Unexpected winners and ultra-close, robust action typified rounds 15 and 16 of the 2008 Bridgestone South African Production Car championship at the Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday (September 6).
The day’s events, which formed part of the WesBank Super Series’ second visit this season to the Pretoria venue, left the two main Production Car title chases unresolved.
The weekend’s Class A battles were especially intense – after Friday afternoon’s official qualifying session, the times of the ten quickest competitors were covered by less than a second.
Surprisingly, privateer Dawie Olivier occupied pole position in his unsponsored Subaru Impreza STi.
He shared the front row of the grid with Michael Stephen (Engen Xtreme Audi A4 3,2 quattro), ahead of Shaun Watson-Smith (Engen Xtreme Audi), Melvill Priest (MiKar Lenovo Audi), Anthony Taylor (Afrox BMW 330i) and Tschops Sipuka (Sasol Nissan 350Z).
Olivier showed that his qualifying form was no fluke on Saturday, when he led the opening race from rolling start to flying finish.
He was chased to the flag by Melvill Priest, Johan Fourie (Indy Oil Audi), Tschops Sipuka, Michael Stephen and Anthony Taylor.
Race two, started from an inverted grid, got under way in spectacular fashion, when both Leeroy Poulter’s Sasol Nissan 350Z and Dawie Olivier’s Subaru were punted into the Zwartkops scenery.
Others too, experienced problems.
Darryn Lobb’s Tubular Tech Nissan was shunted into the sandtrap at Zwartkops’ table top, Johan Fourie’s Audi suffered broken suspension and, heartbreakingly, Melvill Priest’s Audi stopped due to a broken petrol pump with just two of the 15 laps to go.
All of which left Etienne van der Linde to win in his Afrox BMW 330i, leading home the identical BMW of Anthony Taylor, Michael Stephen’s Audi, Marco da Cunha (Tubular Tech Nissan 350Z), plus the Sasol Nissans of Tschops Sipuka and Leeroy Poulter.
The first Class T race produced a spate of mechanical failures among the leaders.
Graeme Nathan’s Indy Oil SEAT Cupra lost a turbo pipe, Gary Formato’s Ford Racing Focus ST blew its turbocharger and Graham Donker’s Mini Maxi VW Golf GTi stopped with broken suspension.
Class newcomer Shaun Duminy took his Ford Racing Focus ST to victory ahead of Lee Thompson (Gallardo IT VW Polo GTi), Webcom Opel Astra OPC drivers Reghard Roets and Gary van Heerden, Iain Pepper (PG Glass Golf GTi) and Michael van Rooyen (RSC Golf GTi).
Heat two saw Roets win in his Opel after a race-long tussle with Nathan’s SEAT.
Shaun Duminy took the final podium place in his Focus ST, followed by Lee Thompson, Etienne Prinsloo (Bizhub Mazda3 MPS) and Gary Formato (Focus ST).
Graeme Nathan, who emerged from the meeting as championship leader, set a new Class T lap record with his SEAT in the opening race.
Ben Morgenrood (Agip Mazda RX8) won both Class B races from Danie van Niekerk (Stanger Ford Fiesta ST) and Shaun Pike (Tosco Toyota RunX RSi).
CAR Magazine’s Rookie of the Day was Peet Visagie, in his Time Mining VW Golf GTi.
The next round of this year’s Bridgestone Production Car championship will take place at the Eastern Cape Aldo Scribante circuit on Saturday, October 4.
