Shaun van der Linde returns to the production car fray at Kyalami this weekend and will add a twist to the championship battle between two other BMW 330i drivers – his brother Ettiene and Anthony Taylor.
Shaun van der Linde returns to the production car fray at Kyalami this weekend and will add a twist to the championship battle between two other BMW 330i drivers – his brother Ettiene and Anthony Taylor. And Saturday’s action promises to evolve into a sibling rivalry comparable with the Michael versus Ralf Schumacher battle witnessed in Formula One over the past few seasons!
The Production Car racing brigade is at the halfway point of the 2003 South African Championship and Rounds 9 and 10 of the year’s national title chase for near-standard passenger vehicles should see at least 36 cars on the Kyalami grid.
Car Champion Shaun van der Linde will be making his first appearance of the championship in a new Castrol BMW 330i and the former touring car star will be regarded as the overall favourite to win on Saturday. His début will almost certainly affect the outcome of the tight championship battle between his younger brother and Taylor, who are currently separated by a single point at the top of the Class A ratings.
Four privateer BMW 330i drivers, the Kaye-Eddie team of Reghardt Roets and Steve Morris and the Vaal-HP BMW squad’s Richard Sorensen and Mark Allison, will challenge to break the dominance of the Castrol team.
It will be up to Leeroy Poulter (Champion EON Mercedes-Benz C320) and Martin Steyn (LG Flatron Alfa Romeo 156 GTA) to break the BMWs’ stranglehold on the series, but they face an uphill battle.
Dawie Brough (Prominent Paints Honda Ballade V-TEC) and Brian Martin (Havoline Toyota RunX RSi) should set the pace in Class B. To win, they will have to beat veteran Mike O’Sullivan (OKI Honda Ballade V-TEC), plus youngsters Bert Grogor (German Workshop Corolla RSi) and Jesse Adams (Ray Ban Honda Ballade V-TEC).
Close on their heels should be top Class C contenders Lawrence Boshoff (Orbit Coach Works Honda Ballade 180i), Craig Nicholson (Sabat Honda 180i), Doug Reekie (Ray Ban Honda), Gary Gordon (Honda 180i) and Molefe Lebethe (OKI Honda).
Saloon car racing veteran Hector North will return to the class, after missing the past three meetings, in his East Rand Honda Ballade 180i.
Current Junior Production Car champion Dave Compton (BumperTech Toyota Tazz 1600) will be challenged in Class D by works Ford Ikon 1,6i drivers Clinton Weston, Fanie de Bruin and Miguel Pasqualli – driving under the banners of Furman Glass, Murray & Roberts and Ford Racing.
Angus Thompson (Garango Safari VW Golf 1,6i), James Menin (Le Grange Opel Corsa 160 GSi), Jody Powell (Novel Ford Fiesta RSi) and Carlos Nobre (Motorhouse VW Golf 1,6i) could provide stiff opposition for the Tazz and Fork Ikons.
Class E should see Darren Murphy (VW Parts CitiGolf), Riyad Jaffer (Toyota Tazz 1300) and Francois van Zyl (Opel Corsa 140i) fight for the leading places. Eckhart Schoenknecht (SAC VW CitiGolf), Shane Williams
(Ford Fiesta 130i), Rob Preuss (Opel Corsa 140i) and others will fight it out for CAR Magazine Rookie of the Day award.