The Kopanong Hotel Superteam intends taking the Western Cape by storm when its three car team lines up for the Nissan Dealer 400, round two of the Absa Off Road Championship, on April 22 and 23.
Despite three non-finishes on the recent Nissan Sugarbelt 400 the Kopanong Hotel Superteam is in a buoyant mood and ready to take on the best in the Special and Production Vehicle categories.
Class A contenders John Weir-Smith and Geoff Minnitt were sidelined while in second place in KwaZulu-Natal when a rock punctured an oil cooler on their BMW 540 V8 powered Jimco.
“Fortunately there was no damage to the engine,” said Weir-Smith. “Crew chief Joe Lima has conducted a thorough check of the vehicle and also taken precautions to avoid having another rock puncture an oil cooler or radiator.”
“I’m looking forward to the Darling event because of the high speed nature of the route and if the rain continues falling dust will not be a problem.”
Nic Goslar returned to competition after an 11-month layoff due to back injuries sustained in a high speed crash during last year’s Sun City 400 and he and co-driver Jacob Robbetze were well placed in Class S until the gearbox on the Kopanong Hotel Superteam Raceco failed.
“It has been a frustrating 11 months for me but regular exercise has ensured that my back is better than new,” said Goslar. “I have been champing at the bit to get behind the wheel of the Raceco and I really enjoyed the Nissan Sugarbelt 400 until we retired.”
“Graydon Ilderton and I won Class S on the Nissan Dealer 400 last year and I’m confident that I can do it again, especially as the Porsche engine has the torque to cope with the thick sand.”
Andre Botha and Richard Carolin, who share driving duties in the Class F Chevrolet Silverado had a clean run in KwaZulu-Natal and were heading for a podium position in Class F when a connector broke inside the ignition system.
“Having Richard in the cockpit was an awesome experience for me and I learnt so much from him,” said Botha. “The time I spent in the co-driver’s seat witnessing one of the most experienced off road drivers at work has helped me immensely as a driver.”
“I am confident that the Kopanong Hotel Superteam will come up trumps on the Nissan Dealer 400.”
