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Pretoria - The Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria hosted round six of the 2017 Inland Championship on Saturday, July 29 2017, with a large crowd entertained by a full programme of spectacular on-track action.
Spectators also got to witness the setting of a new overall Zwartkops lap record in the 250 Superkart race category! With the current lap record of 58.83 seconds set by Andre Bezuidenhout in the Dallara BMS 189 Cosworth F1 back in March 2008, the sub one-minute lap time has become the desire of many to achieve.
The fantastic quick lap time came courtesy of the 250 Superkart brigade. Trent Williams took the category’s opening race with his Anderson 250. He was chased past the flag by Dayne Angel (Autohaus Angel PVP 250) and Sean Moore (Ziegler PVP 250). Bevan Williams, whose Anderson dropped out the first time, returned in race two to make Zwartkops history.
On lap 3 he put in the new time of 59.79 seconds which places him ninth fastest ever around the Big Z and sees him join the ranks of other fast lappers in the old Formula Volkswagen race cars.
En route to victory, he blasted his 250cc projectile around Zwartkops in a 59.88-second lap on lap 8 and then again 59.86 seconds on the final lap of the race. Williams finished ahead of Angel and Trent Williams.
Topping the day’s offerings were two races for Bridgestone BMW Club Racing Series. The day saw a number of the racers break out of category with new blistering lap times as well. The opening heat saw Lorenzo Gualtieri (Savspeed/Powermods/L&R Auto Electric - BMW E36 328i Turbo) lead for three laps, before slowing with electronic bothers.
That left Julian Fameliaris (Tower Crane Services/Lube-Net - BMW E36 328i Turbo) to win from Dino Familiaris (C-Tech/Afrivalve - BMW E36 M3 Turbo) and Paulo Loureiro (Combined Racing/J&K Customs/CCP/CPW - BMW E36 M3 GTS), one of the first to break out of class B. That allowed Rick Loureiro (Combined Racing/CPW - BMW E30 3,2 CSL) to take the class B win ahead of Riaan Woest (Viking Mining Solutions - BMW E46 M3 GTR). After a decisive battle Willie Erasmus (Speed & Sound/Big Boss Auto/Liqui Moly - BMW E36 M3) took the class C win ahead of Philip Smit (Hi-Q Middestad - BMW E46 M3). Victory in class D went to Jan Eversteyn (Mammoet Racing - BMW E36 328i) and Alan Hilligenn (BMW E36 328i) finishing in second hot on his heels.
Image: Supplied
Gualtieri returned in style to win race two, finishing ahead of Julian Fameliaris and Paulo Loureiro. This time round it would be Rick Loureiro to break out of class B leaving Riaan Woest to snatch up the win ahead of rookie Jason Page (ELB Construction/Triplicon Construction - BMW E36 328i Turbo).
A turn of fortune saw Philip Smit take the win in class C in the second race ahead of an ever improving Mike Grobler (Mayfair Gearbox - BMW E46 M3). Jan Eversteyn took the double in class D for the day after Alan Hilligenn also broke out of class. Troy Cochran (Arrow Automotive - BMW E46 325ti) would pick up the second place as a result.
Brendan Parker (Datsun GX Coupe) led the opening race for Midvaal Historic Saloon Cars, before being slowed by a puncture. That left Rene van Rensburg (SVTech Ford Escort) to win from Parker and Keegan Ward (Escort Mk 1). Parker suffered no misfortunes the next time, leading the race from start to finish, ahead of Van Rensburg and Jackie Morrison (Extreme Salvage Escort).
Both of the day’s Formula Monoposto single-seater races went to Nicolas Zavallone (Speads RM08) from Dee-Jay Booysen (Dico / Easy Skips Formula M). Tiago Rebelo (Formula Ford) took third overall in the first race, and John Maurien (Exotic India Gti Ray) would clinch third overall in the second race.
George Economides won the Yokohama Modified Production Cars races in his Martini Golf Turbo, chased to the flag both times by Evert Seyffert (Cable Solutions Chev Firenza). Jeff Langeveldt (Prostaff Honda CRX Turbo) and Dirk Lawrence (JDM Honda Civic) took turns in the respective third places.
Richard Upton (RJ Legend) took the first INEX Legends race, leading home Charl Roux (Rubro Legend) and Alton Bouw (Bat Supplies Legend). Race two went to Jordan Larsson (N&S Legend), followed by Anro Stadler (Legend) and Upton. Larsson also took the day’s final victory, chased home by Upton and Stadler.
Amos Cockerham Junior (Hoosier Jaguar V8) won the opening Big Boss Auto Super Saloons race, ahead of Karel Stols (Rotrix Mazda RX8) and Marius Jackson (MegaFibre Audi TT). Cockeram took the next race as well, this time leading home Marius Jacobs (AAA Recovery Opel Tigra) and Jackson.
The next round of the 2017 Inland Championship will be held at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas on Saturday, August 19.