Angel flies at Phakisa Raceway
SPECTACLE: FERRARI 458 TAKES VICTORY IN BOTH EXTREME SUPERCAR RACES
Bit of luck seals Porsche 944’s victory in 200km endurance race.
The 2007 Extreme Festival visited the Free State Phakisa Raceway on Saturday, producing a full programme of high speed spectacle. Top billing belonged to the G&H Transport Extreme Supercars, with 17 exotic vehicles facing the starter.
Franco Scribante (Porsche 977 Turbo) led the opening race for three laps, but the car slowed and pitted with electronic maladies.
That left Marcel Angel (Autohaus Ferrari 458 GT3) to win from Craig Jarvis (Panacea Ferrari 458 GT3), Charl Arangies (Stradale Ferrari 430 GT3), Kishoor Pitamber (BMW 335i), Greg Parton (Drizit Lamborghini Hurican) and Jonathan du Toit (TAR Ferrari 430).
Angel, Jarvis and Arangies filled the podium again in the second race.
This time they were followed across the finish line by Parton, Nicky Dicks (Stradale Porsche 997) and Jimmy Giannoccaro (G&H Transport Ferrari F430).
Youngster Siyabonga Mankonkwana (Cervinia Rhema) took his maiden Hankook Formula Vee victory, followed in race one by Jaco Schriks (Cubed Coatings Rhema) and Gert van den Berg (BP Nantes Rhema).
Van den Berg won the next time out, leading home Peter Hills (Lube Fushion Rhema) and Mankonkwane.
Despite missing out on Friday’s practice sessions, old-timer Iain Pepper (Husqvarna Polo) won the opening VW Challenge race, leading home Stiaan Kriel (Spanjaard Polo) and Waldie Meintjies (Lee Thompson Polo).
Pepper repeated the victory in race two, this time with Meintjies second and Kriel third.
Dean Vos (Trolan Kawasaki ZX10R) won the initial Bridgestone Thunderbike race, narrowly ahead of Daryn Upton (Turn-Skill Kawasaki ZX10R) and Shaun Vermaak (Fourways Kawasaki ZX10R).
Youngster Siyabonga Mankonkwana took his maiden Formula Vee victory
Upton won the next time out, followed by Vos and Beaumont Levy (Motos BiUcrU Yamaha R1)
The opening Bridgestone Challenge race – red-flagged twice due to crashes - went to Nicolas Gertenbach (Westside Honda CBR), ahead of Naaslef Wadvalla (ZXR Kawasaki) and Ian Thomas (SA Compressor Kawasaki ZX6).
Gertenbach and Wadvalla finished first and second the next time around too, this time with Joe Herbig (MV Agusta) taking the final podium place.
Concluding the festivities was the annual Phakisa 200, a 48-lap endurance race for 111 Sports and autObarn Superhatch cars.
A massive 55-car grid assembled in the late afternoon, facing 200 kilometres of competition and a mandatory pit stop.
The pit stop entailed removing and replacing a wheel without power tools, while the driver had to vacate the car, wash the windscreen and get back in, or swap with a co-driver.
Charl and Harry Arangies emerged as the winners in their Stradale Porsche 944 Turbo – with a bit of blind luck thrown into the mix.
The pairing led for 47 laps, after which the Porsche started running out of fuel.
Harry Arangies got it to the pitlane on the last few fumes, where he crossed the finish line, to officially win.
They led home Jonathan/Mark du Toit (TAR Honda Civic), Stiaan Kriel/Robyn Kruger (Spanjaard Polo), Johan Hattingh (Nissan 350Z), Danie/Verity-Ann Deysel (Honda Civic) and Jannie van Rooyen/Gerhard Henn (VW Golf).
The next round of this year’s Extreme Festival series will take place at the Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, August 12.