What CompCare Polo Cup 2023 Round 7 Report
Where Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria
When Saturday 14 October 2023
Community South Africa National
Charl takes the title as Anthony & Dawie van der Merwe win
Charl Michael Visser wrapped up the 2023 CompCare Polo Cup championship with a measured drive to third overall at Zwartkops’ Extreme Festival on Saturday. Visser’s closest title rivals, Dawie van der Merwe and Anthony Pretorius won the two races on the day as van der Merwe ended up second in the title chase, with Pretorius third.
Visser took a healthy 33 point lead into the weekend, thanks to six race wins through the season versus van der Merwe’s triple wins, leaving former multiple SA karting champion Charl needing only to follow Dawie home in the first race, to wrap up his main circuit title.
Home hero Anthony Pretorius however wasted no time to add the pole position bonus point aboard his Fast Development Bucket List Polo. Richards Bay racer Jason Loosemore continued his steady rise to snatch second aboard his Security Fencing & Alarms Team Red version, from Universal Motorsport teammate and champion elect, Cape lad Visser.
Behind them another Gauteng local, Dean Venter once again ruffled feathers to put his M-Town VDN version fifth ahead of Mohammed Karodia, who reached Superpole for the first time in his Fast 5 entry. There was drama behind as title contender, Mbombela lad van der Merwe had to give it his all to sneak into the top six Superpole with a late lap aboard his Nathan Motorsport Polo Cup.
Pretorius then continued where he left off to grab pole position in the Superpole shootout from Loosemore, while van der Merwe had a better run to edge title rival Visser for third. Karodia and Venter rounded off the top three rows of the grid.
Behind them, regular Superpole contenders, Nathan Victor’s Summit Racing car and QV Motorsport entry Farhaan Basha shared the fourth row from Techtisa driver Bryce Pillay back in the top ten alongside Ethan Coetzee’s JRT Racing Experience machine. Team Red trio, Tyler Robinson was eleventh on the grid in her AF Fans Polo, from Roshaan Goodman’s National Motorsport Mzansi version and Syrabix driver Jeandre Marais, with Squadra Corse’s Reaobaka Komane fourteenth on the grid.
Anthony Pretorius made a clean getaway to lead the opening race as title contenders Charl Visser and Dawie van der Merwe jumped Jason Loosemore at the start. Pretorius took no prisoners as he maintained a steady gap over those behind and set the fastest lap to grab another bonus point. Visser meanwhile did what he had to and followed van der Merwe home in third, to clinch the championship.
Behind them, Loosemore settled for fourth, initially ahead of Karodia, before Nathan Victor and Farhaan Basha picked him off. Karodia then slipped wide to allow teammate Ethan Coetzee, Reaobaka Komane off an impressive drive from the back, and Dean Venter through. Karodia ultimately slipped to tenth from Tyler Robinson, Jeandre Marais Bryce Pillay who started from the pit lane, and Roshaan Goodman.
Dawie van der Merwe sat on pole position for race 2 from Nathan Victor, Farhaan Basha, champion Charl Visser and race 1 winner Anthony Pretorius. Van der Merwe duly took charge, with Victor second from Basha, Visser and Anthony. Then Ethan Coetzee and Mo Karodia went off in turn 1 to bring out the red flag. Racing resumed line astern in that order, as Victor attacked, but van der Merwe fought him, Basha and Visser off. Pretorius passed Visser for fourth, while van der Merwe established a growing lead, and it settled down. Only for Victor to drop it under braking at Turn 5 on the last lap.
So Dawie van der Merwe won race 2 from Farhaan Basha, Anthony Pretorius, Charl Visser and Nathan Victor. Jason Loosemore followed in sixth from Dean Venter, Reaobaka Komane and Bryce Pillay, Jeandre Marais, Tyler Robinson and Roshaan Goodman. Overall, van der Merwe took the day from Pretorius, Visser, Basha, Victor and Loosemore. And Visser took the title from van der Merwe, Pretorius, Basha, Victor and Loosemore.
Volkswagen Motorsport thanks its partners CompCare Medical Scheme, Dunlop, Ferodo, Motul, Sparco and VW Genuine Parts.
Issued on behalf of Volkswagen Motorsport
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