Summarize

The Historic & Inland Tour racing series visited Zwartkops Raceway to deliver another splendid day of halcyon action on Saturday. A stirring selection of yesterday’s heroes entertained a happy crowd with great racing on a typically balmy Highveld afternoon.

Roaring Lola T70 men, Larry Wilford’s Mk3B coupé held Mark du Toit’s Doug Serrurier tribute Spyder at bay on his way to the opening Historic International Sports Prototype, GT and Trans Am win. Seef Fourie Jr.’s Astra followed from James Temple’s Daytona Coupé, Peter Bailey’s Ford GT40 and Cobra man Warren Lombard. Race 2 was far more entertaining as Wilford, du Toit and Fourie fought it out only for Larry to stop late in the race to hand the win to Mark from Seef, GTA winner Temple, Bailey, and GTC victor Djurk Venter in another Daytona.

Seef Fourie Jr.’s Mercury Cougar fought a determined Chad ten Doeschate’s Chevy Bel Air off to claim a last gasp opening Legends monster V8 race win ahead of Jonathan Needham’s Mustang, Carel Pienaar’s Lotus Cortina, Marc Miller’s Alfa Romeo Giulia, and Djurk Venter’s Escort. Fourie had it his own way in race 2 as Mark du Toit’s Fairlane muscled its way back to second from ten Doeschate, Needham, Venter, and Miller. Fourie took the Class A+ day, Doeschate A, Needham B and Venter TA, while Deon Schwabsky took the Little Giants win in his Escort.

Hennie Groenewald’s Ford Capri took the first Evapco HRSA sprint win from Werner Kotze’s Mazda R100, Nicky Dicks’ Porsche 911 RSR, Willem Botha in another R100, Jannie van Rooyen’s Scirocco and Hugo Janse van Rensburg’s Escort. Hennie went on to do the double from Dicks, Kotze, Botha, Andre ten Napel’s Scirocco and van Rooyen. Dicks took Class B for the day, Kotze C, and van Rooyen D, while Sean Hepburn won Class E in his Datsun 1200 GX and Mike O’Sullivan’s Ballade Historic Touring Cars. Datsun men Keegan Ward took Class F,  Wayne Potgieter G and Anton Booysen Class H.

In single seater action, Ryan Ludik’s Titan won both Historic races from Formula Ford rivals Ben van der Westhuizen’s Royale and Patric Dunseith in a Merlyn. Most welcome guest driver and multiple former Formula Ford champion Basil Mann’s Alexis swapped the fourth places with Des Hillary’s Dulon as John ten Doeschate kept a watching brief and Michael Kernick’s Capital was best of the Vees. 

More contemporary, veteran Allen Meyer’s Formula Volkswagen took both Formula Monoposto heats from Formula GTi trio, Joss Chaikin and Louis van der Merwe’s Swifts and Damien Archer in a Ray. Steve Venter’s Formula Ford Swift was fourth from Klinton Kane’s Sting Formula Vee in heat 1 and sixth behind Aiden Morrow’s Formula M in the second race.

Mackie Adlem passed Jeff Gable to take the opening ATS Dunlop Lotus Challenge race from Gable, Rudi Barnard, and David Jermy. JP Nortje passed Adlem for second in race 2, which became the win after Gable retired with Gys van der Walt third from Clive Wilmot. Adlem passed Jermy to win the final with Barnard third from Nortje, to take the day. Nick Hodgson did a Locost triple as Sean Hepburn and Wes Maxwell shared out the seconds.

Devin Robertson won the opening INEX Legends race from Tyler Posthumus, Rico Raker and Sebastian Venkov. Robertson took heat 2 from Posthumus with Jordan Larsson, Ricardo Tebbutt, and Santiago Frade in chase, before Devin did the triple from Venkov, Posthumus, Raker and Dylan Fourie.

A monster field saw Car Care Clinic Supercup 2.0 split in two races as Wessel Mostert’s BMW M3 beat Louis Cloete’s Beetle and Jonathan Visser’s Polo to the opening big class win. A winner Anton Bitzer’s RX-7 was next from Dewald Smith’s BMW, Duane Brown’s Fiesta, Shaun Lamprecht in a BMW while Theo Bohnen’s Tigra took Class A+. Mostert went on to the double from Cloete, Bitzer, Smith, A winner Lamprecht and Brown.

It took three attempts to start the opening double red flagged Class BCD race eventually won by C man Louis Scholtz’ Ballade from Golf men, B winner Ronald van Rensburg and Donovan le Roux, Freek Blignaut Sr.’s Mazda, B+ winner Petrus van Oordt’s Tigra and Michael van Zanten’s Peugeot as Malcom Ehlers’ Golf took Class D. Van Oordt won a far calmer second race from Golf trio van Rensburg, Scholtz, Vincent Labuschagne Johan Willemse and Marnus Greeff. Jarryd-Lee Thomas’ Corolla took Class D.

Wessel Mostert beat Class D winner Rodney Kruis’ Ballade, Theo Bohnen’s Clio, E winner Justin Brown’s BMW, Wayne Lebotschy’s Golf and Willem Botha’s Mazda Capella to the opening Clubmans win. The second heat delivered the same top four ahead of Victor Dias’ Ballade and Tjaart Visser’s Bantam bakkie, while Marlene van Niekerk’s Polo took Class G and Kyle Sheperd’s Mitsubishi H. 

Sharing the track with the Clubmen, Henry Fourie took the Midvaal Historics day  from Chris Williams, JJ Venter, and Class C winner Dirk van Loggrenberg, while Ian Schwabsky won Class T. Zwartkops hosts the third round of the national Extreme Festival next on Saturday 23 May. The Historic and Inland Tour has a shorter wait for its next round at Red Star Raceway Saturday 25 April.