The Safeline race day, at the Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria, produced two thrilling action packed heats of National Formula Vee racing. Leading the field home in heat one, was twenty year old David Veringa in his Sabat Rhema, after early race leader Andre Herbst, Valleria Motor Clinic Rhema, had lost concentration for a moment and gone off the road, at the top of the hill. Second place in the heat, went to Alan Holm Johannesburg Bright Steels Rhema, just over half a second behind Veringa. A thrilling battle, for third place, saw veteran ex Champion Peter Hills, Peter Hills Auto Clinic Sting, pass the Rhema of seventeen year old Jody Robertson, with a lap to go but the youngster was having none of that and retook the position during the final lap of the heat, to beat Hills by four tenths of a second. They were followed home by Herbst, Symm Grobler, Auto Mecca Rhema 2, Cape Town’s Ernest Viljoen, Auto Atlantic/Protea Hotels Rhema, Wayne Bennett, Lafarge Readymix Rhema 2, Claude Cartmell, Rand Brake Sting, Kevin Cartmell, Rand Brake Sting, Andre Van Der Merwe, Prolantic Rhema and the second Capetonian Wilfred Brand, Auto Atlantic/Protea Hotels Rhema, who was experiencing gear selection problems. –
– After Herbst had led the field away, at the start of the second heat, Veringa did not take long to find a way past and establish himself at the head of the perusing pack. Hills however, had the bit between his teeth and relentlessly worked his way to the front of the pack and then started putting the pressure on Veringa. He had in fact, just taken the lead for the first time in the race, when James Evans, Gilus IT – SAP Tasman, spun at Turn Eight and ended up sideways, across the racing line, on a blind corner, just before the lead bunch arrived on the scene. Those watching from the pit lane feared the worst but lighting reactions and brilliant car control, saw everyone get through unscathed, with many bouncing across the dirt, before regaining the circuit a bit further down the pit straight. Then the Red Flag came out and the race was stopped. With two thirds of the race completed, the result was based on the positions, at the end of the previous lap and Veringa took his second victory of the day, ahead of Hills, Herbst, Grobler, Holm, Robertson, Viljoen, Jaco Schriks, Johannesburg Bright Steels Sting, Brand, Bennett, Claude Cartmell and Nico Blignaut Junior, Gilus IT – SAP Rhema. –
– The next round of the Formula Vee championships will be at the Aldo Scribante circuit on Sunday 9 March 2003.