Summarize

Hannes Scheepers and Wayne Masters each got their respective Astron Energy Polo Cup and Polo Masters seasons off to a perfect start by winning both races at the series’ 30th season opener at the Killarney International Raceway’s first round National Extreme Festival on Saturday. In a day marked by excellent, close racing, both men had to work hard for their honours. It was also a tough start for Volkswagen Rookie Cup champion Christopher Tait, whose perseverance paid off with his maiden Polo Cup points on debut.

Scheepers topped storming practice pace by taking the pole position bonus point aboard his Dainfern Dental Studio Polo Cup. Shiren Rajpaul was second in his Goldwagen Springfield Park version, while Roshaan Goodman escaped a frightening hot lap traffic jam to end up third in his Upward Spiral 1471 car. Rookie Cup graduate Joshua Moore’s Worx BPW machine, FSS driver Pierluigi Muzzulini and Mauro Da Luz’s Topshirt Nathans entry joined them in the Superpole shootout.

Scheepers maintained his advantage to line up in pole ahead of Goodman, who pipped Rajpaul, Moore, Muzzulini and Da Luz. Behind them, Milan Emslie lined up seventh in his Triton Polo ahead of Charl Smalberger’s Sabertek OMP car, Kyalami Exhausts lad Nirav Singh and Rookie Cup champion Christopher Tait in the Astron Energy Volkswagen Motorsport machine. Jayden Goosen’s Automobile Association entry, and Rookie Cup graduates Union Power lad Bjorn Bertholdt, AF Fans Berlin Robinson. Cyril Jacobs Jr.’s Auto Perfect Team Red and Liam Crystal followed.

John Kruger qualified seventh overall to claim a dominant Astron Energy Polo Masters pole position in the Habot Lubricants Polo, ahead of old rivals, Derick Smalberger’s Sabertek OMP car and champion Wayne Masters’ Performance Masters entry. FSS International dad Elio Muzzulini followed from Masters rookie Robert Moffat, Mike Barbaglia’s PABAR Haupt Racing entry and George Smalberger’s Shield Racing Polo.

Hannes Scheepers then held Roshaan Goodman’s closest attentions off to take a slender two-tenths of a second opening race win. Shiren Rajpaul similarly dealt with a much improved Pierluigi Muzzulini, while Charl Smalberger drove a blinder to race from eighth to fifth as he chased Muzzulini down. Mauro Da Luz was best of the rookies in sixth ahead of sophomore Milan Emslie, rookie Joshua Moore, Jayden Goosen and Nirav Singh. 

Berlin Robinson edged her former Rookie Cup rival Christopher Tait for eleventh ahead of Masters top three, Wayne Masters, Derick Smalberger and John Kruger. Rookies Liam Crystal and Cyril Jacobs followed from the rest of the Masters, Mike Barbaglia, Elio Muzzulini, George Smalberger and Robert Moffat. Goodman’s efforts in pursuit saw him onto pole position for race 2, from Scheepers, Muzzulini and Da Luz as  Derick Smalberger lined up ahead of Masters on the Masters grid.

Scheepers and Goodman swapped the lead for the first few laps of the second heat before Hannes established a small advantage as a swarm of cars tussled behind Muzzulini and Rajpaul in third and fourth. That entertaining scrap between Singh, Goosen, Da Luz, Moore and Charl Smalberger fighting back ended in an incident that left Goosen, Moore and Smalberger off and several others taking to the sand in avoidance.

All of which left Scheepers to steam home to a grand slam of pole and two race wins ahead of Goodman and Muzzulini, Rajpaul and Singh posting their best ever results in third, fourth and fifth. Like Singh, Da Luz dodged the mayhem to end best of the rookies in sixth from Bertholdt, Masters winners Masters and Derick Smalberger, Jacobs, Tait, Robinson, and Crystal. 

Scheepers of course took the day from Goodman, Rajpaul, Muzzulini, Da Luz, Singh, Robinson, and Tait and leads the early championship chase. Masters took the Masters overall win from Derick Smalberger and Kruger as he chases a title hat trick. Astron Energy Polo Cup continues its 30th anniversary tour when it returns to Mpumalanga for the first time in three years for the second round of the National Extreme Festival at Red Star Raceway near Delmas on Saturday 18 April.