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Ford & Friends returns with Regional Festival

One of South Africa’s most popular annual motorsport happenings, the Ford & Friends raceday returns to deliver Gauteng fans an epic, action packed attraction as part of Zwartkops 13 August Regional Festival races.

Ford & Friends has never had a fixed home as it toured the country over the years and the next stop will be a most popular one as it is part of a regular, popular Gauteng Regional Festival raceday. Fans don’t only have the Pabar VW Challenge, Lotus Challenge, Car Care Clinic 111 and Superhatch, SilverCup, On Track Clubmans and NSCC and Liqui Moly INEX Legends to look forward to, but some great historic races and attractions too.

So, Ford & Friends adds a cool classic component to warm the already hot winter’s Highveld raceday even further. That will include Marlboro Crane Hire Historic Sports, GT and Touring Car races comprising several classes in a true historic 9 Hour spectacle. Which means Ford GT40s, Lola T70s, AC Cobras, Shelby Daytona Coupe sports racing cars taking on sports racing exotica the likes of Chevron B19s and B8s, and a fleet of Porsche RSRs. 

In typical ‘sixties and ‘70s SA endurance race fashion, fans can expect some special SA made Darts, Protea and Marauders in the mix, and don’t forget to add a fleet of Ford Lotus Cortinas, Anglias and Corsairs. They will do their best to fend off all sorts of Alfa Romeos, various Volvos and Renaults, a fleet of Mini Coopers and more. That’s what Ford & Friends is all about!

But that’s not all. A pair of multi-class Ben Morgenrood and Willie Hepburn Trophy V8 Touring Car races will see top contemporary SA race drivers out in monsters of the past. Many will of course be Fords – Galaxies, Fairlane Thunderbolts, Mercurys and more. Up against, Studebakers, a Chevy Nova and Plymouth Barracuda. Never mind Trans Am Chevy Camaros, Ford Mustangs and others. The Ford & Friends action also includes Checkered Flag Museum Legends parade laps and a Classic WesBank Saloons demonstration. 

Moving on to the regular Regional Festival action, expect mirrors and door handles to fly as ever in the Pabar VW Challenge Classes A and C will race apart from Class B. Why? Well, there are too many entries for them to all race together. Rory Atkinson is the man to beat in Class A, where Wayne Masters and Stiaan Kriel will be out to get him, as will Waldie Meintjies, Bevin Masters Derick Smalberger and Sam and Chris Dale. 

Racing  on their own, Hannes Scheepers is the Class B man to beat and has fast ladies, Charisse van der Merwe and Elna Croeser, and gentlemen Francois van Zyl, Ethan Coetzee, Dominic Dias, Stuart Mack, among his many rivals. And giving fans a bonus second race behind Class A, expect Ian Walker, Pierluigi Muzzulini, Dino Smit and others to entertain as ever, in Class C.

Jeffrey Kruger’s Birkin and Thomas Falkiner in a Taylon are the form men in Lotus Challenge with Mackie Adlem, Rudi Barnard, JP Nortje, David Coetzee, and Sean Hewitt to deal with. Sean Hepburn, Ben Knights, Andre du Plessis and Nick Hodgson are the drivers to beat in the well, lower cost Locost class.

One can rely on the Car Care Clinic Superhatch brigade to deliver their regular splendid show. Jonathan du Toit's Civic takes on Karel Stolts’ Etios, Andre Dannhauser’s Corsa and Louis Scholtz’ Civic, among others in exciting Class A. Nic Martin’s Peugeot 207 has Melanie Spurr’s Polo and Donavan le Roux's Civic to deal with in Class B and expect championship leader Francis Aldrich’s Corsa and Tony Hyams’ Fiesta to fight it out in Class C. 

The INEX Legends will also descend on the Zwartkops Extreme Festival. A Racing Family Robertson affair there, Devin takes on Jagger and Tyler. They race against the likes of Gerhard Roux, Mika Abrahams and Ian Upton. Silver Cup is almost as old as Zwartkops itself and always entertains. Spaceframe leader Marius Jacobs’ Tigra takes on Cyril Jacobs’ Corrado and Evert Seyffert Jr’s RX8. Add championship leader Marthinus Viljoen’s Class C Golf D man Karel Stols’ Etios, Freek Blignaut’s cool B Mazda 323 among the chasing pack.

On The Track Magazine Clubmans races with the National Sportscars, where Deon du Plessis' nimble KTM is the car to beat, with Mark du Toit’s thundering TAR Lola T70 Spyder, Klippies Krige and Norman Witt's Lotus 7s in pursuit. Dirk Lawrence and Rodney Kruis Ballades lead the Clubmans title chase among another eclectic field of cars. Like Eugene Gouws’ thundering Chev Firenza V8, Louis Cloete’s quick Beetle and Anton Bitzer’s Mazda RX7 among a fleet of other Hondas, Volkswagens. And of course, friendly Fords.

Adrian Dalton’s nimble Golf arrives at Zwartkops leading the Car Care Clinic 111 title chase. But Wouter Roos and Louis Scholtz’s Golfs and Bob Neill’s Honda should be the top class cars to beat. Also keep an eye out for Phillip Meyer and Chris Smit’s Porsche and title contenders Elton Fuchs’ Golf Ronald van Rensburg, and Yorrick Smith’s Mazda MX5 to entertain.

The Ford & Friends Regional Festival Raceday promises a great day of family entertainment at Zwartkops. Log on to www.zwartkops.co.za for ticket and all other details.


ENDS

Issued on behalf of Zwartkops Raceway

What:Ford & Friends Extreme Festival Preview
Where:Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria
When:Saturday 13 August 2022
Community:Gauteng Regional

For further information please contact info@zwartkops.co.za

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