The country’s toughest tin-top racing war will return to a familiar battlefield next Saturday (November 1). Rounds 17 and 18 of the 2003 South African Production Car Championship will take more than 50 entries to the Port Elizabeth Aldo Scribante circuit, with five separate title chases in hot dispute. –
– Topping the entry list – and Class A point standings – will be the works-assisted Castrol BMW 330i models of Anthony Taylor and Etienne van der Linde, with their closest title challenger the similar, Kaye=Eddie-backed car of Reghardt Roets. More than able to beat the top Championship aspirants around Aldo Scribante will be Leeroy Poulter (Champion EON Mercedes-Benz C320), Steve Wyndham (Ford Credit Falcon XR8) and Shaun van der Linde, in the Castrol equipe’s third BMW 330i. All three the above drivers have won races this year, and could do so again this weekend. So could British youngster Steve Morris, bent on retribution in his Kaye-Eddie BMW 330i after falling foul of robust driving tactics in the season’s previous meeting at Phakisa last month.-
– Class B points leader Dawie Brough and his Prominent Paints Honda Ballade V-TEC will come under relentless attack from youngster Bert Grogor (German Workshop Toyota Corolla RSi) and veteran Mike O’Sulivan in his OKI Honda Ballade V-TEC.-
– Capetonian old-timer Lawrence Boshoff (Orbit Coach Honda Ballade 180i) will start as the Class C favourite, expecting a fierce challenge from Doug Reekie (Ray-Ban Honda Ballade 180i) and Craig Nicholson in his Sabat Honda Ballade 180i.Others to watch in the class will be youngsters Lebethe Molefe (OKI Honda Ballade) and Gary Gordon in his similar, unsponsored car.-
– Topping a varied Class D entry will be current Junior South African Production Car Champion Dave Compton in his Bumper Tech Toyota Tazz 1600. He will face a concerted assault from the factory Ford team’s Clinton Weston (Furman Glass Ikon 160i), Fanie de Bruin (M&R Ikon 160i) and Miguel Pasqualli in his Ford Racing example. Others fully in the running for race victories will include Angus Thompson (Garonga Safari VW Golf 1600), James Menin (Le Grange Delta Opel Corsa 1,6 GSi), Robi Beninca (Born to Send VW Golf 1600), plus the Williams brothers Shane and John, respectively in a Ford Fiesta 1,6 RSi and a Ford Ikon 160i.-
– Leading this year’s Junior Production Car title chase – and determined to keep matters that way – will be Class E favourite Darren Murphy, in his Genuine Parts VW Citiolf 1,4i. Trying to upset his master plan will be Deon Crous (VW CitiGolf 1,4i), Francois van Zyl (Opel Corsa 140i) and Eckhart Schoenknecht (VW CitiGolf 1,4i).-
– The Production Car racing brigade will tackle two races next Saturday, with all five classes taking to the 2,48-kilometre Scribante circuit at the same time.-
– “That will make matters extremely interesting throughout the field, as the Class A front-runners should lap the cars in Classes D and E in both the races, posing drivers with an added challenge,” said Production Car Racing Association Chairman Vaughn Williams.-
– “The Scribante circuit’s tight nature and abrasive surface will also make tyre conservation a prime consideration, forcing drivers to maintain a fine balance between aggression and smoothness. Championship points will be earned the hard way this time around, with the biggest winners the always-enthusiastic Eastern Cape fans,” he added.