Summarize

Action all the way from Bahrain to Dullstroom

In a dramatic race weekend highlighted by Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes fending Red Bull’s Max Verstappen off for season opening F1 glory in Bahrain, it was just as thrilling on the South African racing scene. The Binder brothers were also back in MotoGP action as Maverick Vinales’ Yamaha handed the Ducatis a bloody nose in the Qatari opener, where Brad fought home 14th and Darren starred to third in Moto3.

Closer to home, a rough, tough, muddy and rocky Dullstroom 400 season opener sorted the men from a record entry of SA Cross Country racing boys as Lance Woolridge and Elvéne Vonk delivered a debut victory aboard the new FIA class Castrol Ford Ranger. They beat Special Vehicle Class A winners Lance Trethewey and Adriaan Roets’ BAT Venom and Class T winners Malalane Toyota Hilux privateers Johan and Werner Horn.

Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Guy Botterill was second in the FIA class on his Cross Country debut alongside Brett Cummings, with Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer next in the second Castrol FIA Ford Ranger from a delighted Red-Lined Ernest Roberts and Henry Köhne’s Red-Lined VK-56. Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy’s Gazoo Hilux followed from Mark Corbett and Rodney Burke's Century CR6. 

Johan and van Staden's Renault Duster was ninth from Malcolm and Frans Kock’s Class T Ford Ranger, Dean Bradbury and Timmy Botes' light car winning Can-Am and racing rookie Eben Basson with Gerhard Schutte navigating in a Red-Lined VK56.

The 2021 South African National Rotax Max Challenge also exploded into action with a splendid first round at Killarney in Cape Town on Saturday as local stars laid down the gauntlet there. Sebastian Boyd survived a bruising DD2 encounter to beat Jason Coetzee and Umpie Swart, while SA racing legend Michael Stephen fought off Nicholas Verheul, Jonathan Pieterse and Eugene Brittz in over-32 DD2 Masters.

Another local, race 1 winner Andrew Rackstraw took Senior Max from race 2 victor Tate Bishop, Storm Lanfear and Jason Coetzee, who lost the final win to Rackstraw on a nose cone penalty. High school Junior Max proved an interprovincial war as KZN lad Troy Snyman, Jozi driver Muhammed Wally and Cape kid Reza Levy each won a race, but local Levy took the day from Wally and locals Ethan Stier and Matthew Wadeley.

Another WP lightie, Joaquin de Oliveira not only beat Jozi visitor Wian Boshoff two races to one with Caleb Odendaal third in under-13 Mini Max, but he also broke the lap record three times in the three races. Reagile Mailula stormed to a stunning under-11 Micro Max triple win over Mattao Mason, and Kegan Martin and Jack Moore fought back to take Bambino honours on a count-back of wins over Michael Danks with Logan Billau third.

The third national race meeting over the weekend was perhaps the most dramatic as the results of the Modimolle SA Cross Country bike race remain unresolved after route and scoring issues. For the record — and remember, these results are not official — OR1 man Jarryd Coetzee was first home on his Brother Leader Tread KTM from OR2 rider Ian Rall’s MCA Dragon Energy Husqvarna and Brett Swanepoel’s OR1 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna.

Matthew Wilson was the first OR3 rider home on his MCA Racing Husqvarna, John Botha' TFC CIT Husqvarna led the High School field home, Wade Blaauw was first Senior home on his Roost KTM and Wayne Farmer’s Biker's Warehouse Race Husqvarna the first Master. Race organisers will reveal the final results as soon as all issues are ironed out, so expect changes across the board

In top regional action on the weekend, Rory Atkinson’s BHIT Polo and Stiaan Kriel’s T-Rex Polo shared the Class A wins at the opening Jozi-based Pozidrive VW Challenge at Red Star. Leyton Fourie’s Universal Polo dominated Class B while Reno van Heerden’s Sierra Polo and Adriaan de Beer in a MLP Polo shared the Class C wins. And Class A driver Adrian Dalton beat Class B men Andreas Meier and Jagger Robertson in both BMW Club races, while Nek Makris, Neil Martin and Nicholas Fischer took the classes.


ENDS

Issued on behalf of Toyota Gazoo Racing Week

What:Race Weekend Wrap
Where:International
When:27-28 March 2021
Community:International

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