| www.motorsport.co.za | 10 September 2010 |
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Round 2- Zwartkops – 20 MarchSupported by broadcast sponsor Insurance Zone, Shelby Can-Am is South Africa’s only stand alone sports car series and is set to thrill a large crowd as it travels to the tight, yet demanding 2.4 km Zwartkops circuit near Pretoria for round two of the championship. Fitted with Nissan 3.5litre V6 engines that have been mildly tuned, power is transmitted through a unique Weisman transaxle and these cars are capable of lapping faster than most cars in the GT Supercar event. “We use a specified Goodyear racing tyre that offers a good balance between wear and performance. We are also restricted to using a certain number of tyres per season so tyre strategy becomes an important aspect of racing, commented Shelby Can-Am Association chairman Brian Algar.” 2009 champion Darryn Lobb (NJOY) got his title defence off to a good start by taking a win and a third place at East London to go into the second round as championship leader. Guy Botterill made a stunning return to the series in East London when he put the Yato Tools/Bigfoot Express car on pole position and romped to a relatively easy first heat win. Sadly a mechanical issue saw him retire from the second race. Thank to a never say die attitude, hard charging Rui Campos (Hugo Boss) was able to keep the winners honest, but his second race was spoilt by loose bodywork. Alan Eve (Phakisa) has got heaps of experience under his belt which will be very useful at a track like Zwartkops. Likewise Brian Algar (Thuthuka Welding) is always near the front and a win can’t be too far away. Thomas Reib (Jägermeister) is also one of the favourites for a win especially considering that each of his wins in Shelby Can-Am have been at Zwartkops. Sean Greve (Vulcania Reinforcing) is long overdue for a good result and is eyeing a win. With a striking colour-scheme Dutch racer Bertil Hofmann (GP Energy Drink) has a point to prove after an incident packed weekend in East London. Hanno Pengilly (Azura Retreats) was one of the finds last season. Both drivers could surprise the established front runners this weekend. Capetonian Greg Walker (Indy Oil) had a troubled outing at the coast and is determined to make amends. Another enthusiastic driver is Andrew Strike who has shown good pace since his debut last year. Cape Town’s Doug MacDonald had an impressive debut last month and it will be interesting to see how he adapts to a tight track like Zwartkops after the wide-eyed fast sweeps of East London. An addition to the field is former Formula Vee front-runner Trevor Bland (GT1 Racing Workshop) will be at the wheel of the car raced last year by Colin Frost. His progress will be watched very closely, not only by his rivals, but by a large number of young drivers who are considering their next step in motorsport. Another newcomer is Pierre Martin who raced the ‘Fat Boy’ Porsche 928 in Altech GT Challenge last year. So, who will beat Lobb or Botterill? |
