Summarize

Jurie Swart was thrilled to wrap up his maiden overall 2022 Alert Engine Parts GTi Challenge championship at Killarney on Saturday. Swart, who has now four times won the Class A GTi title, took this first overall championship following a season-long spat with Class B and C rivals, Tate Bishop, and Chase Herholdt.

 

“I am delighted to finally have won the overall GTi Challenge championship,” Jurie admitted. “It’s been a long slog, and we have now won the Class A title four times, so the overall title is a big one for us.

 

“We had a very good Challenge year. “It’s a pity that some of our quicker Class A rivals never raced every round, or I’d have had to work a bit harder to pull it off! “It was great to fight Tate and Chase for the overall title though. “That’s quite different to fighting each other on the same piece of tarmac!

 

“Our regional success also makes up for a tough and disappointing national season. “The Alert Engine Parts GTi Challenge is such a well-run series. “We are free to work on our cars, dyno tune our own engines and ECUs, and to fix problems quickly and effectively when they come up on the car.

 

“GTi Challenge is very well controlled. “It works on a power to weight basis and uses the scales and the dynamometer to balance performance. “It has a solid and well thought out and applied set of rules, and an invested interested, and honest committee running the show. “Best of all is that they’re brave enough to allow us to control our own destiny!

 

“Which is why it’s so refreshing to come home to race at Killarney. “Here we know that the best car and driver combinations will win this championship. “There are some national series that can learn so much from these guys!

 

“Special thanks to my Summit Racing team –  it was an honour to race with you guys this year, and to Andrew ‘Gozzi’ Goslett, my dad and everyone who played a part. “It’s been a while in coming but here we are, overall GTi Challenge Champions and that feels so good!”