Seventeen year old Pretoria Matric student, Jody Robertson, became the the highly competitive Formula Vee category’s, sixth winner of the year, when he took his PS23 Lubrioil Rhema to two convincing victories, in the Regional Championship event at the Midvaal Raceway. Starting from pole position in both heats, Robertson produced two lights to flag victories, leaving Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2), Alan Holm (Johannesburg Bright Steels Rhema) and David Veringa (Sabat Rhema), to fight it out for second place.
Having qualified in third place, Anthony Taylor (Vacuform Rhema 2) then failed to start both heats, due to a gearbox problem, as did Lee Thompson who had qualified sixth, before his day was brought to a premature end and he was forced to withdraw, when he ran bearings of his Rhema’s motor. Others not making it to the start of heat one, included Peter Hills (Clutch), Kearn Francis (Flat Battery) and James Evans (Bent Chassis).
Starting from pole position, Robertson made sure he was not caught napping this time and as he set about opening up a lead, of just over four seconds, Veringa, Grobler and Holm commenced a race long three car battle for second place, swapping places on a regular basis. A little further back, Kevin Cartmell (Rand Brake Sting), Benny Phetla (Vacuform Rhema) and Jaco Schriks (Johannesburg Bright Steels Sting), where also locked in battle for a while, with Wayne Bennett (Lafarge Readymix Rhema 2) joining in for a couple of laps, as he made his way through from the back of the grid. Cartmell then tagged onto the back of Bennett, as the two of them hunted down Ben Pienaar’s BJ Pro Welding Rhema, while Phetla went straight on at Turn One, to leave Schriks all on his own, in ninth place.
Out front, Robertson was in total command and went on to win the heat, from Grobler, Holm, Veringa, Dennis Johns, driving Ben Pienaar’s BJ Pro Welding Vision, Bennett, Pienaar, Kevin Cartmell, Schriks, Claude Cartmell (Rand Brake Sting), Phetla, and Nico Blignaut Junior (ISP Auto Body Rhema).
The second heat soon developed a similar pattern, with Bennett hanging onto Veringa, Grobler and Holm for a couple of laps but the pace was too hot for him and he lost touch. Then just before half distance, Veringa rolled to a stop at the side of the track and his race was run, with a suspected fuel pump failure. This left Grobler and Holm, to fight it out for second place on their own. Kevin Cartmell and Schriks had gained a bit of an advantage, in the early stages of the race, as Claude Cartmell headed Pienaar and Phetla. It took them a couple of laps to get by and although they were able to haul in Schriks again, Kevin Cartmell had settled into a comfortable seventh place. Coming through from the back of the grid, Peter Hills (Vacuform Rhema) had already disposed of Kevin Cartmell, before picking off Johns and setting off in pursuit of Bennett and although he caught him, with a couple of laps to go, Hills was not able to find a way past.
This left Robertson, to take his second victory of the day, ahead of Holm, Grobler, Bennett, Hills, Johns, Kevin Cartmell, Pienaar, Schriks, Phetla, Claude Cartmell and James Leach (Vision).
In his second outing, in the Alley Vee, Formula Vee development driver Dayview Mogane finished both heats, while the other Formula Vee development driver in the field, Kearn Francis, finished the second heat in fifteenth place, after a race long duel, with the Rhema of Jaco Greyling.