As close as it gets! Craig du Toit (99), Ian Long (15) and Jacques Geldenhuys (1) are seen making contact during their magnificent GTi Challenge battle. As close as it gets! Craig du Toit (99), Ian Long (15) and Jacques Geldenhuys (1) are seen making contact during their magnificent GTi Challenge battle.
Sarel van der Merwe deserved an Oscar for his role in the most exciting race of the day during the opening meeting of the Western Province Regional main circuit championship at Killarney on Saturday, but others such as Marcel Angel and Dave Kopke were also star quality.
Kopke, who is probably better known for his earlier achievements in a rare Mazda R100 in the Classic Car category, helped blot out the generally anticipated Beemer threat in the Clubman events. At the wheel of his innocuous looking Honda Ballade that has been around for a period when it circulated in the shadow of other Clubman Class A rockets, he was able to lay the hammer down while on his way to a notable double victory.
Behind him, Achmat Achmat took second overall in his E36 BMW, with class victories going to an impressive Gareth Easom (B), Jacques Lemmer (C), Corne Prins (D), Ian Long (E) and Byron Zimmerman (F).
Van der Merwe and Marcel Angel shared the big Masters V8 limelight with Angel setting the initial challenge after an impressive qualifying time of 1min15.993. With Supervan’s loan car not handling as well, he was forced to settle for fourth place on the grid. Although left behind at the start of the first race, Van improved as the tyres gradually began to offer him more grip. Eventually he passed Francois Gerber and finished third behind Angel and Fabio Tafani.
The final race was even better with Supervan well back and seemingly out of contention for the first few laps. Then came the charge. Gerber was soon reeled in and although Tafani initially seemed a bridge too far, he was passed on the last lap, almost within sight of the flag.
The GTi Challenge was dominated by eventual winner Raymond Johnson and Andrew Goslett, but there was no shortage of explosive action further back in the field. And here the battle between Ian Long, Craig du Toit and Jacques Geldenhuys was a show stopper as they fought for seventh spot. The GTis also hosted what was probably the most serious accident of the day when Johan Nel’s Golf was crunched in a three car pile-up.
Brad Wadeley stepped into the gap left by the absence of champion Neil Hawkins and Jess Huggett, as he went on to win both Supercar races. Newcomer Nick Adcock did well to finish second and third, as he swopped places with Ernest Stier who was placed third and second. Stier also won the Silver award, with the Bronze going to Mark Hope.
The Sports and GT races were dominated by visiting Gautenger Clint Weston whose very trick Porsche finished ahead of Steve Humble (Opel Mallock 14) and Wally Dolinschek (Porsche GT3). Class honours belonged to Peter Little (B), Ray Farnham (C), Cyril Ginsberg (D) and Martin Coward (E).
The meeting initially appeared to take a step backwards after the single-seater Formula Libre events had to be called off at the last moment. However, this was more than adequately compensated for by the splitting of the popular Midas Clubman category into separate events for Classes A, B and C, and for Classes D, E and F.
The second round of the championship will be run at Killarney on March 19.