What Youngtimers Red Star Report
Where Red Star Raceway, Delmas
When Saturday 10 June 2023
Community Gauteng Regional
Newcomer Gossman takes overall victory
Red Star Raceway may have dawned a chilly 10 degrees for Ben Morgenrood HRSA Classic Youngtimers qualifying on Saturday, but the fledgling series certainly served up sizzling racing. Modelled on the halcyon SATCAR and Group N days of the 1990s, Youngtimers call back that golden era of 1990s saloon car motor racing.
The freezing conditions could not stop Andy Gossman from slotting Jannie van Rooyen’s brand new built Volkswagen Jetta onto pole position, followed by Rob Clark’s Mosport Containerforce Honda Ballade.
Whilst the cold weather power boost was most welcome, the same could not be said for some of the Youngtimer racers’ tyres. Returning to racing after a long break, Brian Luyt spun his Mosport Honda Ballade SR4 several times as he struggled to get some heat into his reluctant rubber, while electrical issues hampered Mike O’Sullivan’s Mosport Ballade.
With the new Youngtimers class starting behind the regular HRSA Sprint grid, Clark’s Ballade got the jump on Gossman’s Jetta to lead heat 1 into turn 1, with O’Sullivan and Luyt’s Ballades in close attendance. Positions changed frequently in a frenetic first three laps, until O’Sullivan and Gossman gapped Clark. Luyt, who was still learning the winding Red Star circuit, meanwhile improved his lap times by 10 seconds over his qualifying time.
Going into the penultimate lap, Gossman overcooked it coming out of turn 15 and spun onto the grass to hand Clark second from O’Sullivan. Gossman and Luyt were third and fourth at the flag. All that changed up the Heat 2 grid to see O’Sullivan on pole, from Clark, Gossman and Luyt.
Gossman turned the tables on Clark at the lights and jumped ahead, but behind O’Sullivan. Then Clark took his turn to spin out at turn 3 on lap 2, losing time to both O’Sullivan and Gossman. From there the gaps were too big for Rob to come back as front runners. O’Sullivan opened a gap on Gossman.
The fat lady had however not yet sung and three laps from the end, a fractured exhaust leaked fumes into O’Sullivan’s cockpit, causing the veteran tin-top racer quite some distress and slowed his progress. Gossman, Clark and Luyt duly passed Mike as the four crossed the line in that order.
So, Gossman took overall honours, followed by Clark, O’Sullivan and fellow former Group N racer Luyt, who again improved his lap times through his comeback as he became ever more familiar with the circuit and car.
A growing grid of HRSA Classic Youngtimers will return to Red Star Raceway on 5 July. HRSA Classic Youngtimers welcomes prospective competitors. Contact: Rob Clark at clajhbg@iafrica.com for more info.
Issued on behalf of HRSA Youngtimers
Photography by: Paul Bedford
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