Round 6 of the GTC SupaCup Championship ended in dissatisfaction for local driver and Sparco brand ambassador Tate Bishop, who, competing for the second time at his home circuit this season, faced a persistent gearbox issue that ruined any chances of victory at the Killarney International Raceway at the weekend.
In the championship’s penultimate round, Bishop, the highest-ranked rookie, was optimistic about achieving a good result. However, a gear-selection problem arose during the qualifying session on Saturday morning, which caused Bishop to lose a few tenths of a second per lap, making it impossible for him to compete for the pole position. In the opening race, Bishop started in the third position, and although the problem was less noticeable, it was not resolved. As a result, he lost a place and had to settle for fourth place.
Unable to fix the issue at the circuit, Race 2 would see Bishop having to manage the problem again. Starting in fourth, the multiple national karting champion and ANGRi Racing Kart Academy instructor would find it challenging to maintain a competitive race pace, all while fending off the challenge of JP van der Walt. But another gritty performance by one of South African motorsport’s brightest talents would see the teenager, who just recovered from shoulder surgery, claim another fourth-place finish.
“I’m sure many would be happy with fourth place, but I’m a touch disappointed as I was prepared for a battle at the front. Occasionally, I would struggle to engage the next gear, which doesn’t seem like a train smash, but it’s massive in a class where only a few tenths separate the top four or five. The team tried everything they could, but they will have to send the gearbox in for an inspection to diagnose the exact issue. Thank you to everyone for the support this weekend, I appreciate it,” stated Bishop.
The final round of the championship resumes on 13-14 October at Zwartkops Raceway.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
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