Summarize

The 30th Birthday Astron Energy Polo Cup delivered surprises, splendid racing and more than enough action as it returned home to Gqeberha for its second visit to the Aldo Scribante racetrack on Saturday. Regular midfield runner Bjorn Bertholdt scored a shock pole position before rookie Mauro Da Luz pipped him to the Superpole. Bertholdt struck back to take the opening race win before championship challenger Charl Smalberger took the second heat to take the day as leader Hannes Scheepers consolidated his advantage. Dad Derick meantime made it a Smalberger double as he beat log leader Wayne Masters to a Polo Masters double.

Most thought that Bjorn Bertholdt had eaten something really special for breakfast on Friday as he blitzed qualifying in his Union Power Energy Polo Cup. Having a best finish of seventh so far this year, the truth was more revealing. Bjorn stepped into a brand new car for the first time this weekend and also shifted to his new Worx Racing team. He beat rookie hot ticket Mauro Da Luz’s Retail Insight Sparco G&H version to second ahead of championship challenger Charl Smalberger Sabertek OMP Tyremart car, Upward Spiral 1471 lad Roshaan Goodman, Joshua Moore Worx BPW Puma machine and Volkswagen’s Rookie Cup Christopher Tait into the top six Superpole.

Come Superpole and Da Luz edged Bertholdt for second from Smalberger, Tait, Moore, and Goodman. Hannes Scheepers, conspicuous by his absence from Superpole, started seventh in his Dainfern Dental Polo from Shiren Rajpaul’s Goldwagen Springfield car, Automobile Association lad Jayden Goosen, racing lass Berlin Robinson’s Fantech Team Red car, Smartcall Worx entry Liam Crystal, Cyril Jacobs’ Auto Perfect Team Red car and Triton lad Milan Emslie. Derick Smalberger and his Sabertek OMP Tyremart Polo continued to put log leader Performance Master under pressure with Polo Masters Pole ahead of  Habot man John Kruger and Richard van Heerde’s Browndeck car

As often happens at Aldo Scribante, the outside lane of the grid made a better getaway as Bjorn Bertholdt got the jump at the start to lead, Charl Smalberger, Christopher Tait, Roshaan Goodman, and pole man Mauro Da Luz from lights to flag. Hannes Scheepers came out on top of a frantic dice for sixth with Joshua Moore, Jayden Goosen and Shiren Rajpaul with Cyril Jacobs next home but later placed behind Berlin Robinson in twelfth for his part in her early demise. That promoted Liam Crystal and Milan Emslie to tenth and eleventh as Derick Smalberger beat Wayne Masters, John Kruger, and Richard van Heerde in the Masters.

Charl Smalberger made a perfect start to leave Hannes Scheepers and Mauro Da Luz to both find a way past Christopher Tait for second and third in the second heat. Roshaan Goodman had a quiet run to fifth but it was war behind between Shiren Rajpaul, Liam Crystal, Joshua Moore, and Bjorn Bertholdt. Cyril Jnr Jacobs was next from two casualties of that struggle, Milan Emslie, Jayden Goosen, while Berlin Robinson retired and Goosen was later excluded for his part in that incident. Derick Smalberger went on to deliver a Masters grand slam over Wayne Masters, John Kruger, and Richard van Heerde.

Charl Smalberger emerged the winner of the day from Volkswagen protégé Christopher Tait and Mauro Da Luz. While Charl indeed closed a little on championship leader Scheepers, Hannes consolidated his advantage to a greater extent in fifth overall ahead of Roshaan Goodman and first race winner Bjorn Bertholdt. Derick Smalberger dominated the Masters as he continued to nibble away at Wayne Masters’ title advantage with John Kruger third overall.

Astron Energy Polo Cup and Masters now heads to Cape Town for the Killarney International Raceway’s penultimate sixth round National Extreme Festival on Saturday 19 September.