Summarize

Zwartkops kicked off fresh and frosty, but it soon warmed to a classic day of fourth round Historic and Inland championship racing on Saturday. An enthusiastic crowd was treated to a splendid, if occasionally dramatic show by an eclectic line-up of packed grids racing on a fine late winter’s Pretoria afternoon.

The monster Marlboro Crane Hire V8 Legends entertained with a thunderous display as ever. Ben Morgenrood kept his Mustang ahead of Seef Fourie Jr.’s Cougar, Jonathan du Toit’s ’57 Chevy and Mark du Toit’s Nova, hounded by petite Paige Lindenberg in her monster Fairlane. 4-cylinder leaders, Alan Poulter’s Volvo, Marc Miller’s Alfa and Carel Pienaar’s Lotus Cortina meanwhile starred behind. Morgenrood then did the double from Jono, Fourie, and Mark du Toit. Lindenberg, Meyer, Poulter and Pienaar in race 2.

Larry Wilford was the star of the Legends of the 9 Hour classic Sports & GTs in his spectacular green Lola T70. He rumbled to a double victory over Warren Lombard’s Cobra. Seef Fourie followed in his Astra from Allen Meyer’s Chevron B8, Marc Miller’s BMW and James Temple’s Escort in both races.

Porsche men, Class A driver Nicky Dicks beat Class B winner Andre van der Merwe and Hennie Groenewald’s Escort to win the opening Evapco HRSA Sprint Race. Scirocco trio, Class B victor Stuart Konig followed from Andre ten Napel and top D man Jonathan Konig. Sean Hepburn’s Datsun won Class E, Mike O Sullivan’s Honda Youngtimers, George Eysselein took Class F and Riaan de Ru’s Prefect G. 

Van der Merwe took race 2 from Groenewald, Stuart and Jonathan Konig, Nigel Townshend’s Escort and Travis Jensen ‘s Datsun. Terence Ladner in seventh took Class E, while  O’Sullivan, Eysselein and de Ru did doubles in the smaller classes.

In single seater action, Paul Gerber led Patrick Dunseith, Paul Richardson, Wihan Tiedt and Ron Liddiard to a Formula Ford Historic Single Seaters top five from Colin Clay’s splendid Lotus 23 sportscar, while Peter Kernick was first Vee home. Gerber then did the double from Ben van der Westhuizen’s Ford, Richardson, Dunseith, Clay and Liddiard.

Formula M winner JM Gerber beat Libre winner Renzo Ribeiro Formula GTi and Formula Ford men Louis van der Merwe and Hylton Morrow, Herman Krige and Aidan Morrow to win the more contemporary opening Monoposto race. The same six also topped the second race, in that order too.

On Track Clubmans and National Sportscars were joined by the Midvaal Historics for their races. Pieter Zeelie beat a 32-car field to the opening win from sports rivals Ismail Peck and Adriaan le Roux. Dirk Lawrence’s Honda topped the Clubmen from Johan van Heerden’s Golf and Rodney Kruis’ Honda as Eugene Gouws thundered to MHCC victory in his Little Chev Can Am. Le Roux turned the tables on Peck, from Lawrence, Kruis, and Steve Venter and Wayne Lebotschy’s Golfs in the second heat.

Silver Cup was also very well supported as Marius Jacobs’ Opel Tigra topped a 30-car grid to win the opening race from spaceframe rival Giulio Airaga’s similar Mazda-propelled car. Karel Stols’ RX7 was third from Riaan Draper’s Toyota Beams, Marnus du Plessis’ Primera. The podium positions did not change in race 2, but du Plessis wound up fourth from Draper.

Loraine Badenhorst was first home in the opening handicap Evapco HRSA Pursuit race pending break out adjustments, from Machiel Oberholzer’s Mercedes, Rob van Aarle in his Escort, Meredith Willis, Josef Kotze and Wynand du Plessis Snr. Kotze took race 2 from Riaan de Ru, Johan Gouws, van Aarle, Badenhorst and Oberholzer.

The Liqui Moly INEX Legends entertained as young lady racer Tyler Robinson took the opening heat from Jayden Goosen, Torben Roos and Sebastian Venkov. Richard van Heerde emerged to take the second heat from Goosen, Gavin Botha and Roos, before van Heerde went on to take the final too, from bridesmaid Goosen, Roos and Botha.

Rudi Barnard took a combined first Lotus Challenge race victory after the heat was red-flagged and restarted. He beat JP Nortje, David Jermy, Mackie Adlem Jeff Gable and Donavan le Roux. Andrew Fulton took the Locost class from Paul Vollmer. Jermy took the second heat of this also well supported class from Barnard, Adlem, Nortje and le Roux as Sean Hepburn and Nick Hodgson popped up on top in Locost.

Zwartkops Raceway now takes a well earned break until it’s next major meeting when the seventh round Regional Extreme Festival returns home on Saturday 14 September following its recent midwinter jaunt to the Cape.