Rounds 15 and 16 of the racing series for passenger vehicles provided many highlights at the circuit’s Sasol Spring Race Day, which hosted South Africa’s premier WesBank Super Series over the weekend.
In the process the Zwartkops lap records in all four Production Car classes were broken, while a large crowd was royally entertained.
The biggest surprise came in Class A, where former club racer Dawie Olivier took his RAM Subaru Impreza WRX STi to both of the day’s overall victories.
Olivier gave notice of his intentions during Friday afternoon’s official qualifying session, when he planted the turbocharged all-wheel drive car on pole position.
He was joined on the front row of the grid by Melvill Priest (MiKar Sonax Audi A4 3,2 quattro), ahead of Michael Stephen (Engen Xtreme Audi), Seefie Fourie (Medal Paints Subaru WRX STi), plus the Castrol BMW 330i entries of Etienne van der Linde and Anthony Taylor.
The times of the 13 quickest cars in the session were covered by less than a second.
Not phased by the close competition, Olivier blasted into the lead of Saturday’s opening race.
When the Audi of his closest challenger Melvill Priest stopped due to a burst water hose, the Impreza pilot sailed on to take his – and Subaru’s – first Bridgestone South African Production Car race victory.
Olivier finished just more than five seconds ahead of Audi’s Johan Fourie, who led home BMW’s Etienne van der Linde, Audi’s Michael Stephen, Leeroy Poulter (Sasol Nissan 350Z) and Marco da Cunha (Tubular Tech Nissan 350Z).
Melvill Priest had the consolation of setting a new overall Bridgestone Production Car lap record at Zwartkops with his Audi.
Olivier delivered a carbon copy performance in the second race, again leading from flag to flag.
This time he was followed by Johan Fourie, Shaun Watson-Smith (Engen Xtreme Audi), BMW drivers Etienne van der Linde and Anthony Taylor, plus Marco da Cunha.
Notable retirements included Melvill Priest, whose Audi overheated and Michael Stephen, whose Audi developed gearbox maladies.
Heinz Bose (Speed Tuning Volkswagen Golf GTI) won the opening Class T race for force-inducted petrol engined cars from Iain Pepper (PG Glass VW Golf GTI) and Graeme Nathan (BP Ultimate VW Golf GTI).
The Volkswagen trio led home Robert Wolk (Afinta Part MINI Cooper S), Garth Waberski (Castrol MINI Cooper S) and Dave Compton (Sasol Toyota RunX RSi TRD).
Graeme Nathan won the second time around, setting a new Class T lap record in the process.
He was followed by the Golfs of Bose and Pepper, the MINIs of Wolk and Waberski, plus the Liebherr Golf GTI of Peet Visagie.
Veteran Ben Morgenrood (Zoom-Zoom Mazda RX8) won both of the Class B races from youngsters Riyad Jaffer (Sasol Toyota RunX RSi) and Craig Kidgell (FTD Performance Fiat Stilo Abarth).
Adding to his triumph, Morgenrood took the rotary powered Mazda to a new class lap record during the first outing.
Defending Junior Production Car champion Trevor Tuck took his Motorsport Infinity Fiat Grande Punto to both the Class C victories, setting a category lap record with the turbodiesel vehicle.
In the opening race he was chased to the flag by Robi Beninca (BTS Volkswagen CitiGolf), Mark Silverwood (OKI Ford Fiesta), Jason Thornton (Global Car Rental Ford Ikon) and Francois van Zyl (Inspect-A-Car VW CitiGolf).
An off-road excursion slowed Beninca the second time around, leaving Thornton to finish second, followed by Silverwood, Van Zyl and Beninca.
After the event, Jason Thornton was named as CAR Magazine’s Rookie of the Day.
The next round of the 2007 Bridgestone South African Production Car Championship will take place at the Port Elizabeth Aldo Scribante circuit on Saturday, September 29.
