Anthony Taylor’s BMW and Morne Jurgens’s Alfa were at the receiving end of on-track skirmishes when East London played host to the action-packed Production Car series at the weekend.
Anthony Taylor’s BMW and Morne Jurgens’s Alfa were at the receiving end of on-track skirmishes when East London played host to the action-packed Production Car series at the weekend.
Rounds 17 and 18 of this year’s championship were held at the Eastern Cape city’s Grand Prix circuit, where in Class A, the struggle for supremacy between Taylor’s Castrol BMW 330i and Martin Steyn’s LG Alfa Romeo 147 GTA continued.
Taylor led from the start in the opening race, but was pushed off the circuit halfway around the first lap. Steyn took over the lead in his Alfa, but then slowed due to a jammed gear selector two laps from the end.
Steyn’s misfortune gifted Hennie Groenewald the race win and the Castrol BMW 330i driver finished ahead of Kaye-Eddie BMW 330i drivers Steven Morris and Johan Fourie. Marco da Cunha (Alfissimo Alfa Romeo 147 GTA), a recovered Taylor in his BMW and Jurgens (LG Alfa Romeo 147 GTA) filled out the top six places.
However, Steyn had no problems in the second race and he led from flag to flag, finishing six seconds ahead of Taylor. Da Cunha took his Alfa to third, leading home the BMWs of Fourie and Groenewald, plus Richard Sorensen (Titan Aviation BMW 330i).
Jurgens’s Alfa was tagged through the 200 km/h Potters’ Pass sweep and slammed violently into the bank, with the driver lucky to escape with sore ribs and a stiff neck.
Meanwhile, Shaun van der Linde won both the Class B races in his Castrol Mini Cooper S, followed by the similar, Sabat liveried car of Craig Nicholson.
The Mosport team’s new Fiat Stilo Abath had an impressive debut when Mike O’Sullivan drove it to third place in the opening heat. Second time around one of the car’s shock absorbers seized, leaving Brian Martin to occupy the final podium step with his Havoline Toyota RunX RSi.
Clinton Weston (Furman Glass Ford Focus ST170) and Leeroy Poulter (Vaal Mac Mercedes-Benz C270 CDI) took turns in the respective fourth places.
Dawie Brough (Mosport Fiat Palio) won the first Class C race from Dave Compton (Toyota Tazz 1600), Carlos Nobre (VW CitiGolf1,6i), Miguel Pasqualli (M&R Ford Ikon 1600i) and Robi Beninca in his Beninca Services VW CitiGolf.
In Heat Two, Pasqualli won in his Ford, with Compton again second in his Toyota. Dawie Brough’s Fiat finished third, ahead of the VWs of Carlos Nobre and Robi Beninca.
Lawrence Boshoff (Net IQ Honda Ballade 180i) and Doug Reekie (CMII Honda Ballade 180i) took turns to win the non-championship Honda Cup races.