Tasmin Pepper tops great SA race weekend

South African racers starred across the globe this weekend, but it was Tasmin Pepper who best caught the imagination as she delivered an epic come from behind performance to storm from sixteenth to eighth in the woman’s world championship of racing at Hockenheim in Germany on Saturday.

Pepper overcame a difficult qualifying to score points on her debut in an inaugural W Series weekend that challenged the 18 ladies in the field of identical race cars with changeable conditions throughout.

                                                                                              Image: W Series 

Sheldon van der Linde and Jonathan Aberdein meanwhile became the first SA drivers to race in the DTM German Touring Car Masters also at Hockenheim over the weekend. Aberdein was up to ninth in race 1 before pitting too early for slick tyres, before coming from the back to 12th following a pitstop issue after running as high as fifth in race 2.

Van der Linde qualified seventh for race 1 before driving his BMW home a fine seventh. He then qualified 10th for race 2, where he ended up 14th.

It was also a good weekend for South Africa’s 2019 CIK-FIA Academy karter Josh Coertze in Germany — the PE driver drove home a fine second in the Wackerkloof finals on Sunday.

                                                                                         Image: CIK-FIA 

On two wheels, Brad Binder rode his KTM to fifth in the Spanish Moto 2 Grand Prix, with fellow SA rider Steven Odendaal coming home 18th for NTS, while younger Binder brother Darryn brought his KTM home 11th in Moto. 

Over in the US meanwhile, SA rider Mathew Scholtz led the opening US Superbike race before sliding off to retire and then bounced back to fourth in race 2, while Cameron Petersen delivered a sixth and a fourth in the two races. Sam Lochoff, rode his Yamaha to fourth in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Junior Cup before sliding out of that position in race 2.

                                                                                       Image: Paul Bedford 

Closer to home, Kenny Gilbert delivered a stunning ride to lead the Koue Bokkeveld 400 from lights to flag and move into the South African Cross Country Motorcycle championship lead for Pepson Plastics Husqvarna Racing on Saturday. Gilbert beat d'Artagnan Lobjoit, while OR3 winner Bradley Cox was a brilliant third overall, Gareth Cole took OR2 honours, Juan van Rooyen took the Senior win, Faan van Deventer Masters and Davin Cocker the High School class.

Meanwhile Pretoria’s Zwartkops played host to an entertaining third round Northern Regions Kart Championships on Saturday, where Justin Allison benefited Bradley Liebenberg and Nicholas Verheul’s bad luck to win DD2, Wayland Wyman beat Jayden Els two wins to one in Senior and Kwanda Mokoena beat Aqil Alibhai and Jordan Brooks to Junior Max honours. Troy Snyman and Muhammad Wally had to work for their Mini Max wins and Mohammed Moerat swept the board in Micro Max, while visitors Caleb Odendaal and Rayan Karriem beat Tshepang Shisinwana in the Bambinos.

                                                                                         Image: WRT Audi

In other weekend action, SA’s annual racing party went down at the Jaguar Simola Hill Climb in Knysna, where Franco Scribante’s Chevron narrowly beat Andre Bezuidenhout’s Lola to classic honours, Bezuidenhout took single seater honours from Robert Wolk, Reghardt Roets’ GT-R took standard honours from Gavin Conje’s Jaguar and Franco Scribante took the King of the Hill crown in his wild Nissan.