The Sasol Steam Team got the 2003 Vodacom Power Tour season off to a great start at A.A. Kyalami yesterday (22 February), with Shaun Watson-Smith and Johan Fourie recording a 1-2 in the WesBank Samcar race, while Phillip Kekana acclimatised to his brand new Sasol DualFuel Volkswagen Polo Cup in the one-make series. –
– Watson-Smith was unchallenged from pole-position in his Sasol-backed MAN Astra V8, finishing 5 seconds clear of Supervan Racing team-mate Fourie in the Sasol DualFuel Astra V8. The reigning champion took second, passing Grant van Schalkwyk (Hi-Q Ford Mustang) early in the race, but made a mistake, clipping the tyres at the Yokohama Kink and backing off to save his damaged back left Goodyear rubber.
– The third member of the Sasol-supported Supervan squad, Melvill Priest (Macromed Ford Mustang), sadly retired, from 5th on the grid, mid-way through the 12-lapper.
– For Phillip “The Township Tornado” Kekana “the wind blew the wrong way” during the two 8 lap Engen Volkswagen Cup heats, the accelerator cable breaking early in race one and a flat tyre dropping him to 22nd in race two.
– Kekana who is backed by Sasol, Volkswagen Racing, Holiday Inn and Forecourt Express, nevertheless, showed that he can move up the extremely competitive grid, improving his times from practice to qualifying (15th) by a full 1.5 seconds. His main target, Tschops Sipuka, also struggled, qualifying 12th and finishing 5th and 8th respectively.
– The Sowetan will be putting in more track time, with Sipuka, at the Aldo Scribante circuit in Port Elizabeth before round 2 of the Vodacom Power Tour at the Killarney Raceway on 15th March.
– Sasol DualFuel privateers in the S.A. Production Car Championship also faired well on Saturday.
– Clint Weston (Ford Fiesta) won the Class D race with team-mate Miquel Pasqualli 4th. That was the same position achieved by Craig Nicholson in his Sabat Honda Ballade in Class C.
– The first recipient of the 2003 Sasol/SAGMJ Top Gun of the Day award was Arushen Moodley who rode brilliantly on his new-spec First Technologies Yamaha, claiming 2nd behind Russell Wood in both the 8 lap and 15 lap Superbike events.
– Watch highlights of this past weekend’s racing on Vodacom on Track (CSN and Supersport 2) on Thursday 27 February and 6 March.
– This media release and all the inside information on the Sasol Steam Team, is available at: www.sasolmotorsport.co.za and www.cartoday.com
