Summarize

Despite the weather’s best efforts to prevent it, Zwartkops Raceway delivered another splendid day of Historics-rich motor racing on Saturday. Those who braved the conditions were rewarded by some great racing across the board spiced up by slick conditions, slipping and sliding through a thoroughly enjoyable day of Historic and Inland Tour racing.

Despite the slick conditions, which clearly made the monster machinery all that much more difficult to master, the thundering Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-'66 V8 Legends put on a show to remember. Legend Ben Morgenrood’s Mustang led a Ford 1-2-3-4 over Seef Fourie Jr’s Cougar, James Temple in his Capri Perana and Mark du Toit’s Mustang. Warren Lombard’s Camaro was best Chev in fifth from Jonathan Needham’s Mustang and Paige Lindenberg’s Fairlane. 

Seef Fourie then put one over Morgenrood in race 2 to take the day. Temple was third from Hennie Groenewald who recovered to fourth after coming from the back in his nimble Escort RS2000, with Lombard fifth from Needham and Fairlane duo, Colin Ellison and Lindenberg.

Mark du Toit took the opening Le Mans Sports & GT Prototypes and Trans-Am race in his Daytona Coupe from Lee Thompson’s former WesBank V8 Opel Astra and Andre van der Merwe’s Porsche 911 RSR. Seef Fourie Jr’s Chevy Can-Am was fourth from James Temple in another Daytona Coupe and Peter Bailey’s Ford GT40. It was all change in heat 2 as Thompson won to nick overall honours from du Toit, Temple and Fourie, with 

van der Merwe and Bailey in pursuit.

Jonathan Needham’s 66 Ford Cortina Perana won a classic Little Giants and U2 opening race battle over Djurk Venter’s ’68 Escort and Alfa Romeo Giulia Super trio, Marc Miller’s Super, Francesco Lombardi’s Sprint and Roger Houston’s Super. A delighted Djurk Venter then took his maiden race win from Needham and Lombardi in race 2, with Deon Schwabsky’s Escort fourth from Ben van der Westhuizen’s Celica and Kyle Brink’s Mini.

Class B winner Andre van der Merwe’s Porsche 911 RS beat Class C men Andre ten Napel’s Scirocco and Clive Wilmot’s Escort to the Evapco HRSA Sprint race win. E winner Johan Gouws’ Scirocco put one over Class D winner John McLachlan and E lad Cameron Foster’s Datsuns in the slippery conditions. Craig Harris in another Datsun took Class F and Rian de Ru’s Prefect Class G. Johan Gouws then scored a shock second race win over Andre ten Napel, Wilmot, McLachlan, Foster, and Peder Jensen in another Datsun, while Stuart McLarty won Class G in his XR3 and Harris Class F.

Ryan Budd’s Ray 92 took the opening Historic Single Seaters race from Formula Ford rivals Paul Richardson’s Dulon LD9, Alan Kernick in his Tempest Des Hillary’s Dulon MP15B, Steve Venter’s Van Diemen and Wihan Tiedt in another Dulon. Budd beat Richardson again in race 2 with Hillary up to second from Kernick, Tiedt and Ray man Mac Odendaal.

Formula M duo JM Gerber and Aidan Morrow were too quick for Swift Formula GTi pair Louis van der Merwe and Damien Archer, Steve Venter’s Formula Ford version and another Formula M in Hylton Morrow’s hands to the opening the Monoposto single seaters race win. Survivors, Gerber beat Archer Jannie Geyser’s Vision Vee, Morrow, Bruce van Niekerk’s Omega Vee and Aidan Morrow in race 2.

Pro driver Gavin Botha beat Semi Pro Sebastian Venkov and Pro Devin Robertson to the opening INEX Legends win. Semi Pro Cyril Jacobs, Semi Pro Jr. Christian Padayachee and Tyler Posthumus, and Masters man Anton Repsold followed. Botha then did the double in race 2 over Robertson, Jacobs, Padayachee and Semi Pro driver Ricardo Tebbutt. Devin Robertson then turned the tables to win the finale from Jacobs, Tebbutt, Padayachee, Botha and Dylan Fourie.

Locost man Nick Hodgson starred in the mire to upset David Jermy, JP Nortje, Sean Hewitt, and Jeff Gable and win the opening of three Lotus Challenge heats. Sean Hepburn was second in Locost from Davide Favo and Andre du Plessis. Jermy struck back to beat Hewitt, Gable, and Josef Kotze in race 2 with Hodgson taking Locost honours from Favo Hepburn. Nortje then made it three winners in three races over Jermy, Hewitt, and Gable, while Hodgson made it a Locost triple over Andrew Fulton.

Marnus du Plessis’ Primera, Marius Jacobs’ Tigra, Faudo Sidique in his Civic and Paul van Niekerk’s Golf topped the opening SPS Silver Cup outing. Du Plessis went on to also win the second race from Sidique, van Niekerk, Szabo, Cronje, Minnaar and Jacobs. 

Last but not least, Sports man Glenton Rebello Birkin 7 beat Clubmen Rodney Kruis’ Ballade, Wayne Lebotschy’s Golf, Tjaart Visser in a Ballade, Theo Bohnen’s Frame Toyota and Midvaal man Deon Schwabsky BMW to the first Clubmans and National Sports Car win. Rebello and Kruis were 1-2 again in race 2 from Dirk Lawrence’s Ballade, Lebotschy Sports man Adriaan le Roux’s Caterham and Bohnen.

Zwartkops Raceway now takes a breather until the Regional Extreme Festival returns on 17 May. The Historic Tour’s next appointment is at Red Star Raceway on Saturday 17 June.