Summarize

Pott, Green & Clark take HRSA honours

Historic Racing South Africa converged on the Red Star raceway near Delmas on Saturday for a crack at that ambidextrous circuit in an anti-clock wise direction for its second round races on Saturday, where HRSA members were treated to a great day's racing from the series’ travelling Historic City.  

Richard Pott put his HRSA Pre-90 Porsche 911 RSR on pole position for the combined race with quickest of the Universal Healthcare HRSA Pre-81  Historic Saloons runners Johann Smith (Mazda Capella) alongside him on the grid. VW Scirocco duo Stuart Konig and Andre ten Napel were quickest in Classes D and E, while Sean Hepburn (Datsun 1200 Deluxe) topped Class F and Kobus Brits (Datsun SSS) Class G.

Pott made off up front when the lights turned green and raced off to the win, but there was an almighty spat behind, initially headed by George Avvakoumides in another 911 RSR, Smith, Konig, Jannie van Rooyen in another Class C Scirocco and Alan Green’s ex-Peter Gough Meissner Escort, with all of the above taking turns in second and third overall through the race. Both Sciroccos however stopped along the way leaving Smith to fend off Avvakoumides and Alan Green, while Rene van Rensburg (Class D Escort) and Class E winner Andre ten Napel (Scirocco) watched the action unfold ahead of them.

Class E runners Ian Kilburn (Datsun GX Coupe) and Fred Konig (Scirocco) and the delayed Andre van der Merwe’s Sports & GT Porsche were next up with another E runner Riaan Roux (Scirocco) rounding off the top ten. Behind him there were a few class break-outs and Sean Hepburn kept ahead of an interesting Class E rival Cindy Evans-Finney (Renault R8), leaving Jaco Roux (Scirocco) to take Class F from Kobus Brits (Datsun SSS) and Hubi von Moltke’s Mercedes, while Jan Jacobs (Alfa Junior) beat Riaan de Ru (Ford Prefect) to Class G.

Richard Pott made off once again in race 2, leaving Johann Smith leading the chase, but the Mazda stopped to allow Class C winner Stuart Konig up to second ahead of Jannie van Rooyen. George Avvakoumides had to deal with Class D winner Alan Green to claim fourth with Class E winner Ten Napel next up from van der Merwe and second in E Kilburn, Fred Konig and Hepburn, who overcame Riaan Roux. Evans-Finney followed ahead of Class F winner Brits, Jaco Roux, Class G victor Jacobs and de Ru after Rene van Rensburg stopped at mid distance.

Overall, Class B man Pott beat Class C runner Avvakoumides to Sports & GT honours while consistent Class C man Green took overall Universal Pre-’81 Saloon honours from Class E men ten Napel and Kilburn, Brits took Class F, Jacobs Class G and Konig got the furthest of the Class C trio.

The opening Charlies Superspar Pursuit Series handicap race saw Rob Clark keep his early season form intact as he started first and kept the charging field at bay to win in his trusty Citroen GS 1220 Club. Henk de Klerk, Fines class rival was second in his Datsun 280ZX ahead of Trophy duo William Kelley (MG B) and reigning Pursuit champion Werner Hartzenberg (Porsche 916), Mercedes trio, Fines driver Andre Hattingh, Trophy man Jose Vasques and Richard Tudor-Owen (Fines) and Kobus Brits (Trophy Datsun SSS). 

Riaan Roux (Trophy VW Scirocco) rounded off the top ten ahead of Machiel Oberholzer (Fines Mercedes), Fines ladies Lauren van Aarle (Ford Escort), Michelle Smith (Nissan Skyline) and Althea Pretorius (Nissan Exa), Stan Stacey (Trophy Alfa GTV6) and Brad Schafer (Fines Porsche 944). Fines pair Wynand du Plessis Sr. (Porsche 944) and Bert van Aarle (Lotus Elite) and Trophy trio Tihan van Rooyen (Porsche 924), Willem van Niekerk (Marauder)and Clive Winterstein (Porsche 356A) all broke out of their time brackets and were not classified.

There was no such trouble for Winterstein in race 2 as he was the only one to catch and pass Rob Clark to take the second heat win, while Bert van Aarle and Wynand du Plessis Sr also both escaped breaking out to come home third and fourth ahead of Oberholzer, Venter, de Klerk, Roux, Tudor-Owen and Willem van Niekerk’s Marauder in tenth. Stan Stacey was next up from the ladies Pretorius, Smith and van Aarle together again, Hartzenberg, Brits, Kelley, Schafer and Tihan van Rooyen, while it was Tihan van Rooyen, Vasques and Hattingh Mercedes Benz 190E’s turn to break out.

All of which meant that Rob Clark drove his Citroen to overall honours for the second race meeting in a row from Pursuit veterans Henk de Klerk, Frans Venter, Machiel Oberholzer and Richard Tudor-Owen in another dominant display for the classic street Fine Car class. Racecar class Trophy racers Werner Hartzenberg, William Kelley (MG B), Clive Winterstein and Bert van Aarle were next up while Trophy man Kobus Brits rounded out the top ten.

The next round of the Historic Racing South Africa championships goes down at the Phakisa Raceway in Welkom in the Free State Saturday 25 April.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Historic Racing SA

What:Historic Racing SA Round 2 Report
Where:Red Star Raceway, Delmas
When:Saturday 7 March 2020
Community:Gauteng Regional

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

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