It was all about Mohammed Karodia as the Astron Energy Polo Cup visited Aldo Scribante for its home round in Gqeberha, just around the corner from Volkswagen Plant Kariega. Johannesburg driver Karodia topped qualifying and then Superpole before putting in two hard fought races to win both, take the day. It was a very good day for Volkswagen Rookie Cup champion Judd Bertholdt, who ended third overall behind Charl Smalberger, while Wayne Masters and John Kruger shared out the Astron Energy Masters wins.
Karodia was on form throughout the weekend en route to topping the qualifying session in his Fast 5 Motorsport Polo Cup. Judd Bertholdt was delighted to crack the Astron Energy Polo Cup qualifying code with a fine run to second in the Volkswagen Rookie Cup car ahead of the ever present Hannes Scheepers’ Dainfern Dental car, Durban Dubcorp lad Shiren Rajpaul, Roshaan Goodman’s Upward Spiral entry and Charl Smalberger’s Sabertek machine.
Karodia maintained the advantage through Superpole, where Charl Smalberger snatched second from Rajpaul, Scheepers, Goodman and Bertholdt. Behind them, rookie Anthony Lessing was best of the rest in seventh aboard his Insurisk Polo from Rory Atkinson’s Industry Petroleum entry, Lonika Maartens BL Mining car and title contender Ethan Coetzee’s ECM LTR car tenth. Dhivyen Naidoo’s Production X car, Bevin Masters CPS Warehouse, Charl Engineering lad Kyle Visser, AF Fans lass Tyler Robinson, Nirav Singh Kyalami Exhausts car and Team Red driver Milan Emslie closed off the Cup grid.
Wayne Masters qualified tenth quickest to nab another Astron Energy Polo Masters pole position in his Performance Masters from John Kruger’s Habot Lubricants machine. PABAR man Mike Barbaglia surprised in third ahead of Derick Smalberger’s Sabertek Polo and Norbrake Distributors driver Gavin Ross.
Mohammed Karodia led early on in the opening heat before Charl Smalberger moved ahead, but the race was stopped to clear a stopped car from a dangerous position, which left Smalberger under pressure from Karodia. Mo made his move into turn 1 to take the win at the beginning of the final lap. Roshaan Goodman also put one over Hannes Scheepers off the restart to nick third with Shiren Rajpaul fifth from ever improving Volkswagen Motorsport Rookie Cup champion Judd Bertholdt.
Rory Atkinson followed from a happier Lonika Maartens, Anthony Lessing, and a disappointed Ethan Coetzee in tenth from Tyler Robinson, Dhivyen Naidoo and Bevin Masters. Milan Emslie and Nirav Singh recovered from earlier tangles in which Kyle Visser was rendered hors de combat. Wayne Masters was untroubled en route to the Astron Energy Polo Masters opening heat win, but Derick Smalberger and John Kruger were made to work for second and third by a feisty Mike Barbaglia, who dropped behind those two at the restart, with Gavin Ross in chase.
Judd Bertholdt set the fastest lap in the opening heat to take pole position from Charl Smalberger, Karodia, Rajpaul, Goodman and Masters. Volkswagen Rookie Cup champion Bertholdt made no mistakes to lead the way as Karodia put one over Smalberger and set off after his young rival. It took three laps to catch Judd before Mo nudged past down the straight and made off to a clean sweep of pole position, Superpole and two race wins from Bertholdt and Smalberger.
Roshaan Goodman ended fourth from Rory Atkinson, Shiren Rajpaul, Dhivyen Naidoo, Ethan Coetzee, Bevin Masters, Tyler Robinson, and Milan Emslie. Behind them there was a little bumping and barging through the pack. Nirav Singh was delayed after a first corner brush with Anthony Lessing, while Lonika Martens was hit from behind by Hannes Scheepers delaying both drivers as Lessing drove home in twelfth from Maartens and Singh after Scheepers stopped and Kyle Visser did not start.
John Kruger, who won the first heat of the season, finally brought Wayne Masters’ five race winning streak to an end when he took the Masters win from Wayne who still won the day, a delighted Mike Barbaglia who held Derick Smalberger off for third, and Gavin Ross.
The Astron Energy Polo Cup returns to Gauteng next when the Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola heads to its midseason encounter at Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria on Saturday 21 June.
*Volkswagen Motorsport salutes its Polo Cup partners, naming rights sponsor Astron Energy, Dunlop, Pabar and Ferodo.
Photography by: Willie Pretorius and Leon Myburgh
Issued on behalf of Volkswagen Motorsport
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