Slippery conditions, close racing, bent body panels and a popular first time victory marked Rounds 2 and 3 of this year’s South African Production Car Championship at the Western Cape Killarney circuit on Saturday (May 15). The near-standard tin-top brigade arrived in Cape Town with a 35-car grid, and inclement weather added to their normal problems at the tricky Killarney venue. In the process, the discipline’s status quo was turned on its head, with unexpected podium places in virtually every class. –
– Following Friday afternoon’s Official Qualifying session, privateer Richard Sorensen occupied the overall and Class A pole position in his Vaal-HP BMW 330i, ahead of the Castrol BMW 330I entries of Etienne van der Linde and Anthony Taylor. –
– Sorensen continued the theme in Saturday’s opening race, when he grabbed the lead at the start. His charge only lasted half a lap before he outbraked himself at the end of the back straight, with the BMW ending up in the tyre wall.Then the wet surface caught out new leader Etienne van der Linde, with his Castrol BMW farming through the sand trap at the end of the pit straight, while the similar car of team mate Anthony Taylor pitted with electric bothers soon after. That left Reghardt Roets (Kaye-Eddie BMW 330I) and Martin Steyn (LG Alfa Romeo 156 GTA) to fight for the race lead. Using the front-wheel-drive Alfa’s nimble handling characteristics to the full, Steyn managed to slip into the lead two laps from the end, with the Killarney crowd roaring approval. –
– The Alfa went on to score its first South African Championship win, half a second ahead of Roets’ BMW, followed by a recovered Van der Linde’s Castrol BMW and the Ford Credit Falcon XR8 of Steve Wyndham. British racer Stephen Morris (Kaye-Eddie BMW 330I) and Gary Formato (Champion EON Mercedes-Benz C320) filled out the top six placings. –
– Sadly, Steyn’ Alfa-Romeo damaged its clutch during the last stages of the race and did not appear for the start of the second heat. The field was further depleted on the opening lap when Wyndham’s Ford and Formato&’s Mercedes clashed going into the Engen Oval curve. –
– Both cars spun, with Formato’s car solidly collected by the German Workshop Toyota Corolla RSi of Bert Grogor, plus the Honda Ballade 180i models of Lawrence Boshoff and Ian Long. –
– The race was red-flagged, with none of the damaged cars making it back to the grid. –
– After the restart Anthony Taylor led from flag to flag in his Castrol BMW, chased by Reghardt Roets’ Kaye-Eddie BMW, Richard Sorensen in his repaired Vaal-HP model and Etienne van der Linde’s Castrol BMW. Mark Allison (Vaal-HP BMW) and Leeroy Poulter (Champion EON Mercedes-Benz C320) scored the final points. –
– Dawie Brough (Prominent Paints Honda Ballade V-TEC) won both of the day’s Class B races, followed by Bert Grogor (German Workshop Toyota Corolla RSi) and Jesse Adams (Killer Loop Honda V-TEC) in the first one. With Grogor rudely eliminated the second time, Mike O’Sullivan (OKI Honda Ballade V-TEC) and Adams took the runner-up places. In Class C Lawrence Boshoff (Orbit Coach Works Honda Ballade 180I) won the first race after beating off Craig Nicholson (Sabat Honda 180I) and Ian Long (OKI Honda Ballade). –
– After the demise of both Boshoff and Long in race two, Doug Reekie won in his Ray Ban Honda, followed by Nicholson’s Sabat example. –
– Clinton Weston won both the Class D races in his new Furman Glass Ford Ikon , followed on each occasion by Dave Compton (Toyota Tazz 1600). Following huge dices both times, the respective third places went to Miguel Pasqualli (M&R Ford Ikon) and Angus Thompson (Motorhouse VW CitiGolf 1,6). –
– Local expert Jody Powell (Barnetts Opel Corsa 1400) won the first Class E race ahead of newcomer Shane Williams (Ford Fiesta 1300) and Darren Murphy (VW CitiGolf 1,4). Powell’s car misfired in Race 2, dropping him behind Murphy and Riyad Jaffer (Toyota Tazz 1300). Murphy set the day&’s only lap record, while Shane Williams was awarded the coveted CAR Magazine Rookie of the Day accolade.
