Summarize

A wet morning greeted Port Elizabeth race fans to the Aldo Scribante Racetrack’s second round Eastern Province regional championship race day before the track delivered consistently changeable conditions to stir most classes up for some unexpected results. 

 

Aldo Scribante made best of a damp track to put his Audi S4 on pole position for the EP Regional Saloons, ahead of brother Silvio and Nick Davidson’s similar cars, but the track was even slicker for the opening race. That did not prevent Aldo from taking a nail-biting race win from the impressive Duncan Lethbridge (Audi TT) and Silvio Scribante, that trio within a second at the flag. Deon Slabbert took his VW Polo to Class B honours in fourth ahead of Class D winner Stephan Aucamp’s BMW, while Marais Ellis was best of the Class B runners in his BMW, Daniel Bright took Class E and Wickus Basson Class F.

It was however all change in another slippery second race when Nick Davidson, who had spun off early in race 1 and could not restart his Audi, struck back coming from behind on dry tyres to take the second race from Class B winner Deon Slabbert as the track dried. Aldo and Silvio Scribante, whose gamble on wet tyres instead went the wrong way, hung on to third and fourth from Class C winner Rufus Neethling’s BMW as Ellis once again took Class C, Ian Roberts (VW Golf) was the best of the Class D runners, while Bright and Basson repeated their Classes E and F wins, respectively.

The track was at its best for Race 3 as Silvio Scribante made it three winners out of three races over Davidson and the consistent Class B winner Slabbert, Lethbridge and Neethling's Class C winning BMW, while Aucamp was back in front of Class D as Bright and Basson did the Class E and F triple. Overall, Silvio only just prevented Class B man Slabbert from taking a shock overall win, with Lethbridge third ahead of Class C winner Ellis, while Class E winner Bright took a fine seventh overall ahead of Class D winner Aucamp and Basson made Class F his own.

It was a case of Otto domination on two wheels as 600 rider Ricardo (Yamaha) beat his most impressive sister Zante Otto (Yamaha 300) to the opening motorcycle race win. Jessica Howden (Yamaha) made it a splendid ladies double on the overall podium and a ladies 300cc 1-2, while Ivor Vermaak (Yamaha 600) ended fourth overall from 400 winner Chad Bilsbury (Honda) and top the top historics machine, Master rider Malcolm Burrows’ Suzuki.

A dry circuit greeted race 2 as Ricardo Otto stormed to his second win from Vermaak, Regardt Koen (Yamaha 600), 400 winner Bilsbury, 300 winner Zante Otto and top Historics rider Ray Wood (Honda), before Ricardo did the triple in race 3 ahead of Vermaak, Koen, Bilsbury, Zante and Wood. Ricardo took the day overall from Vermaak and Zante in a stunning third en route to 300 honours, 400 winner Bilsbury, Jessica Howden and Historics winner Burrows.

Deon Gouws drove his Opel Kadett GTE to win a damp opening AMSC Coastal Challenge Historic race from Rane Berry's Datsun Skyline, Tony Lindeque (VW Jetta), Darryn Vice (Ford Anglia), Shaun Rudolph (Ford Escort) and Andrew Greenland’s Alfasud. The track had dried up by race 2, which conditions better suited Rudolph, who outpaced Gouws, Berry, Vice, Anton Ehlers (Ford Escort) and Lindeque. Race 3 delivered the same top three, as Rudolph took the day overall from Gouws, Berry, Vice, Ehlers and Lindeque.

Brent Watts took a wet opening Street and Fine Car race from Riaan van Huyssteen, Tom Hugo (Nissan 370Z), Francois Wium (BMW) and Neil Stephen (Datsun Skyline), before veteran and former Group N star Stephen turned the tables to take a dry second race from Hugo, Wium, van Huysteen and Watts. Watts then repeated the back to front trend to take the final from Stephen, Wium and Huysteen as the consistent Wium took the day from Stephen, van Huysteen and Watts.

Gordon Nicholson had to use all of his Nissan GT-R’s grip to keep Kean Barnard’s lightweight Lotus 7 behind and take the wet first Sports & GT opener with Syd Lippstreu third in his Celica ahead of Patrick Hanly in another Seven. Nicholson repeated the feat over Barnard in a dry second race, with Hanly third, before Nicholson once again narrowly defeated Barnard in the final, with Hanly third.

Aldo Scribante’s circuit racers now take a break until the pre-Easter Saturday 13 April weekend — worth a visit indeed.