Zwartkops racing just Extreme
Fans flock to track to witness compelling racing action.
This year’s Extreme Festival racing series started on a brilliant note at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria yesterday. Round one of the travelling show produced a large crowd, close racing and a brilliant spectacle.
Top billing belonged to two races for G&H Transport Extreme Supercars, with frontrunners Leeroy Poulter (Daytona McLaren GT3) and Franco Scribante (NAMED Ferrari 430 GT3) separated by one thousandth of a second after the official qualifying session.
The two drivers tackled race one nose to tail until, on lap three, they tried to occupy the same piece of tarmac in the hairpin. Poulter’s car spun and stalled, leaving Scribante to win in the Ferrari, ahead of Dawie Olivier (G&H Transport BMW M3), Adrian Dalton (Xtra Clothing BMW CSL), Oliver Dalais (Ford GT) and Ricky Giannoccaro (G&H Transport BMW M3 GTR).
A recovered Poulter scythed through the field to eventually take eighth place.
Poulter led race two from starting lights to finish line, while Scribante suffered fuel surge maladies with his Ferrari.
That left Jonathan du Toit (TAR Ferrari 430) in second place, followed by Dalton, Olivier and Dalais.
Stiaan Kriel (N4 Autocraft Polo) won both the Comsol VW Challenge races from Iain Pepper (Campos Transport Polo) and James Hurley (Starter Pack Polo).
The first Bridgestone Thunderbike/Sub 10 Superbike race went to Damian Purificati (BMW S1000RR), followed by Chris du Plessis (MASC Yamaha R1) and Shaun Jubber (RADMoto KTM RC8).
Jubber fell in race two and Pu- rificati won again, ahead of Gavin Upton (Motion Perfection Yamaha) and Du Plessis.
Veteran Graeme van Breda (IVID ZX10R) won the opening Red Square Kawasaki Masters Cup race from Gareth Bezuidenhout (Kawasaki ZX10R) and Sven Grune (Kawasaki ZX10R).
Van Breda repeated his show of superiority in race two, this time leading home Grune and Bezuidenhout.
Harry Arangies (Stradale Porsche 944) took the race for 111 Sports and Saloon Cars, chased home by Louis Cloete (apc-online. co.za VW Beetle) and Rory Eland (Dialogic Polo).
The opening Formula Vee race went to Jaco Schriks (Formula Vee), winning from Peter Hills (Lube Fusion Vee) and Gert van den Berg (BP Nantes Vee).
Schriks took race two as well, this time leading home Greg Wilson (Reflex Solutions Vee) and Lushen Ramchander (Miami Products Vee).
Jonathan du Toit (TAR Honda Civic) won the first autObarn Superhatch race ahead of Chris Davison (Opel Superboss) and Nic Martin (Rex Diff Opel Kadett).
Brett Garland (autObarn Honda Civic) won the next time, followed by Du Toit and Davison.
Peter Clark (iSolve Kawasaki) took the first Bridgestone Challenge race from Peter Blackman (Zambezi BMW S1000RR) and Austin Oliver (No Rules Triumph Daytona).
Pieter Grobler (Van Breda Kawasaki) took the second victory, followed by Wayne Spicer (Wellness Group Kawasaki) and Leon van den Berg (Suzuki 750).
The next race meeting at Zwartkops will be a round of the 2017 Inland Championship on Saturday, April 8.