The final round of the 2003 South African Formula Vee Championship, takes place at the Wesbank Raceway in Germiston, on Saturday the 8th November, with no less than three titles to be resolved. In addition to the National title, the 2003 Formula Vee MSA Northern Regions Championship and the 2003 Formula Vee Association Competition need to be resolved as well. Racing gets underway at 10h30 and in addition to Formula Vee, the program includes races for Formula GTi, VW Challenge, Formula M, 250 Superkarts and Formula Libre.
Although David Veringa (#3 Sabat Rhema) goes into the event as the strongest contender, he cannot be complacent about it. In motor racing anything can happen and with thirty one points available, both Symm Grobler (#4 Auto Mecca Rhema 2) and Alan Holm (#2 Johannesburg Bright Steels Rhema) have a mathematical chance of snatching the title from his grasp. On recent form, the hot favorite to win the race, must however be Dennis Johns (#12 Goldco Midas Rhema 2) and although he cannot catch Veringa, both Grobler and Holm will need to score well, in order to not allow him to sneak his way into one of the top three Championship positions, something that Peter Hills (#8 Vacuform Rhema), will be trying to achieve as well.
In the 2003 MSA Northern Regions Championship, things are even tighter. Verigna holds a slender three point advantage, over Grobler, while Holm, Hills and Johns all still have a mathematical chance of taking the title as well. All five of them will be looking for a place in the top three, in the final Championship standings, while seventeen year old Jody Robertson (#5 PS23 Lubrioil Rhema), still has an outside chance of making it into the top three as well.
Looking at the Formula Vee Association Competition, designed to exclude the top National contenders, Ben Pienaar (#17 BJ Pro Welding Rhema) holds a four point advantage, over Kevin Cartmell (#30 Rand Brake Sting). The only other contender capable of taking the title, is Kevin’s brother Claude Cartmell (#29 Rand Brake Sting) and the final outcome of the top three positions, in the Competition, need be resolved at the Wesbank Raceway. Supporting Kevin and Claude, will be Formula Vee veteran James Leach, who makes a welcome return to the category in a third Rand Brake Sting, running race number 130 for the day.
The three Formula Vee development drivers, Kearn Francis (#52 Rhema), Dayview Mogane (#53 Alley) and Benny Phetla (#19 Vacuform Rhema), should be in the race as well, with Phetla hoping to put one over on his boss and mentor Anthony Taylor (#77 Vacuform Rhema 2), by beating him in the Formula Vee Association Competition. Phetla starts the race only four points behind Taylor, who is hamstrung, in that having scored more that twenty four National points this year, at races in the Northern Regions, he is no longer eligible to score further points in the Competition.
Making his Formula Vee debut, will be Bobby Nel in the #74 DK Lantis, which he recently acquired from Marius Van Der Merwe, while David McKenzie #89, will be having an outing, behind the wheel of the Cilliers’ Rhemega.
Titles are there to be won or lost and the race should provide plenty of good close wheel to wheel racing. The long Wesbank main straight, provides plenty of slipstreaming opportunities and positions will be changing on a regular basis, as the cars arrive at the braking area for the left hander, at somewhere in the region of 180 to 200 kilometers per hour
Current National Points Standings: 1 David Veringa 188 2 Symm Grobler 167 3 Alan Holm 161 4 Peter Hills 152 5 Dennis Johns 149 6 Jody Robertson 122 7 Ernest Viljoen 91 8 Anthony Taylor 90 9 Jaco Schriks 62 10 Wayne Bennett 59