Fourie’s title hopes “damaged”, whilst Kekana records a top ten and Wyndham wins Saturday’s Vodacom Power Tour meeting at Phakisa Freeway, Welkom, had its true highs and a major low for the Sasol Steam Team in high temperatures on and off the Goldfields track. –
– Entering the 3rd last round, Johan Fourie (Sasol dualfuelä Opel Omega) was only 5 points shy of Grant van Schalkwyk (Hi-Q Mustang) for the WesBank Samcar Championship lead, and on pole position, ahead of van Schalkwyk and Gary Formato (Auto Trader Jaguar), for both 10 lap races. –
– Disaster struck on the first corner of the opening event when van Schalkwyk pushed Fourie wide and Formato, in attempting avoidance, smashed heavily in to the rear of the Sasol car, sidelining both immediately. This saw Riaan Botma sail to his debut victory in his Havoline Jaguar, followed by Larry Wilford (Fuchs Titan Mustang) and Steve Smith in another Jag. –
– Despite being given a 10 second penalty for his “driving infringement”, van Schalkwyk collected 11 points for fifth to increase his advantage over Fourie to 16 points. –
– The Sasol dualfuelä top gun, nevertheless, took his hastily-repaired Omega to a 2 second victory over the Hi-Q racer in the 2nd event, with Mackie Adlem (Mustang) 3rd and Wilford 4th. –
– Afterwards, a still-fuming Fourie said, “With the gap to Grant now 13 points, and Larry also 3 ahead of me, it’s going to be a dogfight for the final 80 points available in the remaining rounds at Port Elizabeth (1 November) and A.A. Kyalami (22 November). We at Supervan Racing believe that the 10-second penalty handed down (to van Schalkwyk) was too light. Exclusion would have been appropriate.” –
– Phillip Kekana and his (re-built after the end August Kyalami accident) Sasol dualfuelä Polo recorded their best finish of the 2003 Engen Volkswagen Cup season, taking 10th spot in race one, from 20th on the grid – a superbly determined drive by the Sowetan, giving credence to his nickname “Township Tornado”, 3 points his reward. –
– He was on target for a similar result later on, but finished 14th after a “bump” and off-road excursion. –
– Also supported by Sasol, Shaun Watson-Smith missed the raceday due to overseas business commitments. Tshops Sipuka took the “double” to close to 5 points from series leader, Hennie Groenewald (2nd and DNF). –
– Steve Wyndham flew the Sasol dualfuelä flag in Production Cars, winning the Class A duel in race one in the Ford Credit Falcon XR8, his first this year. –
– Also victorious for the Sasol-backed Ford Racing Squad was Clint Weston (Furmann Glass Ikon), who won the opening 10 lapper from second on the grid. Fanie de Bruin (Murray and Roberts Foundry Ikon) took 3rd from 5th in race 2. –
– Graig Nicholson (Sabat Honda) enjoyed a most-satisfying first outing at Phakisa, recording a 2nd and 3rd-place finish in class C. –
– The Sasol SAGMJ Top Gun award went to Superbike privateer, Gavin Ramsay. Up against the powerful works riders, Ramsay placed 5th and later a brilliant second behind double winner, Russel Wood (Autopage Cellular Yamaha) on his Kreepy Krauly Yamaha. –
– Watch highlights of the Welkom races on Supersport’s “Vodacom on Track” from this Thursday (9 October) from 18h00 onwards. –
– The penultimate round of the 2003 Vodacom Power Tour has now been scheduled for Aldo Scribante, Port Elizabeth, on 1 November, in place of the planned Durban Street Race, which has been postponed for a year owing to logistical factors. –
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