which is what I have been used to in Shelby CanAm.” His first fast lap in qualifying was compromised when a class T car spun in front of him in the Goodyear Sweep (turn 4) and he was again denied a clean run on his second lap when another competitor came out of the pits into his path. “The first incident was a very close thing,” said Lobb. I don’t know how I missed him. I shut my eyes – the first time I have ever done that in a racing car – and I’m sure I must have gone through his one door and out the other.”
“I lost the rear end as I came out of the Esses (turn 6) in the first race and buried the car in the gravel,” he said with a sheepish grin. “Race two was better and I managed to stay with Marco for the last five laps and got in some valuable seat time. I’m looking forward to the next round at Killarney, when I’m sure I will be more competitive.”
Team manager Lee Philips was not disheartened by the weekend’s results. “We came to Kyalami with two virtually new cars. New engines, new gearboxes and quite a bit of work done on the suspension. Friday’s practice sessions were our first real chance to try out the two cars. Marco’s fourth place in qualifying was very encouraging and Darryn showed some pace in the second race (he was only half a second off Marco). Not everything went our way this weekend, but we learnt enough to feel confident about the season that lies ahead.”
The next round of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship is at Killarney in Cape Town on April 4 and 5.
