Summarize

Lee Thompson Racing returns home from Port Elizabeth with plenty to be happy about following a tough but rewarding weekend at the Aldo Scribante Racetrack on Saturday after team rookie Delon Thompson delivered a star performance in the Engen Polo Cup and Charl Smallberger dazzled on Sasol GTC2 until an unfortunate exit from race 2.

Polo Cup rookie Delon Thompson delivered another brilliant performance, mastering the treacherous conditions to make it into Polo Cup Superpole, but he was unlucky when it rained hard for his stint. Still, he was happy to put his LTR Polo sixth on the grid before powering to seventh and fourth Junior in the opening race, before coming home a brilliant fourth on the road and second Junior home to end sixth overall third in Juniors for the day.

“Today was really promising,” Delon admitted. “Sadly the conditions were terrible for my run in Superpole and that did not play in our favour and then I drew sixth for the second heat. “We had some good pace in the races, which were good enough for a top 3 in Juniors for the day, so huge thanks to a great car from Lee — now I’m feeling confident ahead of my return to Zwartkops next month!

Charl Smalberger thoroughly enjoyed his wet race weekend, qualifying his privateer Sabertek LTR Golf GTI a fine second on the grid ahead of most of the factory entries before racing to third behind the Minis in race 1 and was running well in the second race when he ended up in Port Elizabeth’s infamous pre-cast wall. “We had a very good weekend,” Charl reported. “We were quick in the wet and the dry on Friday and I put it second on the grid —my last lap was great and the car felt good once we finally got heat in the tyres.

“I had a great start to lead and then I pulled away with the two Minis, but I defended where I maybe should not have and went wide to let them through so ended up third, which was good. “Race 2 was wet, but I fluffed the start and ended up at the back and had to fight back — the car was great and I fought back though, making a move around two cars to move into third. “Then I struggled to pass Keagan Masters and eventually made a silly move into the last corner, hit a puddle and found myself in the wall. “Happily the pace is there and we are ready to make it happen - maybe at home at Zwartkops?”  

Mauritian gentleman racer Simon Need qualified his Photonics LTR Polo fifteenth in the Engen VW Cup race and ended 16th in the first race before retiring from the second heat. “Conditions this weekend were really trying,” Simon explained. “Unfortunately the second heat continued my run of second heat bad luck - let’s hope we can stem that tide at Zwartkops next time out.”

“In all a pretty positive weekend chasing podiums and great results,” Lee Thompson concluded. “Delon is really driving well, Charl had a great weekend despite a small mistake with big consequences and Simon had a pretty tough weekend, but we will get there. “Now for our home race at Zwartkops next — we are all really looking forward to that one!”