Summarize

Sixteen year old Giordano Lupini emerged Driver of the Day at Killarney’s 12 November Power Series after taking two pole positions, setting the fastest lap and driving to a dominant maiden victory in Class C of Saturday’s Bold Marine WP GTI Challenge as the rookie put in an exceptional showing to power his Monroe Racing RSA Bakkie & Car magazine Golf 1 GTi to a lights to flag victory in race 2.

“The weekend stared well with my first two pole positions on the big track,” the former karter, who has progressed strongly through his first year on the main circuit explained. “I fluffed the start of the first race and then got involved in a huge four car-spat for the lead, but the passing traffic wasn’t kind to me and I ended up fourth — four-tenths of a second behind winner Jarred Simpson in a group of four cars with Jarred and my MRD teammates Bryan Morgan and Dillon Joubert.

“I made no mistakes in race two — that was the best start I ever had and I found myself close to the front of Class B; from there I just paced it home and made sure that every time a Class B guy passed me, it wasin the right place so I never lost any time. "From there it was just a matter of driving it home.

 “What a wonderful day — we won at Kyalami a few weeks ago and now this! “Congratulations to Brian Morgan on winning the overall GTi Challenge championship today and to the other winners and my rivals, but I have a lot of people to thank — my dad especially — this is the seventh year of our racing adventure it has not always been easy, but he’s believed in me and known I had it in me all the way, so it has been great to deliver these results,” fourth-generation racer Giordano concluded. 

“Also huge thanks to Brian Maunder, Nian du Toit and the team at MRD for turning my car into a real race winner; to everyone who has contributed to the last year in Challenge, to my sponsors Monroe Racing RSA, Bakkie & Car magazine, La Vie de Luc mineral water, CIR Construction, acciDent Guru, Bob-Ric Motors and Fuchs Lubricants; my mom and sister and the rest of my family and friends for all your support — this is turning into a special year after all!”

Franschhoek Bridge House School student Giordano now takes a break from racing to write his Grade 10 exams before returning for the GTI Challenge finale at Killarney 3 December.