Capetonian Steve Wyndham was a surprise winner in Round 15 of the SA Production Car Championship on Saturday as his Ford Credit Falcon XR8 stole the show at the Phakisa Raceway.
Capetonian Steve Wyndham was a surprise winner in Round 15 of the SA Production Car Championship on Saturday as his Ford Credit Falcon XR8 stole the show at the Phakisa Raceway.
Wyndham blasted into the opening race lead with his previously-uncompetitive Falcon, but was sternly challenged by Etienne van der Linde (Castrol BMW 330i), Leeroy Poulter (Champion EON Mercedes-Benz C320), Reghardt Roets (Kaye-Eddie BMW 330i), and Martin Steyn (LG Flatron Alfa Romeo 156 GTA).
Out of the equation, after pitting to replace a punctured tyre, was Anthony Taylor (Castrol BMW 330i). Matters became heated on the fifth tour, when Wyndham, Van der Linde, Poulter and Steyn clashed going into Phakisa’s ultra-fast back sweep.
Van der Linde spun, Steyn retired with suspension damage and Poulter stopped with a misfiring engine, all of which left an ecstatic Wyndham to claim his first victory of the season in the big Ford, followed by the BMWs of Roets, Etienne and Shaun van der Linde and Steven Morris.
Round 16 promised another surprise result when Poulter kept the Champion Mercedes-Benz in the lead for six laps. Then the Mercedes’ engine misfire returned and Poulter slowed, leaving the Castrol BMWs of Anthony Taylor and brothers Etienne and Shaun van der Linde to take the first three places.
Poulter trailed home in fourth place, ahead of Martin Steyn’s Alfa and Wyndham’s Ford, which struggled on worn-out tyres after its first-race charge.
In Class B, points leader Dawie Brough spun his Prominent Paints Honda Ballade V-TEC in the opening race. That left the class victory to Mike O’Sullivan (OKI Honda Ballade V-TEC), followed home by Bert Grögor (German Workshop Toyota Corolla RSi) and Brough.
But Brough made no mistakes in Round 16, winning ahead of O’Sullivan and Grögor. Lawrence Boshoff (Orbit Coach Honda Ballade 180i) won the opening Class C race ahead of Craig Nicholson (Sabat Honda Ballade 180i) and Gary Gordon in his similar car.
Youngster Doug Reekie – who retired his Ray Ban Honda from Round 15 with engine bothers – returned with vengeance to win Class C in Round 16. He was followed by Boshoff and Nicholson.
The opening Class D race went to Clinton Weston in his Furman Glass Ford Ikon 160i, followed by James Menin (Le Grange Opel Corsa 160 GSi) and Miguel Pasqualli (Ford Racing Ikon 160i). Weston incurred a 60-second penalty in the second race, which left victory to Dave Compton (Bumpertech Toyota Tazz 1600), ahead of Menin and Fanie de Bruin (M&R Ford Ikon 160i).
Darren Murphy (VW Parts CitiGolf) won the opening Class E race, chased to the flag by Deon Crous (CitiGolf) and Francois van Zyl (Opel Corsa 160 GSi).
Murphy got punted off the track in Round 16, leaving Crous to win comfortably in front of Eckhart Schoenknecht (Caltex VW CitiGolf) and Francois van Zyl.
The next rounds of the 2003 South African Production Car Championship will be held at the Port Elizabeth Aldo Scribante circuit on Saturday, November 1.