Wesbank V8 championship leader Grant van Schalkwyk heads to East London in search of his fourth win in a row, but his rival, three-time title holder Johan Fourie, will be a tough competitor at the high-speed Border circuit this weekend.
Wesbank V8 championship leader Grant van Schalkwyk heads to East London in search of his fourth win in a row, but his rival, three-time title holder Johan Fourie, will be a tough competitor at the high-speed Border circuit this weekend.
Wesbank V8 saloon cars will reach speeds of up to 260 km/h in the famous Potters Pass on the Mercedes-Benz East London Grand Prix Circuit before accelerating up to 300 km/h through Rifle Bend on the downhill approach to Cocobana Corner.
Van Schalkwyk (Hi-Q Jaguar) hopes to lead the field of 20 cars to his fourth win on the trot on Saturday, but Fourie, in his Ericsson Omega, is traditionally very quick through the tricky complex of corners on the GP circuit. Some argue that Fourie’s Omega does not have the aerodynamics to equal the speed of the Jaguar- and Mustang-bodied Fords, but the Capetonian frequently makes up for that with his aggressive driving style.
Young Mackie Adlem (Fuchs Titan Mustang) already has two wins under his belt, and, if his new Havoline Jaguar is up to scratch, Hennie Groenewald, who has also won twice so far this year, is considered another Wesbank Champion in the making. Other GT1 runners include Steve Smith (Cool Cat Jaguar), who gets faster at each outing, and Jaco Correia (Omega Spares Corvette).
The GT2 class, powered by 420 kW 5,7-litre V8 engines, is led by Zane Pearce (Hi-Q Jaguar), who had a disastrous meeting at the last round at Kyalami and failed to score any points. Former overall Wesbank Champion, Roelf du Plessis (Corvette) is closing in on Pearce in the championship standings. Terry Wilford (Fuchs Titan Mustang) made a good start to the season, but was out of luck in Port Elizabeth and Kyalami. Franco di Matteo (PF Hydraulics Jaguar) was in form at Kyalami and could be a frontrunner in East London.
Local drivers – 16 year-old Wade van Zummeren (Border Towing Services Camaro) and GTi single seater champion Gordon Connelly (Cowan Signs Jaguar) – are scoring points at each race. Meanwhlie, Franz Pretorius and Nic de Jong, both in Mustangs, are in for their first taste of speeds of up to 300 kmh on South Africa’s fastest circuit.
The GT3 class (375 kW Ford Thunderbirds) has provided close racing so far this season. Young Kurt Bakewell (All-Steel) is just four points ahead of the consistent Rob Beaumont (Tyco Trucking). The duo are seventh and eight overall in the overall title race, but Deon Auby (Tyco Trucking) has progressed quickly in the championship standings after winning three races in a row.
