Summarize

While conditions were to say the least, challenging at Killarney on Saturday, the visiting Gauteng Regions PABAR VW Challenge and a few local guest drivers delivered more than their fair share of drama, incidents, accidents and action to thrill an enthusiastic brave crowd that braved the typically stormy Cape winter conditions.

The Cape API Property GTi Challenge contingent topped the results sheets with some robust racing as expected. So while local heroes Nathan Victor and Jurie Swart took the honours in a dramatic couple of races, it was Bevin and Wayne Masters who took the lion’s share of Class A championship points back home to Jozi. Cape drivers also topped Class B, as Nur Abass and Razleigh Harris won the races, while Stuart Mack took the opening PABAR win and Dewald Theron shocked to take a sodden race 2 win. Young Christopher Tait took a Class C double, but the drive of the day there came from come from behind old man Andy Gossman in second.

In a day that could very well shape the future of Challenge racing, the visiting Johannesburg PABAR VW visitors opened the door to allow local Cape API Property GTi Challenge Class A and B cars to join the fray. The Cape cars race to an all but identical specification to the upcountry versions. The local cars however have slightly different gear ratios, which are better suited to their home track, so enjoy a small advantage. That left the local lads to shine up front, leaving the visitors to fight their title battles out a little further back. And everyone talking about ways to equalise the two series’ technical regulations for more of this going forward.

It's been a terribly stormy winter in the Cape this year and Saturday dawned grey, windy and gloomy as the Class A and C cars went out to qualify in the chilly dawn air. Local quartet, Astron Energy Polo Cup frontrunner Nathan Victor put his Summit Racing Polo on pole position from the Cape’s find of 2024, young gun Schalk Geldenhuys’ G&A Motorsport version, Cape champion Jurie Swart’s Alpine Autohaus and Progress Precision’s 2022 Polo Cup champion Clinton Bezuidenhout.

Title frontrunner Wayne Masters’ Performance Masters Polo was best of the PABAR lot from brother Bevin’s CPS Warehouse car. Cape interloper Oliver Hintenaus’ Coastal Engineering car sat between them and Dean Ross. Class X duo Bjorn Bertholdt’s Sizanani Plastics and Luigi Ferro’s Eco Simply Solar turbo Polos were clearly not enjoying the same thick Cape air advantages their aspirated rivals did as they lined up on the fifth row. Ahead of Miguel Dias’ PMD version and Clean Renewables lad Mydi Mfana.

There was a surprise in Class C, which comprised of only PABAR VW Challenge entries as old man Mitch Coetzee put his JRT Racing Vivo onto pole from Sportex teenager Christopher Tait. Two more older gentleman, Andy Gossman had to put in an all-nighter to repair his damaged Goose Vivo but put it third on the grid ahead of Philip Croeser’s ATE version as Insurisk trio, Kyle Petersen, Dimitri Zapheriou and Cody Peterson closed off the grid.

Class B qualified and raced on its own. It was once again advantage Cape Town there, as GTi top guns Nur Abass put his Spice Mecca Polo on pole from Wheelworx man Zaki Hendricks, Bloomsbury lad Kyle Wiltshire, Dylan van Eden’s Century Karting car, and Cooltouch man Razleigh Harris. Stuart Mack defied the disadvantages of turbocharging to put his litre Creation Wealth Polo on pole among the visiting PABAR entries from Ethan Coetzee’s normally aspirated 2-litre JRT Racing version. Dubcorp Durbanite Shiren Rajpaul followed from Tinahe Ncube’s Eco Simply Solar car, Ian Walker Mellow Yello version and C-Sol lad Anthony Lessing.  

Stelio Nousias lined up seventh among the VW lads from IMC-SA newcomer Weylin Volschenk and Mo Karodia in his LTR Fast 5 Polo Sedan following a major rebuild after his practice crash last time out. Dewald Theron, who has raced in both the VW and Cape GTi Challenges over the years, followed in his Ardfin car, ahead of Josh Wilford’s Coating Techniques Polo, Jacques Hayes’ Platinum Wheels entry, Himoinsa man Chris Davison, PSA lass Nicole Lombard, Francis Aldrich and troubled local MAD man Mohammed Khalfey.

It was still miserable and windy when the field lined up for the first races. The A and C race went down without much ado as Nathan Victor held Jurie Swart and Schalk Geldenhuys’ consistent attention off to take the win with Clinton Bezuidenhout in the best seat in the house in fourth. Wayne Masters had a lonely run to take the PABAR win and maximum points from brother Bevin who held local lad Oliver Hintenaus at bay. Dean Ross, Bjorn Bertholdt Luigi Ferro, Miguel Dias and Mydi Mfana chased them home.

Christopher Tait took advantage of a bit of chaos behind and looked set to dominate the Class C race. But Andy Gossman was having none of it. He closed up a massive gap to get into the lead with a lap to race. Young Tait was not giving up that easily either and fought back to win by a hair’s breadth. Philip Croeser overcame Mitch Coetzee for third from Kyle Petersen, Dimitri Zapheriou and Cody Peterson.

The first Class B race also went pretty much to form as local men Nur Abass won from Mohammed Khalfey, with Stuart Mack the top PABAR driver in third. Ethan Coetzee fought back to fourth from Shiren Rajpaul, Mo Karodia, Anthony Lessing, Dewald Theron, Raazleigh Harris and Stelio Nousias. Ian Walker followed from Francis Aldrich, Nicole Lombard, Chris Davison and Kyle Wiltshire. Everyone from second position up however gained two positions overall after a post-flag skirmish between two local drivers that saw both excluded from the results and sent home.

If the opening races were in general mild, the second heats were far from that. The Cape foursome up front became engrossed in the Battle of Cape Town. That soon came to an unfortunate head with a three into one does not go racing incident on lap 5. Contact between the cars turfed Nathan Victor into what became a massive accident along pit wall, which instantly had the red flag flying. 

Happily Nathan walked away from his wrecked Polo to leave Jurie Swart to win the re-started race from Geldenhuys and top PABAR points scorer Wayne Masters. He pipped Hintenaus and second PABAR points scorer Bevin Masters, with Luigi Ferro and Mydi Mfana in chase after a race of attrition saw the rest retire. Christopher Tait once again held Andy Gossman’s best attentions off to do the Class C double. Mitch Coetzee gained revenge on Philip Croeser for third with Kyle Petersen the only other finisher.

The second Class B race was chaotic for another reason. The rain that threatened all day finally came to see the heat run in torrential conditions on what appeared more of a skating rink than a racetrack. Polo Cup duo, Ethan Coetzee grabbed the lead but went off and beached his car in Cape Town Corner, before Mo Karodia did precisely the same a lap later. That left former Polo racer Razleigh Harris in the lead with top PABAR man all over him for a few laps. 

Harris duly pulled away to win from Theron, local lad Kyle Wiltshire and newcomer Weylin Volschenk. Josh Wilford drove a splendid race from 20th to fifth and second in the PABAR standings after being taken out in race 1. Stuart Mack took the third place points to extend his title advantage sixth. Local man Nur Abass followed from Ian Walker and an impressive weekend for Francis Aldrich, Mo Khalfey, Nicole Lombard, Chris Davison, and the only other two to be classified, Coetzee and Karodia.

If anything, in spite of the testing weather conditions, everyone to a man and woman, behind the wheel, in the pits and paddock and the brave spectators in the stands were thrilled by Saturday’s North Versus South Challenge action. And most were left wondering how this could turn into something more regular, and possibly even a short future interprovincial championship with all cars running to a similar specification…

 

In the meantime, the PABAR VW Challenge will return to action back up north at Zwartkops on 14 September, two weeks after the Cape GTi Challenge races again at Killarney on 31 August.