What Inland Championship Race Report
Where Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria
When Saturday 19 August 2023
Community Gauteng Regional
A splendid and varied day of racing entertains in Pretoria
A crisp late winter’s Zwartkops Raceway entertained race fans with a delightful blend of Inland Championship racing on Saturday. It was always going to be a great day on track with several fields, a great variety of splendid historic and contemporary cars racing in the Pretoria circuits favourite, and some other cool classes – Zwartkops certainly delivered.
Jonathan du Toit and his wieldy Chevron B8 put one over Larry Wilford’s smoky Lola T70 to take the opening Legends of the 9 Hour Sport, GT and Trans Am race win. A Ford V8 powered gang followed as Lee Thompson’s Shelby Daytona ended third ahead of Trans Am winner Ben Morgenrood’s Musang. Pre 66 winner James Temple’s Daytona was next home from Warren Lombard’s Cobra and Seef Fourie Jr.’s Mustang. Wilford bounced back to put one over du Toit in race 2, but it wasn’t enough to topple Jonathan for the overall win. Thompson ended third again from Temple, Lombard, Morgenrood and Fourie.
Ben Morgenrood’s Ford Mustang took the opening Marlboro Crane Hire Legends V8 and Historic Saloon Car race from Chevy duo Lee Thompson’s Camaro and Jonathan du Toit in a Nova. Hennie Groenewald’s nimble Ford Escort was fourth from Jonathan Needham’s Ford Cortina and Marc Miller’s Alfa Giulia. Giant killer Groenewald then beat overall winner Jonathan du Toit to the second race win after Morgenrood and Thompson found early troubles. That allowed Paige Lindenberg’s Ford Fairlane up to fourth from Miller, Warren Lombard’s BMW 2002ti, and Francesco Lombardi in his Alfa Giulia Sprint.
There was a bit of a shake-up in the Lotus Challenge, where the so far dominant Thomas Falkiner and his Taylon arrived to find a feisty Birkin duo, Mackie Adlem and Rudi Barnard right up to speed. Adlem duly took the first race win from Barnard and Thomas Falkiner, with Birkin lot Jeff Gable, John Kruger, and Brett van Rensburg next. Sean Hepburn beat Nick Hodgson and Davide Favo to Locost honours. It was much the same in race 2 as Adlem edged Barnard with Falkiner in chase ahead of JP Nortje, Gable, and van Rensburg, while Hepburn beat Andre du Plessis and Favo in the Locost race.
Sportscar Seven trio Glenton Rebello’s Birkin, Adriaan Le Roux’s Caterham and Ismail Peck in a Lotus were the top three in the opening On Track Magazine Clubmans and National Sportscar race. Class B winner Dumisane Mazibuko’s Tigra was the first Clubmans car home from Class C duo Dirk Lawrence’s Ballade and Jonathan Visser’s Polo. Rodney Kruis’ Ballade held Golf 1 men Wayne Pereira and Wayne Lebotschy off in Class D. The same three sportscars topped race 2 as invitational entry Jannie van Rooyen’s Historic Scirocco was best of the tin-tops from Kruis, Pereira, Lawrence, Johan Labuschagne’s Subaru, and Lebotschy.
It was a case of mix and match as IRS Roofsure Midrand Historics and Superhatch shared the track. Seef Fourie Senior’s Datsun 160Y put one over Superhatch two Karel Stolts’ Etios and Francis Aldrich’s Corsa in race 1. Ian Kilburn’s Historic Datsun was next from Superhatch man Jonathan du Toit’s Honda and Wesley Rautenbach’s Historic Datsun. Deon Schwabsky’s Escort, Gerrit Murray’s Alfa GTV and JJ Venter’s Jetta won the Historic classes, while George Aldrich’s Peugeot beat Steve Mearns’ Golf to Superhatch B. Stols and du Toit took revenge in heat 2 with Rautenbach best of the Historics from Ian Richards’ Datsun and Fourie, and the classes as per race 1.
A healthy pack of INEX Legends saw Devin beat nephew Jagger Robertson to race 1 victory with Sebastian Lanzetti, Seef Fourie Jr, Tyler Robinson, and Jayden Goosen in chase. Jagger beat Devin to race 2 with Fourie third from Lanzetti, Robinson and Goosen, before Devin struck back to beat Jagger to the final, with racing lass Tyler Robinson a fine third from Fourie, Goosen and Richard van Heerde.
Marius Jacobs took the opening Silvercup 2.0 win from Karel Stols, Shaun Lamprecht and Class A winner Jonathan Visser. First Class C man Giles Darroch was next home from Class B winner Wayne Pereira, Chris Cronje, Don Mackay, Michael Kernick and Dewald Pretorius. Jacobs again beat Stols and Lambrecht in race 2 with Class A winner Mike MacGregor fourth from Visser, Darroch, Cronje, Mackay, Paul van Niekerk and Kernick.
Zwartkops now takes a break from racing until the next Inland Championship race there on 7 October, a week before the National Extreme Festival Finals on 14 October.
Issued on behalf of Zwartkops Raceway
Photography by: Paul Bedford
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