Summarize

An enthusiastic crowd braved searing heat followed by late afternoon thundershowers to witness a splendid day of Zwartkops’ 25th Passion for Speed racing at the Pretoria circuit on Saturday. On a day filled with attractions, Formula 1, and other displays, it was the racing that as always, topped the bill.

Topping the bill, the Passion for Speed’s monster Legends of the 9 Hour saloon race starred as Seef Fourie Jr.’s Mercury Cougar fought Ben Morgenrood’s Ford Mustang off to a thrilling opening race win. Ford men Paolo Cavalieri’s Galaxie and Mark du Toit’s Fairlane chased them home followed by Jonathan du Toit in a Chevy Nova, Colin Ellison’s Thunderbolt, Kosie Swanepoel’s Bel Aire, and James Temple in a Fairlane. Morgenrood took the second heat from Cavalieri, Mark and Jonathan du Toit, Kosie Swanepoel, Alistair Simpson’s Capri Perana, Temple, and Jonathan Needham’s Mustang.

Rui Campos’ more modern Shelby Can Am proved a touch too hot for Lola T70 trio, Larry Wilford’s MK3B, Mark du Toit’s Coupe and Neil Lobb’s MK3B to handle in the first  Legends of the 9 Hour Sports and GT race. Son Keegan Campos beat Andre van der Merwe’s similar Porsche 911 RSR to the GT win in fifth and sixth from Jonathan du Toit‘s Chevron B8 and Seef Fourie Jr.’s Lolette. Rui Campos went on to do the double from Wilford, Mark, and Jonathan du Toit and Fourie Jnr, GT men George Avvakoumides’s Herman Kluge Porsche RSRs and Swede Janne Kling’s genuine Ford GT40.

Warren Lombard’s AC Cobra stormed to the illustrious Passion for Speed 45-minute TT mini endurance race win from Marc Miller’s Daytona Cobra and Jason Campos in a Group N BMW 325i. John and Chad ten Doeschate followed in their Marauder MK3 from James Temple in another Daytona, Hennie Groenewald and Shaun van der Linde’s Lotus Cortina, Allen Meyer in a Chevron B8 and international visitor Patrick Mortier and Ryan Quan Chai’s AC Cobra.

Ryan Ludik’s Titan MK5 beat Formula Ford rivals Des Hillary’s Dulon MP15B, Steve Venter’s Van Diemen and Paul Richardson in a Dulon LD9 to the first Historic Single Seaters race. Josh Dovey’s Chevron B20 followed from Lotus duo, Colin Clay’s 23C sportscar and Ron Liddiard’s 51A and best Formula Vee, Tony Beecher’s S+J MK9. Dovey had his F2 Chevron at full song to win race 2 from Ludik, Richardson, Ben van der Westhuizen, Hillary and Venter, Clay, and top Vee man Michael Kernick’s Capital.

Keegan Campos continued his winning ways in the Evapco HRSA sprint in his Porsche 911 RSR from Class C winner Werner Kotze’s Mazda R100. Andre van der Merwe was third in another RSR from Andre ten Napel’s Class C Scirocco, Rudolf de Vos B Chevy Firenza Can Am and D winner Jannie van Rooyen’s Scirocco. Seef Fourie’s Datsun 140Y took Class E while David Armstrong’s BMW beat Mike O'Sullivan’s Ballade to Historic Touring Car honours.

It was all change in heat 2 as de Vos’ Chev beat Mo Mia and George Avvakoumides’ Porsches while ten Napel beat Kotze to the Class C win from D double winner van Rooyen. Fourie won E again and Armstrong dominated HTC. Dave Leyshon’s Scirocco beat Datsun duo Keegan Ward and Ian Richards to both Class F, G and H race wins. Porsche men Tim Abbot’s 914 Wynand du Plessis 944 shared the Class G wins and Wayne Potgieter’s Datsun 1200 won both H heats.

Zimbabwean Denzil Bhana’s Ford Anglia beat Alan Poulter and his Volvo 122s to the opening Legends Little Giants win. Alfa Romeo Giulia trio, Super men Marc Miller,Roger Houston, and Francesco Lombardi’s Sprint GT followed from GSM father and son, John’s Dart and Chad ten Doeschate’s Flamingo. Bhana beat Poulter and Miller again in race 2 from Lombardi, Carel Pienaar’s Lotus Cortina and John and Chad ten Doeschate.

In the day’s more contemporary action, Damian Hammond drove his Lamborghini Gallardo to victory in the first new Legends Classic GT race from Mark du Toit’s Ford GT1. Wayne Roach, Nathan, and Sam Hammond’s Gallardos followed ahead of Lee Thompson’s WesBank V8 Astra. Du Toit took race 2 from Roach and Nathan Hammond, Mo Mia’s Porsche GT3, Sam Hammond and Paolo Cavalieri’s Batmobile BMW 3.0 CSL.

The BMW M Performance Parts Race Series was split between turbo and non turbo cars for the first time. Kashen Naicker led Class A rivals Anton Pommersheim, Leon Loubser, Nishal Singh, and Bob Neill home ahead of B and C winners, Renier Smith and

Oz Biagioni, while Alan Hilligenn won D. Pommersheim beat Naicker, Loubser, Neill and Singh in race 2 as Smith did the B double, Anand Naidu took C and Gerald Anthony Class D.

Andre van Vuuren beat Class B rivals Bernard de Gouveia and Richard Gerntholtz to the opening Normally Aspirated BMW M Performance Parts race, where Ignus du Plessis took C and Henry Platt Class D. Young gun Olerato Sekudu then turned the second race on its head to beat de Gouveia, Troy Cochran and Dawie Olivier as du Plessis did the C double and Reinhardt Miller won Class D.

The Passion for Speed action moves on to the opening round of the Historic and Inland Tour at Red Star Raceway this coming Saturday 7 February. Zwartkops’ next event is a South African Endurance 4 Hour on Saturday 21 February before the Extreme Festival Powered by Coca-Cola season kicks off on Saturday 7 March.