Confidence is certainly high in the Sabat Honda camp ahead of rounds 9 and 10 of the Production Car Championship to be held at AA Kyalami this weekend. The season thus far has been relatively good for the privateer outfit, with podium positions at every round except the first meeting of the year. –
– Driver Craig Nicholson adopted a slightly more conservative approach this season and focussed on getting points early in the year. This strategy has paid off so far with the man from Gauteng currently lying third in the class C championship. There have been some disappointments too, and Craig is ruing the blown motor he suffered in Port Elizabeth and an off in East London, both incidents costing the team valuable points. –
– However, the Sasol fueled Sabat Honda has improved race meeting by race meeting and Nicholson is confident he will again fight for the top spot at Kyalami this weekend. “AA Kyalami has traditionally been a difficult circuit for me and unfortunately I have not always achieved the results I hoped for” said the CAR Magazine Staffer. ”However, the car is considerably improved since our last outing here and I am looking forward to a good showing for my sponsors Sabat, despite the fact that we will be running at maximum penalty weight.” –
– Whilst Craig trains very hard to stay lean, at 1.85 meters and 84kg he is by no means a lightweight and this presents a problem for circuits that turn predominantly to the left. “The trick at Kyalami is to get the car balanced well and willing to turn left. Unfortunately, with the drivers weight on the right hand side of the car understeer becomes a big problem and getting the right set up is critical to a good race pace. I believe we have found a good compromise and I hope to put it to good use and finish on the podium, if not the top step itself.” Quipped the lanky Honda driver. –
– Much preparation has gone into the Sabat Honda since it’s last outing at East London. The car was extensively damaged after being shunted from the rear during qualifying. The team’s panel beater specialists Azoic have been hard at work returning the car to pristine condition in the past few weeks. Another problem that needed sorting was the gearbox. A clutch failure in Friday practice at East London meant that Nicholson was forced to “crash” change for the entire weekend. Naturally the gearbox took some pain from this treatment and required a complete rebuild as a result. –
– Team manager Lee Philips was full of praise for the team’s Gearbox sponsor, RECON Gearbox and Diff Centre. “ Great sponsors are the ones who will move heaven and earth to get you back on the track as quickly as possible and with the minimum of fuss.” Said the motorcar dealer from Benoni. “Andy Scott and his team from RECON Gearbox and Diff Centre have done a superb job for us and I can’t thank them enough for having the gearbox rebuilt in time for a competitive outing at Kyalami. The best way to repay sponsors is with a win, and we hope to do just that this weekend”.
