Summarize

It’s all to play for as Historic Racing South Africa's 2021 championship season culminates at Red Star Raceway this Saturday 27 November. And while some top names were glaringly evident by their absence on the entry list as we wrote, the championship table suggests a fuller field will assemble, come qualifying at the Delmas racetrack Saturday morning and all three of HRSA's Pre 90 GTs and Pre-80 Saloons, as well as the Charlies Super Spar Pursuit series.

Peter Bailey’s dominant Class B GT Bailey Cars Porsche RSR is among the cars most conspicuously missing from the list. Bailey may be unbeatable in class, but his overall crown is not at all safe. Liqui-Moly man George Avvakoumides’ similar Class RSR car is a couple of points adrift overall, and he’s long written in to race on Saturday. Bailey also has Steve Pickering’s Class F Porsche 914 within overall striking distance and Stefan Puschavez and Andre van der Merwe’s RSRs entered.

The  Pre-80 Saloon cars top 3 are all very much entered for Red Star. Class F lad Sean Hepburn is hell-bent on adding another overall HRSA title to his portfolio aboard his AA Datsun 1200 Deluxe. But he certainly won’t have it all his own way at Red Star. He has Class C man Deon van Vuuren’s Hoosier Mazda R100 snapping at his heels, just two points adrift. And Class E and D leaders, Riaan Roux and Stuart Konig's VW Sciroccos poised to pick up any pieces.

Also in the overall top ten, Class G duo Cam McLeod's Mercedes and Harm Beens Ford Escort are tied on points in 8th, both of whom were still to enter. Looking at the classes, Deon van Vuuren will have his hands full with both Johann Smith’s JMS Mazda Capella RS and Jannie van Rooyen’s VW Scirocco to deal with in C. While Stuart Konig has veteran Mike O’Sullivan’s rumbling Chevy SS to deal with in Class D.

Riaan  Roux is another driver with a number of class rivals to contend with in Class E, including brother Jaco’s similar Scirocco, Daniel Lotter’s Escort and Tony and Gavin Lundin’s Datsuns. Andries Draper and his Escort were Sean Hepburn’s only foe in Class F at the time of writing, but Draper beat him last race, so it’s all eyes on the championship leader. And Jan Jacobs’ leading Oliphantsfontein Alfa GT Junior only has Rob van Aarle’s Datsun to deal with in Class G. 

Moving on to the handicap Charlies Super Spar Pursuit series, Wynand du Plessis Senior has already clinched both the overall and modified Fine titles in his Porsche 944 S2. So, while he perhaps understandably remained absent from the entry list, some of his closest rivals are conspicuous by their absence. Second man Werner Hartzenberg and his aircooled wonders Porsche 916 and Bert van Aarle’s Fines class Mazda MX5 F were not entered, but expect that to change.

Especially considering Modified Fines duo, fourth man Riaan Roux’s VW Scirocco and Willem van Niekerk’s fifth placed Marauder are both well within striking distance of those second and third spots.  And both have entered. Also expect Michelle Smith’s Skyline, Clive Winterstein’s Porsche 356, Tihan van Rooyen and Heinrich Norton's Porsche 924s, Rob van Aarle’s Datsun and Gerrit Murray’s Alfa Romeo GTV to be right amongst that wild Charlie’s overtaking action.

The wonderful Red Star Raceway facility is close enough to make for a most pleasant Saturday’s spectating outing from Gauteng. Find the track just off Exit 485 on the N12 Witbank freeway.