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Saturday – The resumption of hostilities in the WesBank Super Series
produced a mixed bag with round five of the National championship menu
at Welkom's Phakisa Freeway spiced up by a pinch or two of controversy.
There was early drama when riders in the SA Superbike and Supersport championships expressed concerns about circuit safety.
Three of the most experienced riders in the country in reigning Superbike champion Sheridan Morais, current championship leader Lance Isaacs and Supersport frontrunner Robert Portman were then delegated by clerk of the course George Portman to carry out a circuit inspection.
After feedback from the riders Portman ruled the circuit was not safe for racing.
The motorcycle brigade agreed, however, to take part in two Superpole sessions where riders could stay on the racing line without fear of being baulked in a racing situation.
Championship contender
Greg Gildenhuys (Autohaus BMW) then pipped Bikefin Honda trio Isaacs,
Chris Leeson and Dane Hellyer in the Superbike shootout.
Championship leader Ronan Quarmby (Interfile Yamaha), Clinton Alberts (Kyalami Honda Cayenne Racing) and Steven Odendaal (MS Aircon Suzuki) led the way in the Supersport category.
There was also drama when the two Timken Subarus driven by Hennie Groenewald and Dawie Olivier, and the Midas Subaru of Richard Pinard were precluded from taking part in the Production Car championship qualifying session over technical issues.
It was finally agreed the three cars could take part in the Bridgestone championship’s three race format, but would start the first heat from the back of the Class A grid. To further complicate the issue Olivier then proceeded to win the second of the back to back sprint races from the front of a reverse grid.
The opening race produced a high rate of attrition with mechanical failures and racing incidents decimating the Class A and Class T fields. Championship leader Anrthony Taylor (Afrox BMW 335i) was one of those to suffer from mechanical maladies, while a single incident sidelined the Class T trio of Shaun Duminy (Nando’s Team Ford Focus) and youngsters Gennaro Bonafede (Ferodo VW Golf GTi) and Kieren Quarmby in a similar car with Interfile/Gallardo backing.
Reigning champion Johan Fourie (IndyOil Audi A4) led from flag to flag to win Class A ahead of Michael Stephen (Xtreme Team Audi A4) and Melvill Priest in the second Afrox BMW. The Class T honours went to reigning champion Gary Formato and Michael van Rooyen, in Nando’s Team Ford Focus entries, and arch rival Graeme Nathan in the IndyOil/KayeEddie VW Golf GTi.
The second six lap sprint race saw Olivier take the win ahead of Fourie, Priest, Stephen and Pinard. On the Class T front Formato took a second win with Nathan sandwiched between the reigning champion and van Rooyen.
Taylor was back for the 12 lap feature race and managed to salvage something from a wretched day with a solid fifth while benefitting from a couple of retirements. Fourie completed a great day with another comprehensive win ahead of Priest and Marco da Cunha (SAM Racing/Tubular Tech Nissan 350Z) who both got past Reghard Roets (Rough Rider BMW 335i) on the last lap.
This time around Nathan finally got the better of Formato to cruise to a comfortable Class T victory. Third went to Hein Bose, in the MFC Mazda3 MPS who just held off Duminy to take the final podium place.
The V8 Supercar heats saw championship
leader Brandon Auby (ELT International Jaguar) further tighten his hold
on the Super GT title chase with a brace of wins.
The teenager held off local hero Jaco Correia (LiquiMoly Corvette) to take race one with Deon Auby (ELT International Holden), veteran former champion Ben Morgenrood (BM Auto Jaguar) and Franco di Matteo (Varta Batteries Jaguar) completing the top five.
Race two, from the customary reverse grid, produced more drama. From eighth on the grid Jaco Correia produced a demon first lap to slot into second place behind Morgenrood with Auby still stuck in traffic.
Correia continued to hound Morgenrood until lap five when the Corvette suddenly careered off the circuit at the end of the pit straight, shot over no man’s land and slammed head on into a safety barrier. It was a huge impact and the safety car was deployed while marshals and paramedics extricated Correia from the car.
It is thought something broke on the front of the Corvette which was badly damaged. A shaken Correia was taken to hospital for x-rays on possible back injuries.
When racing restarted Brandon Auby managed to squeeze past Morgenrood with Deon Auby working his way up to third. Correia’s brother, Danie, in the second Liqui Moly Corvetyte, and Wade van Zummeren (Border Towing Mustang) completed the top five.
There were problems for championship leader Roelf du Plessis (RJ Panelbeaters Lumina) in the GT Class. An oil pump problem kept him out of heat one and he retired early in heat two.
That opened the door for title challengers and veteran Des Gutzeit (Dezzi Mustang) and Darron Gudmanz (Indigo Boats Corvette) took full advantage. Gutzeit won the opening heat from Larry Wilford (Fuchs Opel Astra) and Gudmanz with only two seconds separating the trio.
Aided by the lengthy stint behind the safety car Gudmanz then romped away with the second race. Gutzeit took second with Romani Sartori (AMC Jaguar) completing the podium finishers.
Reigning champion Mathew Hodges continued his domination of the Volkswagen Cup with two commanding wins in the PG Glass VW Polo. That brought his tally of wins for the season to eight, and the championship has turned into a one horse race.
Heat one saw Hodges come in ahead of Kosie Weyers (Xtreme Team VW Polo) and Alberton teenager Devin Robertson in the Ferodo VW Polo. Young Robertson held off Hodges for a couple of laps in race two and then had to fend off Weyers in the later laps.
With closest challenger Wesleigh Orr deciding to further his kart career, Port Elizabeth teenager Simon Moss (Dixon Batteries/Southern Sun FVW) has been left high and dry at the top of the Formula VW championship. A second and a win saw Moss consolidate his hold on the championship although he had to play second fiddle to another teenager, Chad Van Beurden, in the first of the two heats.
Van Beurden (Beurden Construction FVW) took his first ever national win ahead of Moss and Gordon Connelly (Cowan Signs FVW).
It was back to winning ways for Moss in race two. This time he shut out van Beurden with Connelly again on the podium after getting past Tasmin Pepper (Plastomark/PG Glass/VW Racing FVW) in the latter stages of the race.
There was early drama when riders in the SA Superbike and Supersport championships expressed concerns about circuit safety.
Three of the most experienced riders in the country in reigning Superbike champion Sheridan Morais, current championship leader Lance Isaacs and Supersport frontrunner Robert Portman were then delegated by clerk of the course George Portman to carry out a circuit inspection.
After feedback from the riders Portman ruled the circuit was not safe for racing.
The motorcycle brigade agreed, however, to take part in two Superpole sessions where riders could stay on the racing line without fear of being baulked in a racing situation.
Championship contender
Greg Gildenhuys (Autohaus BMW) then pipped Bikefin Honda trio Isaacs,
Chris Leeson and Dane Hellyer in the Superbike shootout. Championship leader Ronan Quarmby (Interfile Yamaha), Clinton Alberts (Kyalami Honda Cayenne Racing) and Steven Odendaal (MS Aircon Suzuki) led the way in the Supersport category.
There was also drama when the two Timken Subarus driven by Hennie Groenewald and Dawie Olivier, and the Midas Subaru of Richard Pinard were precluded from taking part in the Production Car championship qualifying session over technical issues.
It was finally agreed the three cars could take part in the Bridgestone championship’s three race format, but would start the first heat from the back of the Class A grid. To further complicate the issue Olivier then proceeded to win the second of the back to back sprint races from the front of a reverse grid.
The opening race produced a high rate of attrition with mechanical failures and racing incidents decimating the Class A and Class T fields. Championship leader Anrthony Taylor (Afrox BMW 335i) was one of those to suffer from mechanical maladies, while a single incident sidelined the Class T trio of Shaun Duminy (Nando’s Team Ford Focus) and youngsters Gennaro Bonafede (Ferodo VW Golf GTi) and Kieren Quarmby in a similar car with Interfile/Gallardo backing.
Reigning champion Johan Fourie (IndyOil Audi A4) led from flag to flag to win Class A ahead of Michael Stephen (Xtreme Team Audi A4) and Melvill Priest in the second Afrox BMW. The Class T honours went to reigning champion Gary Formato and Michael van Rooyen, in Nando’s Team Ford Focus entries, and arch rival Graeme Nathan in the IndyOil/KayeEddie VW Golf GTi.
The second six lap sprint race saw Olivier take the win ahead of Fourie, Priest, Stephen and Pinard. On the Class T front Formato took a second win with Nathan sandwiched between the reigning champion and van Rooyen.
Taylor was back for the 12 lap feature race and managed to salvage something from a wretched day with a solid fifth while benefitting from a couple of retirements. Fourie completed a great day with another comprehensive win ahead of Priest and Marco da Cunha (SAM Racing/Tubular Tech Nissan 350Z) who both got past Reghard Roets (Rough Rider BMW 335i) on the last lap.
This time around Nathan finally got the better of Formato to cruise to a comfortable Class T victory. Third went to Hein Bose, in the MFC Mazda3 MPS who just held off Duminy to take the final podium place.
The V8 Supercar heats saw championship
leader Brandon Auby (ELT International Jaguar) further tighten his hold
on the Super GT title chase with a brace of wins. The teenager held off local hero Jaco Correia (LiquiMoly Corvette) to take race one with Deon Auby (ELT International Holden), veteran former champion Ben Morgenrood (BM Auto Jaguar) and Franco di Matteo (Varta Batteries Jaguar) completing the top five.
Race two, from the customary reverse grid, produced more drama. From eighth on the grid Jaco Correia produced a demon first lap to slot into second place behind Morgenrood with Auby still stuck in traffic.
Correia continued to hound Morgenrood until lap five when the Corvette suddenly careered off the circuit at the end of the pit straight, shot over no man’s land and slammed head on into a safety barrier. It was a huge impact and the safety car was deployed while marshals and paramedics extricated Correia from the car.
It is thought something broke on the front of the Corvette which was badly damaged. A shaken Correia was taken to hospital for x-rays on possible back injuries.
When racing restarted Brandon Auby managed to squeeze past Morgenrood with Deon Auby working his way up to third. Correia’s brother, Danie, in the second Liqui Moly Corvetyte, and Wade van Zummeren (Border Towing Mustang) completed the top five.
There were problems for championship leader Roelf du Plessis (RJ Panelbeaters Lumina) in the GT Class. An oil pump problem kept him out of heat one and he retired early in heat two.
That opened the door for title challengers and veteran Des Gutzeit (Dezzi Mustang) and Darron Gudmanz (Indigo Boats Corvette) took full advantage. Gutzeit won the opening heat from Larry Wilford (Fuchs Opel Astra) and Gudmanz with only two seconds separating the trio.
Aided by the lengthy stint behind the safety car Gudmanz then romped away with the second race. Gutzeit took second with Romani Sartori (AMC Jaguar) completing the podium finishers.
Reigning champion Mathew Hodges continued his domination of the Volkswagen Cup with two commanding wins in the PG Glass VW Polo. That brought his tally of wins for the season to eight, and the championship has turned into a one horse race.
Heat one saw Hodges come in ahead of Kosie Weyers (Xtreme Team VW Polo) and Alberton teenager Devin Robertson in the Ferodo VW Polo. Young Robertson held off Hodges for a couple of laps in race two and then had to fend off Weyers in the later laps.
With closest challenger Wesleigh Orr deciding to further his kart career, Port Elizabeth teenager Simon Moss (Dixon Batteries/Southern Sun FVW) has been left high and dry at the top of the Formula VW championship. A second and a win saw Moss consolidate his hold on the championship although he had to play second fiddle to another teenager, Chad Van Beurden, in the first of the two heats.
Van Beurden (Beurden Construction FVW) took his first ever national win ahead of Moss and Gordon Connelly (Cowan Signs FVW).
It was back to winning ways for Moss in race two. This time he shut out van Beurden with Connelly again on the podium after getting past Tasmin Pepper (Plastomark/PG Glass/VW Racing FVW) in the latter stages of the race.