The class B battle between ‘young lion’ Jaffer and the wily and experienced former production car champion Ben Morgenrood (Mazda RX-8) has been a highlight of an entertaining and close-fought Bridgestone Production Car Championship this year.
The two protagonists are locked together on 97 points each, with third-placed Brian Martin (no longer competing) on 34 points and Paulo da Cunha (back from a three-race suspension for causing the Kyalami accident that saw Sasol Toyota driver Hector North sidelined for the rest of the season) on 30 points in his Fiat Stilo.
Jaffer will again receive welcome support from Sasol Toyota team-mate Dave Compton in the RunX vacated by North. Compton is the reigning class B champion, who moved up to class T in the unique supercharged Sasol Toyota RunX.
Also performing well in his first season with the ex-Race Prep Sasol Toyota RunX in class B is Shaun Pike, who is joint fourth with Da Cunha on 30 points.
While Jaffer has a big battle on his hands with Morgenrood, Sasol Nissan’s defending overall and class A champion Leeroy Poulter has his work cut out this weekend to reduce a 22-point deficit to Johan Fourie (Audi A4 quattro), who leads the class A championship with 140 points. Poulter is third with 118 points, 11 behind second-placed Shaun Watson-Smith.
Poulter, in his second season with the factory Sasol Nissan 350Z team, has seen a healthy lead in the championship whittled away after three rounds that strongly favoured the all-wheel drive Audis. He and Sasol Nissan team-mates Tschops Sipuka and Gavin Cronje can expect the conditions at the high-speed East London circuit, with its ultra-fast Potter’s Pass and Rifle Range sweeps, to be more to the two-wheel drive 350Zs’ liking.
Sipuka is 10th with 34 points, while Cronje, who will be making only his second appearance for the Sasol Nissan team after taking over from Gary Formato at the PE round, is 17th with 6 points.
“We’re on the back foot this weekend,” said Glyn Hall, general manager of Nissan Motorsport. “We’ve seen Leeroy’s championship lead disappear over the past two rounds, where conditions favoured the all-wheel drive Audis. The two-wheel drive cars have been at a distinct disadvantage, particularly in PE where the Audis probably should have finished in the top four positions in each race. I don’t think this kind of domination is healthy for the sport and it’s not in keeping with the concept of an even playing field.
“However, we have to play to the rules and we’ve prepared as thoroughly as we can for this weekend’s races. They’re very important for the destination of the championship and we’re confident we’ll have a better chance at victory this weekend than we did in PE or Zwartkops in September.
“Leeroy was a winner in race two last year, but the Audis have improved a lot since then and we know it won’t be easy. The high speed nature of the EL circuit suits the Sasol Nissans and means we will have a better chance than we did in the last two rounds to come out on top,” added Hall.
