Summarize

One of Cape Town’s favourite race series, the Burly Pro GTi Challenge explodes back into action at the Killarney International Raceway following a lengthy break since the previous round Saturday 8 June, with the focus split between the overall title chase and a close Class B battle. Runaway Class C leader Giordano Lupini tops the overall title chase too, nine points clear of Class A top gun Nian du Toit, with Class B leaders Marco Busi and Eden Thompson close behind in a close class fight.

Up front, du Toit (Paint Chemistry Jetta 3) has enjoyed a solid start to the season. He has benefited chief rivals, Polo Cup racers Jurie Swart Junior (Alpine Autohaus Polo Vivo 6R) and Jano van der Westhuizen (Wingfield/Universal Polo Vivo) hitting trouble in the early season, but when all three have raced, the dices have proven breathtaking, so Killarney race fans will be hoping for more of the same on Saturday.

Polo Vivo 6R trio Colin Nicholas Meder (International Tube Tech), Paulus Franken and Francois van Tonder (Universal Health), Christopher Swart (Village Paint & Hardware Jetta 2) and quick newcomer Mark Fontini (Medine/Kings/FAT Polo 2) are also all capable of running up front, so expect Class A fireworks at every turn.

Marco Busi (Automan Polo 2), who is understood to soon be moving back to Class A and Eden Thompson, who usually races his trusty white Golf 1 GTi, but has recently been seen testing a Jetta 2, are on top of the Class B chase. Wildcard Zaki Hendricks in a newly liveried WheelWorx Polo Classic, who missed the last meeting and Gideon Serfontein (Goeie Hoop Golf 2) who missed the second race day, will both be back in B action.

Mario Roux (Automar Jetta 2) is always in the thick of it and Marc Thompson (Polo Classic), Wayne Field (Coetzee’s Coach Jetta 2) and Emile Assure (Burly Pro Polo Vivo 6) and Ashley van Niekerk (Polo 2) who returns to Challenge after 4 years away, are there to pick up the Class B pieces.

Overall championship leader Giordano Lupini will have a newly liveried CIR/La Vie de Luc/Accelerate 102 Golf 1 out on Saturday as he seeks to continue dominating the all-Golf 1 GTi Class C as he has so far this season, but his races have all proved a challenge as he tends to become caught up in the Class B fight. That slows his progress to allow his class rivals to catch up and enabled Brett Roach (Mutual Valet) to steal a win off Lupini last time out, so expect this dice to continue on Saturday.

Jarred Simpson (Greenz Plumbing/Cape Refractory) sits second in the C title chase with rookie kart graduate Jason Coetzee third off a most impressive first few races marred by a startline incident last time out. Alfie van Zyl, Paul Winter (No Wind) and Ian Kapp are next up in Class C, while Kyle Wiltshire, Daniel Munna (Ivor Smith Electrical) and Steven Vermaak (Ray’s Towing) are all improving every time out, so expect the Brat Pack to thrill as always throughout Saturday’s races.

The Burly Pro GTi Challenge forms part of a bumper action-packed Killarney Wingfield Power Series raceday Saturday 8 June -  racing starts mid-morning, so make sure to be there early so as not to miss the action.