Two months after the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit season opener, the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars brigade is eager to resume the championship battle this coming weekend (21-22 April) at Red Star Raceway outside Delmas.
Julian Fameliaris (Lube-Net / Di Matteo Racing / GWR Chevrolet Corvette) holds the points lead heading into Round 2 and is also the driver with the bragging rights at the circuit. His overall win in the previous outing pathed the way for his successful climb to the runner-up spot in 2022’s championship. In 2023, the hunter has become the hunted, with him on 93 points at the top.
Trailing him by 10 points is Thomas Reib (Mobil 1 Café 9 Automotive Chevrolet Lumina), no stranger to the front of South Africa’s most powerful field. He enjoys the longer circuits, such as Red Star Raceway, and will look to turn the tables by taking the victory.
A driver not accustomed to being the one to chase in recent years is the defending six-time champion Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Jaguar XKR). A further six points adrift of Reib, he is eager to return to the front of the field. However, he knows all about the pressure that Fameliaris will face as the early leader and can be counted on to put this knowledge to use in his pursuit of retaining the Number 1 on his car. Adlem and Fameliaris shared the wins on the opening weekend.
Franco di Matteo (Deltec Batteries / NHR Mining Jaguar XKR) has 59 points and is eager to make inroads on the leaders. Heading up the midfield is not a position that Di Matteo would want to get too comfortable in, having been a regular championship contender in recent years. After a challenging first race of the year, Di Matteo bounced back with a podium on the following day, and his next aim will be his first win for the year.
There are drivers aiming for their first podium of the year, the first of them being Terry Wilford (Fuchs Lubricants / Schick Ford Mustang). Despite the circuit being the stage for some of his most unfortunate moments, he has always shown good pace at the venue and will look to make the most of it. Trailing Di Matteo by four points, a strong result at Red Star Raceway can see him closing in on the leaders.
Warren Lombard (PepBoys Automotive Ford Falcon) is the most recent driver to have taken a win at the 13-turn circuit and would like to repeat this performance in this year’s outing. Four points adrift of Wilford, he is also eager to get in contention again for the 2023 title.
Steve Herbst (PPG Coatings / PREI Instrumentation / QI Systems Chevrolet Corvette) has 25 points to show from the season opener, already a significantly better start to the season than what he has had in the past two years. He is eager to continue this momentum at Red Star Raceway.
Larry Wilford (Aurora Bearings Chevrolet Corvette) will make his first appearance at Red Star Raceway. While 2022 saw a develop year for the new car, he is eager to contest for top positions at Red Star Raceway.
African Group Lubricants’ Marketing Manager Nicole Jooste is looking forward to experiencing the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars Rolling Thunder in Delmas. “Last year, I had the privilege of watching one of the races from the bridge on top of the main straight. You can feel it vibrate as the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars field pass underneath in anger, and the battle for the championship lead will be the highlights of this coming weekend’s programme.”
Saturday’s races will form part of the Extreme Festival event and are scheduled for 12:30 and 16:25. Both races will be contested over eight laps.
Spectator tickets can be purchased directly from Red Star Raceway upon arrival. The entire race programme will be broadcast live on the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars Facebook page and 2WheelsTV YouTube Channel.
Published by: Reynard Gelderblom
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