What CompCare Polo Cup 2023 Round 3 Report
Where Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria
When Saturday 20 May 2023
Community South Africa National
Pretorius, Visser & Lupini share Polo Cup wins in epic day of racing
Rookie racer Anthony Pretorius, championship leader Charl Michael Visser and comeback kid Giordano Lupini shared out the CompCare Polo Cup victories as South Africa’s leading young racer’s championship series thrilled a packed Zwartkops Raceway Extreme Festival in Pretoria on Saturday.
Killarney double winner Lupini, who missed the first round in his Tork Craft Polo, held off a late charge from championship leader Visser’s Universal Team Red Racing Polo to steal another vital point in his fight back as he topped qualifying Friday evening. Impressive rookie Pretorius’ OMP Bucket List Polo qualified third from Mbombela lad Dawie van der Merwe’s Nathans Motorsport car and Universal driver Jason Loosemore.
Cape Summit Racing driver Nathan Victor won the fight for sixth to sneak into Superpole, which saw Pretorius making best use of his home advantage to steal a stunning maiden CompCare Polo Cup pole position into the setting sun on a crumbling track. Loosemore was second from van der Merwe and Lupini, Victor and Visser, who picked up a piece of concrete under his car from a breaking kerb on his run to the line.
Behind them, veteran Dean Venter’s MTown VDN car just missed the cut to start seventh from QVWI driver Farhaan Basha, JRT Racing lad Ethan Coetzee, and a delighted AF Fans rookie lass Tyler Robinson tenth on the grid. Squadra Corse’s Reaobaka Komane was next from Mo Karodia’s Fast 5 car, Bryce Pillay‘s Techtisa Polo, Jeandre Marais’ Syrabix version Roshaan Goodman’s Upward Spiral Polo and Cape Cooltouch newcomer Raaziegh Harris.
There was drama as Jason Loosemore stalled at the start of the opening heat, leaving Anthony Pretorius leading from Dawie van der Merwe Nathan Victor. Giordano Lupini, who had to avoid Loosemore off the start Charl Visser soon relieved their Cape Compatriot Victor of fourth.
Pretorius made off up front with van der Merwe in pursuit as Visser forced his way past Lupini. Gio was having none of that and was back up in third a lap later, with Visser and Victor in chase. That left a delighted Pretorius to take a rare rookie victory from van der Merwe, Lupini, Visser and Victor.
Behind them Farhaan Basha fought Ethan Coetzee off for sixth ahead of Dean Venter, Jason Loosemore who fought back after his dodgy start, and Reaobaka Komane in tenth. Jeandre Marais followed from Bryce Pillay, Tyler Robinson , Mo Karodia, Raaziegh Harris and Roshaan Goodman as the latter half of the pack delivered more thrilling action.
Charl Visser scored the fastest lap In the opening race to start in pole position for race 2, off which he proceeded to win from lights to flag from Dawie van der Merwe and Giordano Lupini. Lupini once again fought back from sixth on the opening lap as he put a few overtakes on Nathan Victor, Farhaan Basha and Dean Venter in sixth ahead of Ethan Coetzee.
The action was fraught throughout the field as Anthony Pretorius led a bruising five car scrap home to eighth, with Jason Loosemore, Bryce Pillay, Reaobaka Komane and Mo Karodia all within a rubbing is racing half a second. Behind them, Raaziegh Harris fended Jeandre Marais, Tyler Robinson and Roshaan Goodman off in another entertaining spat.
Franschhoek lad Giordano Lupini had qualified on pole position for the third and final race by virtue of his second fastest qualifying lap on Friday evening. He made no mistakes as he blasted away to become the third driver to deliver a lights to flag win of the day, leaving Charl Visser to chase hard all the way to second.
Dawie van der Merwe had to fight Anthony Pretorius, Farhaan Basha and Dean Venter off for third early on, but Pretorius survived a leary off track excursion after contact with Venter, to allow Dean through to fourth from Nathan Victor, Reaobaka Komane, Jason Loosemore and Ethan Coetzee.
Pretorius recovered to tenth from Mo Karodia, Farhaan Basha, Jeandre Marais, Tyler Robinson, Roshaan Goodman, Raaziegh Harris and Bryce Pillay who had to pit after an early off. So, after all that, Charl Michael Visser emerged the overall winner from Giordano Lupini, Dawie van der Merwe, Nathan Victor, Dean Venter, Anthony Pretorius Farhaan Basha Reaobaka Komane, Jason Loosemore and Ethan Coetzee in tenth.
In so doing, Visser consolidated his championship lead over Dawie van der Merwe, but despite missing the opening meeting, Giordano Lupini has now jumped to third from Nathan Victor and Farhaan Basha.
It’s still anyone’s game as CompCare Polo Cup heads home to the first of two neutral ground rounds at midwinter midseason Aldo Scribante’s Extreme Festival in Gqeberha in just four weeks’ time. Don’t miss it!
Volkswagen Motorsport thanks its partners CompCare Medical Scheme, Dunlop, Ferodo, Motul, Sparco and VW Genuine Parts.
Issued on behalf of Volkswagen Motorsport
Photography by: Tony Alves
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