The trio of works BMW drivers will have stiff competition at Kyalami this weekend following Leeroy Poulter’s recent first win for Mercedes-Benz and Martin Steyn’s charge for Alfa Romeo in June.
The trio of works BMW drivers will have stiff competition at Kyalami this weekend following Leeroy Poulter’s recent first win for Mercedes-Benz and Martin Steyn’s charge for Alfa Romeo in June.
With eight of the season’s 20 races left to contest, the leaders in all five of the classes of the SA Production Car series should come under full-scale, fender-bending attack at Kyalami on Saturday.
Team Castrol driver Etienne van der Linde goes to Kyalami as the current Class A points leader, supported by team-mates Anthony Taylor and Shaun van der Linde in identical BMW 330i models.
Judging by recent events, BMW’s supremacy is likely to be challenged by drivers from two other marques. Last time out at Kyalami on June 28, Steyn attacked the front BMW brigade relentlessly with his LG Flatron Alfa Romeo 156 GTA.
And, three weeks ago at the Pretoria Zwartkops Raceway, Leeroy Poulter beat the BMW brigade with the Champion EON Mercedes-Benz C320.
Although either scenario could play itself out at Kyalami, various privateer BMW 330i drivers, like the Kaye-Eddie team’s Steven Morris and Reghardt Roets and Mark Allison in his Vaal-HP 330i, could get into the act.
In Class B, current title leader Dawie Brough (Prominent Paints Honda Ballade V-TEC) should have a tough battle with talented youngster Bert Grogor in his German Workshop Toyota Corolla RSi.
Grogor has the pace to win, but a tendency to get involved with other people’s crashes has kept him out of title contention – something that he would like to set right at Kyalami.
On the pace – and in the title hunt – will be veteran Mike O’Sullivan (OKI Honda Ballade V-TEC), while Jesse Adams (Ray-Ban Honda V-TEC) and Brian Martin (Havoline Toyota RunX RSi) should be able to pounce on any mistakes by the leaders.
Lawrence Boshoff (Orbit Coach Works Honda Ballade 180i) has seen his early-season Class C supremacy diminish in recent events and will have to contend with Doug Reekie (Ray-Ban Honda), Craig Nicholson (Sabat Honda) and Molefe Lebethe (OKI Honda Ballade) this weekend.
One of the event’s toughest wars should be fought in Class D, in which five manufacturers will be represented by a total of 11 drivers. Current SA Junior Production Car Champion Dave Compton tops the list in his Bumpertech Toyota Tazz 1600 and his closest title challengers are Clinton Weston (Furman Glass Ford Ikon 160i), Angus Thompson (Garonga Safari Golf 1600) and Miguel Pasqualli in the Ford Racing Ikon 160i.
Robbie Beninca (Motorhouse Golf 1600), Fanie de Bruin (M&R Ford Ikon 160i), James Menin (Le Grange Opel Corsa 1,6 GSi), the Williams bothers Shane and Jon in their respective Ford Fiesta RSi entries and Irshad Jaffer in his Daihatsu Sirion 1300 will also be in line for victory in Class D.
Darren Murphy (Genuine Parts VW CitiGolf) must be the man to beat in Class E, with his closest competition Francois van Zyl (Opel Corsa 140i) Eckhart Schoenknecht (VW CitiGolf 1,4i) and Rob Preuss in his Opel Corsa 140i.
