Summarize

Pepper Racing heads to Killarney with two new drivers among its four-car team for the start of the 2017 Engen Volkswagen Polo Cup championship. The team’s two Durban drivers — 2016 Polo Cup Masters champion and Pepper Racing stalwart Shaun La Réserveé and young Daniel Duminy continue this year, while Edenvale lass Tasmin Pepper returns to the Polo fold and Franschhoek lightie Giordano Lupini lines up for his Polo Cup debut in Cape Town 25 March.

La Réserveé is the highest-placed of the 2017 Polo Cup drivers to return to the series this year and the Alpine Motors Pepper Racing star starts among the favourites. “I am really excited about the new season,” Shaun admitted. “We did a shakedown last week and the car felt really, really good, so now we have to see where we are versus our rivals come qualifying on Friday.

“I'm also very happy that Tasmin is back in the team with me, so it’s not one against five anymore and we will have more of a level playing field again this year. “I also have a good relationship with Killarney so let’s hope that can continue, but it’s been a very long off-season, so I can’t wait to get in the car and give it a bash!”

Tasmin Pepper returns to Polo Cup following a year’s sabbatical while she competed in the regional Volkswagen Challenge and she cannot wait to return to the fray in her Pepper Racing Campos Transport/Pepson Plastics Alpine VW Polo. “I'm looking forward being back in the Polo Cup field,,” Tasmin smiled.  "We start the season at my favorite track, so podium finishes would be a good, but I need to extend a huge thank you to Shane and my dad for getting the car sorted — we're ready to go racing!”

Daniel Duminy is another driver who cannot bear the wait to get back to racing in his SMD Pepper Racing Polo. “Yes — it’s that time of the year at last, but this time we start in Cape Town,” Daniel, who flies straight from Monday’s Senior Max karting national to Killarney pointed out. “I’m looking so forward to this weekend — I’ve had one practice session in the car this year, and I was on pace, which I am very very happy with and we've been working very hard as A team so I hope my results will prove that.”

Like Duminy, Pepper Racing team rookie Giordano Lupini is only 16 years old, but he’s an unknown quantity when it comes to the Engen Volkswagen Cup. Lupini steps up from the Western Cape GTi Challenge, where he showed winning pace last season. 

“I'm really looking forward to my first Polo Cup race,” Giordano admitted. “We’ve tested over the past weeks and I’m comfortable with the car, so I’d say I’m ready to race. “I have a lot to learn, but it’s a huge plus to have so much experience around me and I’m delighted to be part of Pepper Racing’s 2017 line-up. "I can’t wait to race — Killarney cannot come soon enough!” 

“We are looking forward to an exciting season with a four-car team this year,” team boss Iain Pepper explained. “Shaun and Tasmin are ready to chase for wins and we have two exciting youngsters in Daniel and Giordano. “We have always run well at Killarney, so let’s hope this year will be no different. “See you in Cape Town!”