Martin Steyn, Morne Jurgens and Marco da Cunha, in Alfa Romeo 147 GTAs, will take on Etienne van der Linde, Anthony Taylor and a host of other BMW 330i pilots when the Production Car Championship resumes at Kyalami on Saturday.
Martin Steyn, Morne Jurgens and Marco da Cunha, in Alfa Romeo 147 GTAs, will take on Etienne van der Linde, Anthony Taylor and a host of other BMW 330i pilots when the Production Car Championship resumes at Kyalami on Saturday.
Rounds 11 and 12 of the series for near standard passenger cars will see more than 40 entries on the starting grid.
The main opposition to the Squadra Corse Alfissimo team of Steyn, Jurgens and Da Cunha will be the Castrol BMW team of Van der Linde. But the privateer entries of Leeroy Poulter (Champion Ferodo Mercedes-Benz C320), Richard Sorensen (Titan Aviation BMW 330i) and Kaye-Eddie BMWs of Steve Morris and Johan Fourie
could provide a stern challenge to the factory teams.
In Class B, Shaun van der Linde and his factory Castrol Mini Cooper S will be the man to beat. Following a series of early-season victories, Van der Linde is the current overall 2004 SA Production Car Championship leader.
The Castrol Mini driver will be wary of Clinton Weston, who will tackle the event with less mass and more power than before in his Furman Glass Ford Focus ST170. Craig Nicholson (Sabat MINI Cooper S), meanwhile, will be eager to repeat his Kyalami victory earlier this season.
Brian Martin and Phillip Kekana will join the fray in Toyota RunX RSi models, driving under the respective banners of Havoline and Sasol. Meanwhile, youngster Bert Grogor will campaign his older, but still competitive, German Workshop Toyota Corolla RXi.
The class will also be contested by the steadily-improving Mercedes-Benz C270 CDI models of Mark Allison and Hector North, entered in the colours of Vaal Mac and Motion Business Systems.
Class C will comprise 21 competitors and no fewer than six manufacturers. Topping the entry list – and the class title standings – will be Dave Compton in his BumperTech Toyota Tazz 1 600.
His closest championship challengers will be Miguel Pasqualli (M&R Ford Ikon 1600i) Robi Beninca (Beninca Technical VW CitiGolf 1,6i) and Cor Kraamwinkel (Daihatsu Sirion 1 300), but Carlos Nobre (VW CitiGolf 1,6i), Darren Murphy (Genuine Parts VW CitiGolf 1,6i), Fanie de Bruin (Makita Ford Ikon 1600i) and Fiat Bluetooth Palio drivers Mike O’Sullivan, Theunis Eloff and Dawie Brough will also be in close contention on Saturday.
Eckhart Schoenknecht (Caltex VW Polo Tdi), Irshad Jaffer (Daihatsu Sirion 1300), James Menin (Le Grange Motors Opel Corsa 160 GSi) and John Kruger (Ford Fiesta 1,6 RSi) make up the rest of the Class C field.
Racing in their own Cup Challenge, but unable to score points in the overall championship will be Honda Ballade 180i drivers Doug Reekie (ConfigOnline), Lawrence Boshoff (Net IQ), Dirk Lawrence (Azoic Panelbeaters) and George Estratoudakis.
