The WesBank Super Series heads for the picturesque Killarney circuit in Cape Town for the second time this year on August 4, and recent developments in the world of motorsport have contrived to give the meeting added interest.
The August 4 meeting has been given a little extra impetus by recent developments, particularly in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship. Frontrunners Leeroy Poulter (Sasol Nissan 350Z), the reigning champion, and Capetonian Johan Fourie (JFR/MD Transport Audi A4) were excluded from the results of the July 7 race meeting at Kyalami because of technical infringements.
That has put the cat among the pigeons in both the overall and Class A championships. In the overall championship Poulter drops to third behind Class T pair Iain Pepper (PG Autoglass VW Golf GTi) and Graeme Nathan in the BP Ultimate/Kaye-Eddie Golf. Fourie slips to seventh and drops to third in Class A behind Poulter and Shaun Watson-Smith in one of the two factory Extreme Team Audi A4s.
Pepper leads Nathan by 13 points in the overall championship with Poulter only one point behind with Watson-Smith a further four points adrift. Because of the controversial Class A no show at Phakisa, the Class T brigade have scored in two extra races and that is an issue which could provide for more drama down the line.
While Poulter still tops the Class A standings, he is now only four points clear of Shaun Watson-Smith. Further down the Class A pecking order some interesting title battles have developed, and the same applies to other championship categories.
With the season now entering the home stretch it is crunch time for championship hopefuls. The Killarney could make, break or revive championship challenges and that is an incentive for drama.
BRIDGESTONE PRODUCTION CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Every race season has its little twists and turns and the exclusion of reigning champion and current championship leader Leeroy Poulter (Sasol Nissan 350Z) and Johan Fourie (JFR/MD Transport Audi A4) from the results of the last meeting at Kyalami, has injected new life into Class A of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship.
Poulter now leads Class A by just four points from Shaun Watson-Smith (Xtreme Team Audi A4) who has been in great form this season. Fourie drops to third in the championship – but there are only 12 points between third and sixth.
Fourie is being chased by Etienne van der Linde (Castrol BMW), Kyalami winner Gary Formato (Sasol Nissan 350Z) and Melville Priest (MiKar Audi A4) who are bracketed together in fifth place, and Michael Stephen in the second Engen Xtreme factory car.
The championship status quo dictates hat the action up front will be hectic. But when you throw into the mix the likes of former champion Anthony Taylor (Castrol BMW), Reggie Roets (Bosal Nissan 350Z) and Kyalami surprise package Stephen Morris in one of the Lindenburg Racing Subaru Imprezas you have a powder keg just waiting for ignition sparks.
Veterans Iain Pepper and Graeme Nathan will head the Class T challenge with interference from Hein Bose (Super Tune VG Golf GTi), Robert Wolk (Afintapart Mini Cooper) and Garth Waberski in the Castrol Mini. There were signs at Kyalami that Wolk and Waberski have closed the gap on the Golf runners, and Killarney could suit the pair.
With Brian Martin calling it a day where track racing is concerned, Class B is now a straight fight between leader Riyad Jaffer (Sasol Toyota RunX) and veteran Ben Morgenrood in the Zoom Zoom Mazda RX8. Further back another veteran, Hector North (Sasol Toyota RunX) and Paolo da Cunha (Tubular Construction Fiat Palio) will resume what has turned into an interesting rivalry.
Down in Class C early season frontrunner Robi Beninca (BTS Golf Citi Lite) has been reeled in by Trevor Tuck, in the Infinity/Agip Fiat Punte Grando, with the pair now level pegging. That sets up an interesting confrontation with Thens Eloff, in a second Infinity/Agip entry, and Mark Silverwood (OKI Ford Fiesta) and Etienne Prinsloo (Venditor VW Polo TDi) waiting in the wings.
WESBANK V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Reigning champion Hennie Groenewald (SP Racing Jaguar) saw a six race winning streak come to an end at Kyalami on July 7, but still retains a healthy 30 point lead over former champion Grant van Schalkwyk in the Hi-Q Jaguar.
Van Schalkwyk took both wins at Kyalami and his confidence will have soared. The race two win in particular, with its inverted grid system, will have pleased van Schalkwyk who prior to Kyalami did not have a good race two record.
Consistency has kept young Jimmy Auby (Tyco/Jonnesway Jaguar) in third place in the championship although he is more than 50 points adrift of van Schalkwyk. Auby, however, is being chased by Gordon Connolly (Dezzi/Cowan Signs Jaguar) and Mackie Adlem (Fuchs Titan Ford Mustang) with only eight points separating the trio.
But the real danger to Groenewald and van Schalkwyk is likely to be Robert Briggs (Timken Jaguar) who looks to have finally found his feet in the big banger category. The former Engen VW Cup champion was impressive at Kyalami and has a look about him that suggests the Pretoria driver is ready to start winning.
The likes of Jade Gutzeit (Dezzi/Trysome Ford Mustang), Zane Pearce (Hi-Q Jaguar), Franco di Matteo (Deltec Jaguar) and veteran Larry Wilford, who will be back in a second Fuchs Mustang, all have the ability to cause an upset. The now customary second race inverted grid, given the tight nature of Killarney, will give the second heat a boost and some interesting overtaking moves are on the cards.
There is not a lot of love lost between the Groenewald/van Schalkwyk camps and the needle simply adds to the interest. Both drivers will, however, be well aware of the fact that young drivers like Briggs are starting to pose a threat.
ENGEN VW CUP
Two podium finishes at Kyalami last time out helped Lee Thompson, in the Xtreme Team VW Polo, hang onto what is still a tenuous lead in the Engen VW Cup.
A second and a third were enough to keep Thompson nine points ahead of veteran Graeme Donker in the Mini/Maxi Panelbeaters entry. Thompson and Donker, however, have earned themselves a little breathing space over the chasing pack.
Another veteran, Cape Town driver Kosie Swanepoel (Barnetts VW Polo) is 26 points adrift of Donker with yet another veteran, Curt Alchin (See2Sell VW Polo), losing ground after a disappointing outing at Kyalami. Alchin is 15 points behind Donker and has Miguel Pasqualli, in the second Xtreme Team VW Polo, breathing down his neck.
The local boys, Swanepoel and Pasqualli, will be keen to pick up good finishes in both races in front of their home crowd. Both will fancy their chances and will know rich points hauls are needed if they are going to seriously challenge the championship leaders over the rest of the season.
Swanepoel will be buoyed up after his win at Kyalami while Jared Mortimer (Azania Telecoms VW Polo) will also be on a high after his first ever win at Kyalami. But it is consistency that plays a major role in winning championship and here Thompson and Donker have a distinct advantage.
Thompson hasn’t done much wrong this season, and Donker has also shown his experience. The one given, however, is that the two heats will produce plenty of action.
CITIBIKE SA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
The two CitBike SA Superbike Championship heats are highlights of any Killarney meeting and that trend will continue this time around.
At the sharp end of the championship only nine points separate current leader Arushen Moodley (Dynamic Express Suzuki) and reigning champion Shawn Whyte on the Nashua Mobile/Daikin Yamaha. Clinton Seller, on a second Nashua Mobile/Daikin Yamaha, is in third place and well placed to put some pressure on Moodley and Whyte.
A Kyalami indiscretion, which also saw him take out Trevor Crookes (Mitsubishi Electric Suzuki) in race two, has dropped 2005 champion Sheridan Morias (Ducati Café) down to fourth with veteran Graeme van Breda (Springs Suzuki) breathing down his neck. Robert Portman (CitiBike Yamaha) is only five points behind van Breda and has a one point advantage over Lance Isaacs (Seesa Honda Fireblade) in a battle that sees five riders separated by only 17 points.
Morias and Moodley shared the Kyalami wins and will again be among the frontrunners. Whyte has run into ominous form of late and looks to be his old self while team-mate Seller is capable, on his day, of beating anyone.
Much the same applies to Isaacs, who will want to do well on home turf, Portman and Crookes who would love to sneak a win in the Cape. As usual there are half a dozen or more potential winners and a couple of others – like Greg Gildenhuys, now Ducati mounted and local boy Robert Cragg (Suzuki South) – who could upset an applecart or two.
The fact that Cragg has won this season indicates the depth of talent. Two crackerjack heats, with plenty at stake for the riders, are on the cards and it would take a brave man to pick winners.
CITIBIKE SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP
The hold championship frontrunners Chris Leeson (Team Suzuki) and Dane Hellyer (Kyocera Kawasaki) have exercised over the CitiBike Supersport series this season was finally broken at Kyalami.
Race two saw young James Egan (Thundersport/Timefreight Yamaha) take heat two to end a string of wins shared by Leeson and Hellyer. It is still a two horse championship with Leeson 15 points ahead of Hellyer with third placed Graem van Breda (Springs Suzuki) a further 47 points in arrears.
Van Breda leads the ‘B Championship’ by seven points ahead of Egan who has Eddy Alberts (Stealth New Nation Honda) on his tail a further three points in arrears.
Egan’s win at Kyalami was refreshing and will be a boost for the youngster. One fancies, however, that it will be business as usual for Leeson and Hellyer at Killarney.
Van Breda, with all his experience, is something of an interloper among all the youngsters in the class. It is obvious, however, that the youngsters have learned a thing or two from Breda who will be desperate to come up with a win.
Two interesting heats are in the offing from stars of the future who have so far this season shown that they are also capable of heroics.