Summarize

If there ever was a meeting to end a race season off in style, then the Aldo Scribante Racetrack’s 2018 finale must be it. The Algoa Motor Sport Club has attracted over 325 entries from the Bay and around the county, all set to deliver a day of racing to remember Saturday 17 November, highlighted by the Midas PE 3 Hour Endurance race for cars and the Mahle PE 200 Motorcycle race, there’s something for everyone with a sparkling support act on both two and four wheels.

Add that prize money will be on offer for most races, including the traditional two hundred British pounds sterling for the PE 200 bike winner as it has been since 1934 and there will be no holds barred at a meeting that has attracted among the biggest overall fields throughout South Africa in 2018. Also, with the serious side of champions crowned in all classes, this is always a fun weekend with the focus on racing and entertainment in the Friendly City.

The Midas PE 3 Hour endurance race for cars' entry list is fully subscribed to Aldo Scribante’s 43-car grid limit with a wild and varied field chasing that R1,500 cash prize, not least of all Cape endurance race experts, Francis Carruthers and Johan Engelbrecht, whose stunning Corvette-propelled Aquila CR7 should start as favourite. Don’t ignore SAEC regulars Fritz Kleynhans and James Forbes Comenius Ligier or Trevor and Shannon Frost’s similar Strocam car, or any of the fleet of Shelby Nissans including local lass Tanya Watts and Ian Shrosbree; Mike Verrier and Garth De Villers and Mark Lauth.

Expect fraught smaller sports car action too, between the likes of East London visitors Gary Marais and Bruce Butler’s Nardini and a swarm of Lotus Seven contraptions pedalled by the likes of local heroes Chassen Bright and Bryn High and Kean Barnard and Troy Marais; Hennie Trollip and Jimbo Dunn and Anton Ehlers and Jacques Strydom along with SAEC team Eric Salomon and Dave Sinclair’s Elf S06.

Most of the Midas PE 3 Hour field will comprise tin-tops where local crew Ian Riddle and Philip Weise will fight off the similar BMWs of Cape lads Mansoor Parker and Anwar Levy and Durban duo Wayne Lotter and Steve Truter. Expect an entertaining squabble for best Datsun-Nissan home between Cape duo Charles Arton and Richard Quixley’s 240Z, Gareth Hudd and Brent Watts more contemporary 350Z and Wayne Wilson’s vast Maxima, while the likes of EP champion Gordon Nolan (Polo), Daniel Bright and Stepan Aucamp (jetta) and Gavin Geldenhuys and Shane Williams’ GTech Office/ Intergro Tech Golf MK1 among many contenders.

The Mahle PE 200 has attracted a top class motorcycle field to chase those two-hundred pounds with Bernard and Brandon Haupt sharing a Yamaha R1 against David McFadden and AJ Venter’s similar machines and Hashim Amra, Anda Gwele, Abongile and Owethu Krexe’s BMWs. An eclectic field could well throw up a surprise winner with the likes of Freddie Van Eyk Dan Lombard aboard a BMW R100 Twin, Bernie Botes and Paul Medell sharing a KTM 1290 Superduke, Dave Enticott's Triumph and John Krieger’s BMW HP4, while a strong 600 entry is headed by Ricardo Otto and Kewyn Snyman’s Yamaha, ladies Daphne Lang and Zante Otto (Kawasaki), Gareth Gehlig (Kawasaki); Colin Van Eyk, Daryl Norton and Ivor Vermaak.

Saturday’s support act has a twist too, with two Cape Town classes visiting. The Pirelli WP Sports & GTs will race with their EP comrades where stars of the show should be a pair of sleek Corvette powered machines — Craig Jarvis’ Ginetta and Francis Carruthers’ Aquila, but they will have Steve Humble’s wieldy Mallock, Clinton Thorne’s mad Birkin, Fritz Kleynhans’ Ligier to keep them busy, not to mention local wildcards Tanya Watts’ Shelby Alwyn Kretzmann and Anton Ehlers’ Lotus 7s and Quinsley Sale (Ariel Atom). GT Action will see Cape Porsche trio Cyril Ginsburg, Gary Kieswetter and Matt Kreeve kept honest by local lads Gordon Nicholson’s Nissan GT-R and VW man Jeandre Marais.

Cape Town’s V8 Mastercars will add a little rolling thunder as Fabio Tafani, Marcel Angel, Richard Schreuder and Brian Evans take on Rui Campos, Paolo Cavallieri and Craig Jarvis, while the car action will be rounded off by the final round of the AMSC Historic & Classic and Coastal Challenge and a mad Allcomers Modified Saloon race. That has attracted a star-studded entry of almost 70 cars including local heroes Nick Davidson, Aldo and Celso Scribante’s Audis, Ian Riddle (BMW) and Kevin Kelly (Mitsubishi), a Cape contingent including Kosie Swanepoel (Lexus) and BMW trio Nieyaaz Modack, Anwar Levy and Mansoor Parker and Border inurgents Bevan Schwartz (Corvette) Shannon Barun (Mazda) and Neil Stephen (Golf).

The two-wheeler support act sees the Klinicare PE 100 Historic Motorcycle racers chasing a R2,000 cash purse aboard some mouthwatering classic machinery, while BMW RR Cup and ASAP World Motorcycle heats will see among the Mahle PE 300 riders chasing sprint race wins too.

A full and varied race day, Aldo Scribante’s 17 November season ending spectacle should make for the perfect family outing, so pack that braai, the cooler box, deck chairs and the kids and pals and head for Aldo Scribante off Kyalami Road, Coega — that’s just off the N2 on the R335. Pay R50 per person at the gate or book in advance via www.westway.co.za — see you there!