What Global Touring Cars Round 3 Report
Where Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria
When Saturday 20 May 2023
Community South Africa National
Character building meeting Chemical Logistics Racing
Zwartkops Raceway’s Extreme Festival was not kind to Chemical Logistics Racing’s Global Touring Car team on Saturday. On track drama and ongoing wrangling off it left results uncertain, while a tough weekend on the double champion team’s cars made it en main a weekend to forget.
What started spectacularly, as Robert Wolk and his Chemical Logistics Corolla GTC fought qualifying out blow-by-blow with his main rival, soon turned tail. While Wolk qualified a super-close second, and his Master Stairs Investchem Audi S3 GTC teammate Josh Le Roux slotted in fifth on the grid, Andrew Rackstraw’s weekend was over before it even started. His LTR Sparco VW Golf GTR suffered an engine failure in qualifying.
Wolk then made a great start, only to suffer contact and be spun around, leaving him to limp home a distant fourth after Le Roux’s Audi stopped early in the race. That became second when the perpetrators of Robert’s demise were penalised. Wolk then raced home second in the half-points reverse-grid second race, to end up second overall and ahead of his main title rival, while Le Roux finished fifth.
The day’s results however remain provisional as the rival team fights its penalties. “It’s not easy racing like this,” Robert Wolk shrugged. “We want to win on track, not by others being penalised for taking us out. It just spoils the show. No matter what today’s result, I must thank my team for a great car and a super effort, as always.”
“I’m starting to get the hang of our old girl,” Josh Le Roux confided of his older GTC generation Audi. “Pity about the first race, but we are a bit closer to the pace and I’m learning more every lap I drive. Thanks to the team for a great effort as always!”
“It appears that our rivals have caught us napping,” WCT Engineering team boss Stuart Thompson admitted. “Rob was at his formidable best to duke it out in qualifying and then take the fight to them in the races. Josh keeps improving but is not quite ready to mix it at the front.
“Racing one against three is never going to be easy, so we need to put our heads down and find some pace.” Chemical Logistics Racing team boss Ian Schofield concluded: “It was a tough weekend all-round, but I must still complement our team on a job well done on a difficult weekend.”
Chemical Logistics Racing heads for Gqeberha next for round 4 at Aldo Scribante.
Issued on behalf of Chemical Logistics GTC
Photography by: Colin Windell
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