Summarize

Killarney race fans know all about API Property GTi Challenge racing, but the Northern Regions Tour will deliver a completely different Challenge when it visits the Cape Town International Raceway on Saturday 10 August. A totally separate series, the PABAR VW Challenge runs to surprisingly similar rules set to the local series, so it should prove most interesting for Cape fans to follow, with the entire PABAR field quite literally locked, loaded and heading to Killarney.

Best of all is that a gang of Western Province API Property GTi Challenge cars are lying in wait to ambush the visiting grid, and ready to make it into a true North Versus South Challenge. The local entries are yet to be confirmed, but one should expect the cream of the Cape crop to be ready and waiting for their upcountry visitors. There are subtle differences between the PABAR VW Challenge and the Cape GTi Challenge, which should make the weekend all the more interesting. 

The local series is for instance controlled by the dynamometer and scales to keep cars within a tight power to weight specification. The visiting cars instead comply to a formal set of components in all cars. But the results are subtly different. The cars all even race on the same Dunlop tyres, but some of the upcountry technical rules do differ. They are for instance allowed performance balanced downsize turbo VW engines. They can also replace door class with Perspex, while subtle nuances include rev limits and gear ratios. The outcome is however shockingly similar. So the Cape faithful no doubt will be out to cheer their favourites come Saturday!

Those local fans will however have to get used to a completely new Gauteng Challenge cast on. The PABAR classes A and X – A for Aspirated and X for Turbo – run together. Now there’s a Challenge all on its own. The normally aspirated cars are bound to be far faster at sea level with so much more oxygen in the air, the force-fed turbo cars not so much. Which means a likely shake-up up front as siblings Bevin and his CPS Warehouse Polo 6R takes on Wayne Masters’ Performance Masters version defend their title advantage. 

Add X man Luigi Ferro’s Ferro Energia Polo turbo, Miguel Dias’ Performance Masters Polo, MDS Consulting lad Mydi Mfana, PSA Africa lass Nicole Lombard, and young Dean Ross’ Norbrake car. Bjorn Berthold also takes a big step up to Class A in his Sizani version. They will have more than just a little local wildcard interference. Exactly whom was still to be confirmed, but likely to include GTi frontrunners Jurie Swart, Marco Busi, Nathan Victor, Schalk Geldenhuys and Dillon Joubert, among others. Light blue touch paper. Stand back five paces!

Moving on to PABAR VW Challenge Class B, the big question is whether leader Stuart Mack’s turbo 3-cylinder litre Nathan's Polo will contend with the rest of the class’s twice the size 2-litres having a 17 percent power bonus down in the rich Cape air. Durban Dubcorp lad Shiren Rajpaul, Mo Karodia’s Fast 5 Polo sedan and JRT Racing Experience reigning champion Ethan Coetzee, fresh off a maiden double Astron Energy Polo Cup victory will be among the most interested to figure that one out!

Also keep an eye on two-wheel convert Anthony Lessing’s Csol car, former C champion Ian Walker, and one-time Cape regular Dewald Theron’s ARD car. Fourbuy driver Stelio Nousias, Platinum Wheels man Jacques Hayes, Coating Techniques lad Josh Wilford, Eco Simply Solar racer Tinahe Ncube, Chris Davison and Francis Aldrich’s VaporWorx are all worth an outside bet. Now add Cape B frontrunners the likes of Ryan van Eden, Zaki Hendricks, Kyle Wiltshire, Shane Williams, Brett Roach, Mohammed Khalfey and Raaziegh Harris, and we have interprovincial Volkswagen warfare. Bring it on!

And then we have the PABAR Class C Brat Pack. Where it’s become a battle between the exuberance of youth, and the advantage of experience among the Gauteng lot. Right now, the youngsters have a tiny advantage with16-year old Chris Tait’s GoPro and old man Andy Gossman Goose Motorsport Vivos split by just a handful of points up front. Philip Croeser’s ATE Vivo and JRT dad Mitch Coetzee are in the silver-backed corner, with the youth further represented by Judd Bertholdt’s Sizanzi Plastics, and Dimitri Zapheriou, and brothers Kyle and Cody Petersen’s Insurisk cars.

The Cape cars will race as invitational entries and will not score points in the PABAR championship. The local Class A and B cars may also be required to carry extra ballast to balance performance for the weekend.

Part of the flavour of the weekend is to evaluate a plausible future North Versus South format for Gauteng PABAR VW, and API Property Cape GTi Challenge racing. Now that would be something special. In the meantime, all will race together at Killarney on Saturday, with the PABAR VW Challenge counting toward their own championship, and the locals there for the sport this time around. Car Wars indeed. See you at Killarney Saturday 10 August!