Summarize

North versus South in East London

An intrepid contingent of Historic Racing South Africa competitors headed 1000km due south over the weekend to join up with Border competitors in an East London Grand Prix Circuit classic racing spectacular. The Historic Sports & GT, Saloon and Pursuit series visitors joined local racers in a splendid days racing at the iconic racetrack that itself has roots dating back to the 1930s.

Historic Sports & GT racing with IPC
Schuhardt Sure
Upcountry visitor Richard Schuhardt (Porsche 911 RSR) initially led Peter Jenkins’ Chevron and Richard Pott (Porsche 911 RSR) at the start of the first Historic Sports & GT race that ran with the IPC sportscars on Saturday, but all three were soon overcome by Cape veteran Francis Carruthers in his gold IPC Aquila-Corvette, but that modern sportscar ground to a halt to leave Schurhard to charge home first from Jenkins and Pott after Colin Ellison’s Chevron also came to a halt.

Richard de Roos (Porsche 911 RSR) ended fourth from Sun Moodley in his contemporary IPC Porsche 911 GT3, Historic Porsche 911 RSR duo Andre van der Merwe and Stefan Puschavez and Lotus pair Norman Witt and Sean Hurly sandwiching the slowed Ellison and Carruthers. Schuhardt then charged to a lights to flag race 2 win over the recovered Ellison as Witt overcame de Roos early on to end third with Sean Hurly and Stefan Puschavez next up after Pott and Moodley also hit trouble.

Richard Schuhardt also stormed to the Historic One Hour Endurance Race victory over namesakes de Roos and Pott and Stefan Puschavez in an upcountry Porsche 911 RSR 1-2-3-4 after Jenkins’ Chevron took an early shower from second. De Roos had fought back from a slow start, but there was no stopping Schurhart who led all the way except for the position shuffle around the mid-race pit stops to ultimately take a dominant two lap victory.

Local driver Christopher Radloff was the first Historic Saloon home in sixth in his Toyota Corona from HRSA Endurance expert Hubi Von Moltke (Mercedes-Benz 280E), Alfa Romeo duo Mario Rossi and Jan Jacobs and local lad Kyle Rose (Anglia). Local trio Andrew Karshagen (Capri), Quintin Lessing (Escort) and Johan van der Westhuizen/Gary Schultz (Renault), Jenkins’ Chevron, Andre van der Merwe (Porsche) and Brendan Smith (BMW 635i) hit trouble.

Universal Health Pre-80 & Border Historic Saloons
North Versus South Classic
The busy Historic Saloons races turned out to be a pair of North versus South derbies as Capri Perana men Darron Gudmanz and Damian Staffen fought it out for the lead ahead of Mike Forsyth (Cobra) in an all East London V8 spat. Class B saw local lad Alec Gudmanz (Capri) beating off visitor Daniel Lotter (Escort) and Christopher Radloff’s Toyota with Jozi visitor Mario Rossi’s Alfa Romeo GTV next up, while it was all local in Class C, where Matthew Gudmanz’ Mazda beat Quintin (Escort) and Graham Lessing (Cortina) and Gary Schultz (Escort).

Shane Fantham (Ford) had to fight off upcountry visitor Hubi Von Moltke (Merc 280) in Class D, with locals Bevan Schwartz and Andrew Karshagen (Capri) next up, while Jozi lad Sean Hepburn did the job in Class F, driving his Datsun to the win ahead of local lads Graeme Musto (Mercedes) and Kyle Rose (Anglia). Another local, Quintin Bates (Mini) took Class E, while Jozi visitors Jan Jacobs' Alfa Romeo beat Harm Beens Sr. (Escort) to Class G.

Race 2 went much the same up front as Gudmanz and Staffen fought it out ahead of Forsyth and upcountry visitor Colin Ellison’s Ford Thunderbolt, with another repeat result in Class B, except that Botha beat Rossi to fourth. Quintin Lessing held Donovan Collins, Graham Lessing and Gary Schultz off to take Class C as Fantham again beat von Moltke in Class D, Hepburn put one over Musto and Rose in F, Bates took Class E and Jacobs reversed roles over Beens in G.

Charlies SuperSpar Pursuit
Ice Cool Kola
Charlies Superspar Pursuit racing sees the slowest car starting first and the quickest last in a handicap charge to the flag and the intriguing visiting series attracted several local wildcards to the fray. Among the Border entries, Quintin Bates’s Mini and Graeme Musto (Mercedes-Benz) enjoyed a great tussle as they chased the visiting Rob Clark’s Citroen down in the opening race but Musto broke out after beating his ultimate lap time to see Trophy class driver Bates beat Fines winner Clark to the win.

Musto’s break-out exclusion left Gauteng Trophy driver Kola de Klerk (Nissan 300ZX) to come from the back to end up third, passing another visitor, Fines runner Henk de Klerk (Honda Civic) in the dying moments. Local driver Donovan Collins (Toyota) ended fifth from Pursuit regulars Werner Hartzenberg (Porsche 928S) and Harm Beens Sr. (Ford Escort) and two more locals, Johan van der Westhuizen (Renault R10) and Andrew Karshagen (Ford Capri).

Nadine von Moltke (Mercedes Benz 280E), Sean Hepburn (Datsun), Graham Lessing (Ford Cortina MK1) and Kyle Ross all joined Musto in exclusion after breaking out, but the race was stopped after Rob Clark rolled his Citroen, but was still classified second on the red flag count-back. Fines driver Henk de Klerk led the second race from the second lap, only to be passed by Trophy class duo Kola de Klerk and Werner Hartzenberg in the dying moments for a Gauteng 1-2-3.

So Henk de Klerk ended up third ahead of Collins, Beens and another upcountry entry, Nadine Von Moltke’s Mercedes after locals Graham Lessing, Kyle Rose, Quinton Bates, Graeme Musto, Johan van der Westhuizen and Andrew Karshagen were all eliminated after they broke out, leaving Henk de Klerk to take the Fine Class overall for the day ahead of Rob Clark, while Kola de Klerk took Trophy honours from Hartzenberg.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Historic Racing SA

What:Historic Racing SA Round 5 Report
Where:East London Grand Prix Circuit
When:Saturday 3 August 2019
Community:South Africa National

For further information please contact stewart@bmautogroup.co.za

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