Summarize

KC Ensor Smith and Jagger Robertson may have come a little too close for comfort as they shared the National Investchem Formula 1600 championship wins at the East London Grand Prix Circuit on Saturday. But Robertson did enough to close his title deficit down to just a couple of points with four races still to run in 2024.

With regular frontrunners Jason Coetzee opting to chase his Gauteng DD2 karting title up in Jozi, and Nicholas van Weely absent from East London, it was Robertson who powered to a mighty pole position in his yellow Liqui Moly Sparco Mygale from rival Ensor Smith African Heating Mygale. Siya Mankonkwana’s Investchem machine lined up third from Alex Vos’ DV Building Supplies version.

Production X entry Shrien Naidoo occupied the inside of the third row ahead of NBR rookie Mikel Bezuidenhout, Storm Lanfear in his Mantellis Mygale and another first year racer, Renzo Ribeiro‘s Metal Used machine. KMFT Morita lad Karabo Malemela hit problems and failed to set a lap so he’d start from the back.

The Investchem Formula 1600 pack then paid wonderful tribute to Whitney Straight’s Maserati winning the first ever South African Grand Prix at East London 90 years ago in 1934. Lapping quicker than Jim Clark did to win the ’64 GP and F1 World Championship there 60 years ago, KC Ensor Smith took a couple of laps to make his move on the quick starting Robertson and take the win and consolidate his title advantage. 

Siya Mankonkwana drove a consistent race to third from Karabo Malemela in the drive of the day from the back. Alex Vos followed from Shrien Naidoo, Storm Lanfear, Mikel Bezuidenhout and Renzo Ribeiro. Jagger Robertson was back on pole position from KC Ensor-Smith, Siyabonga Mankonkwana and Alex Vos, as the second race got going at a frenetic pace.

Robertson and Smith, dicing furiously for the lead, made contact early on, sending KC spinning wildly into the final turn infield at Beacon. Shaken but not stirred, Jagger continued to win as KC fought back to fourth to minimise the title damage. It was deemed a racing incident. So Mankonkwana ended second from Vos, KC, Naidoo, Bezuidenhout, Lanfear and Ribeiro after Malemela found late trouble.

So Jagger Robertson took the day as he also closed the title gap on KC Ensor Smith after a brief meeting with the Clerk of the Course to discuss their contretemps. Siya Mankonkwana ended third overall from Alex Vos and Shrien Naidoo. The upshot of all of that is that Jagger Robertson now trails KC Ensor Smith by a couple of points, with four heats left to race in 2024.

It’s off to Killarney next for the Investchem Formula 1600 championship’s penultimate ever round at the Cape Town Extreme Festival on Saturday 21 September. Before the series morphs into the all-new Investchem MSA4 championship for 2025. See you at Killarney!