Summarize

The PABAR VW Challenge moves on to its third round at Red Star Raceway outside Delmas in Southern Mpumalanga with the entire grid primed for extreme action on Saturday 11 May. The lads and ladies will be looking for a clean weekend among the mielies after delivering a thrilling first heat at Kyalami last time out, only for the second race to be canned following a frightening first lap accident. 

Positive news is that young Michael Zapheriou is now recovering well following that shunt and is expected to be released from hospital soon. Overall championship leader Michael will unfortunately have to watch this one from the sidelines as he recuperates. PABAR VW Challenge has closely investigated the accident and has amended its safety regulations to enforce full seatbelt harnesses in all cars from next race.

Getting back on track, the normally aspirated Class A versus turbocharged Class X fight resumes at Red Star with normally aspirated Class A brothers Wayne and Bevin Masters tied in the class lead in their respective Performance Masters and CPS Warehouse machines. Other Class A entries should include Dean Ross’ Norbrake car Miguel Dias’ Performance Masters Polo, MDS Consulting lad Mydi Mfana and PSA Africa lass Nicole Lombard. 

Their nemeses are of course the torquier turbo Class X Polo gang led at Kyalami by Rory Atkinson driving the Blue Belt Pozidrive Class X car that Chris Dale also took to victory in the Zwartkops season opener. The feisty Mike Barbaglia’s Class X PABAR Polo and Luigi Ferro’s Eco Simply Solar make up the Class X grid. How the turbo versus aspirated Challenge pans out on the twisty Delmas racetrack, remains to be seem. As they say, bring it on!

The closest PABAR VW Challenge so far this year is action as always fraught Class. Second man overall, national Astron Energy Polo Cup frontrunner Mo Karodia’s Fast 5 Polo sedan holds a slender two point title advantage over Durban Dubcorp lad Shiren Rajpaul, and relative newcomer Anthony Lessing’s Csol car in the second division chase. Another Class B competitor right in the early chase is Kyalami winner Stuart Mack’s turbo 3-cylinder litre Nathan's Polo.

The rest of his 2-litre normally aspirated rivals include Bond Gallery lass Charisse Piazza Musso, class champion Ethan Coetzee’s JRT Racing Experience Polo, the ever quick Fourbuy lad Stelio Nousias, and AF fans lady driver Tyler Robertson fresh off her maiden car racing win. Add Platinum Wheels driver Jacques Hayes, MLP brothers Adriaan and Martin de Beer, Eco Simply Solar racer Tinahe Ncube, Ross Campbell’s JRT Polo, and SuperHatch graduate Francis Aldrich’s VaporWorx version. Fast trio, Jesus Saves’ Francois van Zyl, Former C champion Ian Walker’s  Mellow Velo car and ARD man Dewald Theron are also keen to get their troubled season starts behind them.

With log leader Michael Zapheriou sidelined, the Class C Brat Pack will defer to a battle between 16-year old duo, Chris Tait’s GoPro and Judd Bertholdt’s Sizanzi Plastics Vivos, and older men, Goose Andy Gossman, Philip Croeser’s ATE car and JRT dad Mitch Coetzee. Brother Dimitri Zapheriou, Kyle, and Cody Petersen will fly the Insurisk Racing flag in Michael’s honour as they do battle with Rezcom driver Dino Smit, VMS lad Tyron Pillay, and Vishva Govender.

Red Star will be a different track on Saturday, having just completed its annual switch to clockwise rotation. Just in case there’s not enough intrigue already in the 2024, PABAR VW Challenge heads to its third round at the Mpumalanga Raceway. Sounds like a good enough reason to make a date of it and take the short trek to Delmas on 11 May.