Twenty-three 5,7-litre V8s rushing around the Zwartkops circuit should be enough to get the loyal petrol-heads humming when the next two rounds of the Wesbank V8 championship get underway on Saturday.
Twenty-three 5,7-litre V8s rushing around the Zwartkops circuit should be enough to get the loyal petrol-heads humming when the next two rounds of the Wesbank V8 championship get underway on Saturday.
The holder of the overall lap record at this circuit, Johan Fourie (Ericsson Opel Omega), has not suffered defeat here in three straight years. However, the triple champion has only recorded two wins with his 447-kW GT1 car this season and will look to make up lost time.
Fourie will be hot on the trail of current championship leader Grant van Schalkwyk (Hi-Q Jaguar), who has already scored 117 points from 12 races (including five wins) this season.
Mackie Adlem has taken his race-winning score to three this season and, after demolishing the lap record in East London two-weeks ago, should come into the Zwartkops race with an added burst of confidence.
Hennie Groenewald (Havoline Jaguar), Steve Smith (Cool Cat Carriers Jaguar), Jaco Correia (Omega Spares Corvette) and Vernon Bricknell (Nationwide Corvette) could provide some upsets once the circuit’s tricky layout comes into play.
In the GT2 class, fitted with 410-kW V8s, Zane Pearce (Hi-Q Jaguar) leads the class, although two bad days for the Jaguar man, at Kyalami and East London, have allowed the 2001 champion, Roelf du Plessis (Corvette), to get within seven points of the leader.
Du Plessis missed out on the first two race meets this season, but his impressive form should secure him more race wins as Terry Wilford (Fuchs Nissan Titan) hovers just four points behind him.
After taking his father’s Camaro and transforming it into a racing machine, the young Wade van Zummeren has proved to be quite the surprise package this season. The 17-year old won two races at his East London home circuit and looks sure to score more points this season.
The game changes somewhat when the guys are not racing at the coast, and Franco di Matteo (PT Hydraulics Jag), Richard Ransome (Mustang), Gordon Connelly (Cowan Signs Jaguar), Steve Herbst (Prei Instruments Camaro), Frans Pretorius (Mustang) and Ian Young (Opel Astra) have everything to race for.
The closely-contested GT3 category, featuring 373 kW Ford Thunderbirds, will also be in attendance at a race meet that promises plenty of action for both drivers and spectators.
