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Thrills and spills, a couple of surprises and a notable first were all part and parcel of a drama-packed Round 3 of the WesBank Super Series at the Aldo Scribante circuit in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
The notable first saw former SA Supersport champion Chris Leeson (Kawasaki( take a pair of maiden wins in the SA Superbike category. The Superbike brigade also produced a few surprises.
With joint championship leader Sheridan Morais competing in Italy, the way was open for hot favourite Greg Gildenhuys (BMW) to take full advantage of the situation to open up a gap at the top of the points table but Leeson and Julian Odendaal (Kawasaki) had other ideas.
SUPERSPORT DRAMA
Leeson was in superb form to take both wins with Gildenhuys squeezing past Odendaal, who ran wide on the last corner, to take second place in the first race. Leeson again dominated in race two and this time around Odendaal did not make any mistakes.
There was also plenty of drama in the Supersport category with championship leader David McFadden (Kawasaki) suffering his first defeat of the season. Race one saw veteran Lance Isaacs (Honda) outbrake himself midway through proceedings while in the lead. That gave team mate Clinton Seller the lead and he managed to hold off a hard-charging McFadden who has a penchant for coming from behind to win races, at the flag.
Teenager Brent Harran (Honda) took the remaining podium position ahead of Dean Vos (Kawasaki) and Robert Portman (Triumph).
The second heat was red-flagged after four laps after a coming together between Bjorn estmen (Yamaha) and Dylan White on another Yamaha. Estment was taken to hospital to have his lower back checked.
When the race restarted Seller saw off a challenge from Harran to complete his double for the day. McFadden was third with Portman and young Cam Petersen, son of former SA champion Robbie, completing the top five.
PRODUCTION CARS
There was more drama late in the day in race four of the Production Car event with a string of incidents on and off the circuit. It all started within 300m of the start when Tannith Gardner (Subaru WRX) and Anthony Taylor (BMW) made contact. The Subaru slid off the circuit, hit a safety barrier and was launched into a series of barrel rolls. Gardner, making a return to National racing after a 10-year hiatus, emerged unscathed.
Hennie Groenwald, in a second Subaru, eventually edged out Melvill Priest (BMW 335i) after a tremendous tussle with Johan Fourie (Audi A4) third ahead of local favourites Michael Stephen and Tschops Sipuka in the new Audi A5 entries. Priest was then relegated to seventh by clerk of the course Piet Swanepoel for passing under double waved yellow flags while marshals were attending to the Gardner incident.
The Production series is run to a four-race format and earlier the first two heats produced wins for Stephen ahead of Taylor and Groenewald. Groenewald then won heat three ahead of Fourie to join Stephen as double winners on the day.
Class T also produced its share of drama. There was a maiden win for Michael van Rooyen in race one with his Opel Astra coming in ahead of championship leader Graeme Nathan and Gennaro Bonafede, each in a Golf GTI.
Race two saw Nathan come in ahead of Bonafede but the result was reversed when Nathan was penalised for robust tactics. Van Rooyen then picked up a second win in race three with former champion Gary Formato, after rolling his Ford Focus in practise, salvaging pride with a win in the final heat.
SUPERCARS
There was also an upset in race one in the V8 Supercar event when veteran Franco di Matteo (Jaguar) took a popular win in the Super GT Class. Di Matteo held off reigning champion Brandon Auby and Jimmy Auby (Ford Falcons) after a flawless drive.
The second race, from the usual inverted grid, saw the Auby family hit back. Father Deon (Lumina) led home son Jimmy with Larry Wilford (Falcon) third in the GT Class.
That gave Wilford the GT Class honours ahead of Patrick Seddon (Lumina) who earlier won the first heat, and Darron Gudmanz (Corvette). Seddon took the first race ahead of Gudmanz and champion Des Gutzeit (Mustang).
FORMULA VW
There were doubles for Robert Wolk and Devin Robertson in the Formula VW and VW Polo Cup events. Both Formula VW events produced identical results with Wolk leading home Jayde Kruger and the trio of champion Simon Moss, Daniel Rowe and Ernie van der Walt.
Robertson was a comfortable winner ahead of Kosie Weyers and Kyle Barnes in race one. Race two saw Robertson see off 14-year-old Kelvin van der Linde and Bryan Morgan.
The Masters wins were shared by Graeme Donker and Lee Thompson - the latter's third win of the season.
The Formula 1600 wins were shared by James Temple (Mygale) and Mathew Merton (Matsam Mygale). Jason Campos (Mygale) and Nicholas van Weely (Van Diemen) took the remaining podium places in heat one with Steve Morris (Mygale) and Werner Scholtz (Mygale) doing the trick in race two.
RESULTS
V8 Supercars:
Race 1 – Super GT: 1 F di Matteo (Jaguar); 2 B Auby (Ford Falcon); 3 J Auby (Ford Falcon). GT Class: 1 P Seddon (Lumina); 2 D Gudmanz (Corvette); 3 D Gutzeit (Mustang).
Race 2 – Super GT: 1 D Auby (Lumina); 2 J Auby (Ford Falcon); 3 T Wilford (Ford Falcon). GT Class: 1 L Wilford (Ford Falcon); 2 P Seddon (Lumina); 3 D Gudmanz (Corvette).
Production Cars:
Race 1 – Class A: 1 M Stephen (Audi S4); A Taylor (BMW 335i); 3 M Priest (BMW 335i).
Class T: 1 M van Rooyen (Opel Astra); 2 G Nathan (VW Golf GTI); 3 G Bonafede (VW Golf GTI).
Race 2 – Class A: 1 M Stephen (Audi S4); H Groenewald (Subaru WRX); 3 A Taylor (BMW 335i).
Class T: 1 G Bonafede (VW Golf GTI); 2 G Nathan (VW Golf GTI); 3 M van Rooyen (Opel Astra).
Race 3 – Class A: 1 H Groenewald (Subaru WRX); 2 J Fourie (Audi A4); 3 A Taylor (BMW 335i).
Class T: 1 M van Rooyen (Opel Astra); 2 G Formato (Ford Focus); 3 G Bonafede (VW Golf GTI).
Race 4 – 1 H Groenewald (Subaru WRX); 2 M Priest (BMW 335i); 3 J Fourie (Audi A4).
Class T – 1 G Formato (Ford Focus); 2 G Nathan (VW Golf GTI); 3 K Quarmby (VW Golf GTi).
VW Cup:
Race 1 – 1 D Robertson (VW Polo); 2 K Weyers (VW Polo); 3 K Barnes (VW Polo). Masters – 1 G Donker (VW Polo).
Race 2 – 1 D Robertson (VW Polo); 2 K van der Linde (VW Polo); 3 B Morgan (VW Polo). Masters – 1 L Thompson (VW Polo).
Formula VW:
Race 1 – 1 R Wolk (FVW); 2 J Kruger (FVW); 3 S Moss (FVW).
Race 2 – 1 R Wolk (FVW); 2 J Kruger (FVW); 3 S Moss (FVW).
Formula 1600:
Race 1 – 1 J Temple (Mygale); 2 J Campos (Mygale); 3 N van Weely (Van Diemen).
Race 2 – 1 M Merton (Mygale); 2 S Morris (Mygale); 3 W Scholtz (Mygale).
SA Superbike:
Race 1 – 1 C Leeson (Kawasaki); 2 G Gildenhuys (BMW); 3 J Odendaal (Kawasaki).
Race 2 – 1 C Leeson (Kawasaki); 2 J Odendaal (Kawasaki); 3 G Gildenhuys (BMW).
SA Supersport:
Race 1 – 1 C Seller (Honda); 2 D McFadden (Kawasaki); 3 B Harran (Honda).
Race 2 – 1 C Seller (Honda); 2 B Harran (Honda); 3 D McFadden (Kawasaki).
The notable first saw former SA Supersport champion Chris Leeson (Kawasaki( take a pair of maiden wins in the SA Superbike category. The Superbike brigade also produced a few surprises.
With joint championship leader Sheridan Morais competing in Italy, the way was open for hot favourite Greg Gildenhuys (BMW) to take full advantage of the situation to open up a gap at the top of the points table but Leeson and Julian Odendaal (Kawasaki) had other ideas.
SUPERSPORT DRAMA
Leeson was in superb form to take both wins with Gildenhuys squeezing past Odendaal, who ran wide on the last corner, to take second place in the first race. Leeson again dominated in race two and this time around Odendaal did not make any mistakes.
There was also plenty of drama in the Supersport category with championship leader David McFadden (Kawasaki) suffering his first defeat of the season. Race one saw veteran Lance Isaacs (Honda) outbrake himself midway through proceedings while in the lead. That gave team mate Clinton Seller the lead and he managed to hold off a hard-charging McFadden who has a penchant for coming from behind to win races, at the flag.
Teenager Brent Harran (Honda) took the remaining podium position ahead of Dean Vos (Kawasaki) and Robert Portman (Triumph).
The second heat was red-flagged after four laps after a coming together between Bjorn estmen (Yamaha) and Dylan White on another Yamaha. Estment was taken to hospital to have his lower back checked.
When the race restarted Seller saw off a challenge from Harran to complete his double for the day. McFadden was third with Portman and young Cam Petersen, son of former SA champion Robbie, completing the top five.
PRODUCTION CARS
There was more drama late in the day in race four of the Production Car event with a string of incidents on and off the circuit. It all started within 300m of the start when Tannith Gardner (Subaru WRX) and Anthony Taylor (BMW) made contact. The Subaru slid off the circuit, hit a safety barrier and was launched into a series of barrel rolls. Gardner, making a return to National racing after a 10-year hiatus, emerged unscathed.
Hennie Groenwald, in a second Subaru, eventually edged out Melvill Priest (BMW 335i) after a tremendous tussle with Johan Fourie (Audi A4) third ahead of local favourites Michael Stephen and Tschops Sipuka in the new Audi A5 entries. Priest was then relegated to seventh by clerk of the course Piet Swanepoel for passing under double waved yellow flags while marshals were attending to the Gardner incident.
The Production series is run to a four-race format and earlier the first two heats produced wins for Stephen ahead of Taylor and Groenewald. Groenewald then won heat three ahead of Fourie to join Stephen as double winners on the day.
Class T also produced its share of drama. There was a maiden win for Michael van Rooyen in race one with his Opel Astra coming in ahead of championship leader Graeme Nathan and Gennaro Bonafede, each in a Golf GTI.
Race two saw Nathan come in ahead of Bonafede but the result was reversed when Nathan was penalised for robust tactics. Van Rooyen then picked up a second win in race three with former champion Gary Formato, after rolling his Ford Focus in practise, salvaging pride with a win in the final heat.
SUPERCARS
There was also an upset in race one in the V8 Supercar event when veteran Franco di Matteo (Jaguar) took a popular win in the Super GT Class. Di Matteo held off reigning champion Brandon Auby and Jimmy Auby (Ford Falcons) after a flawless drive.
The second race, from the usual inverted grid, saw the Auby family hit back. Father Deon (Lumina) led home son Jimmy with Larry Wilford (Falcon) third in the GT Class.
That gave Wilford the GT Class honours ahead of Patrick Seddon (Lumina) who earlier won the first heat, and Darron Gudmanz (Corvette). Seddon took the first race ahead of Gudmanz and champion Des Gutzeit (Mustang).
FORMULA VW
There were doubles for Robert Wolk and Devin Robertson in the Formula VW and VW Polo Cup events. Both Formula VW events produced identical results with Wolk leading home Jayde Kruger and the trio of champion Simon Moss, Daniel Rowe and Ernie van der Walt.
Robertson was a comfortable winner ahead of Kosie Weyers and Kyle Barnes in race one. Race two saw Robertson see off 14-year-old Kelvin van der Linde and Bryan Morgan.
The Masters wins were shared by Graeme Donker and Lee Thompson - the latter's third win of the season.
The Formula 1600 wins were shared by James Temple (Mygale) and Mathew Merton (Matsam Mygale). Jason Campos (Mygale) and Nicholas van Weely (Van Diemen) took the remaining podium places in heat one with Steve Morris (Mygale) and Werner Scholtz (Mygale) doing the trick in race two.
RESULTS
V8 Supercars:
Race 1 – Super GT: 1 F di Matteo (Jaguar); 2 B Auby (Ford Falcon); 3 J Auby (Ford Falcon). GT Class: 1 P Seddon (Lumina); 2 D Gudmanz (Corvette); 3 D Gutzeit (Mustang).
Race 2 – Super GT: 1 D Auby (Lumina); 2 J Auby (Ford Falcon); 3 T Wilford (Ford Falcon). GT Class: 1 L Wilford (Ford Falcon); 2 P Seddon (Lumina); 3 D Gudmanz (Corvette).
Production Cars:
Race 1 – Class A: 1 M Stephen (Audi S4); A Taylor (BMW 335i); 3 M Priest (BMW 335i).
Class T: 1 M van Rooyen (Opel Astra); 2 G Nathan (VW Golf GTI); 3 G Bonafede (VW Golf GTI).
Race 2 – Class A: 1 M Stephen (Audi S4); H Groenewald (Subaru WRX); 3 A Taylor (BMW 335i).
Class T: 1 G Bonafede (VW Golf GTI); 2 G Nathan (VW Golf GTI); 3 M van Rooyen (Opel Astra).
Race 3 – Class A: 1 H Groenewald (Subaru WRX); 2 J Fourie (Audi A4); 3 A Taylor (BMW 335i).
Class T: 1 M van Rooyen (Opel Astra); 2 G Formato (Ford Focus); 3 G Bonafede (VW Golf GTI).
Race 4 – 1 H Groenewald (Subaru WRX); 2 M Priest (BMW 335i); 3 J Fourie (Audi A4).
Class T – 1 G Formato (Ford Focus); 2 G Nathan (VW Golf GTI); 3 K Quarmby (VW Golf GTi).
VW Cup:
Race 1 – 1 D Robertson (VW Polo); 2 K Weyers (VW Polo); 3 K Barnes (VW Polo). Masters – 1 G Donker (VW Polo).
Race 2 – 1 D Robertson (VW Polo); 2 K van der Linde (VW Polo); 3 B Morgan (VW Polo). Masters – 1 L Thompson (VW Polo).
Formula VW:
Race 1 – 1 R Wolk (FVW); 2 J Kruger (FVW); 3 S Moss (FVW).
Race 2 – 1 R Wolk (FVW); 2 J Kruger (FVW); 3 S Moss (FVW).
Formula 1600:
Race 1 – 1 J Temple (Mygale); 2 J Campos (Mygale); 3 N van Weely (Van Diemen).
Race 2 – 1 M Merton (Mygale); 2 S Morris (Mygale); 3 W Scholtz (Mygale).
SA Superbike:
Race 1 – 1 C Leeson (Kawasaki); 2 G Gildenhuys (BMW); 3 J Odendaal (Kawasaki).
Race 2 – 1 C Leeson (Kawasaki); 2 J Odendaal (Kawasaki); 3 G Gildenhuys (BMW).
SA Supersport:
Race 1 – 1 C Seller (Honda); 2 D McFadden (Kawasaki); 3 B Harran (Honda).
Race 2 – 1 C Seller (Honda); 2 B Harran (Honda); 3 D McFadden (Kawasaki).
