Benjamin the man to watch

SAMCAR V8 Supercars expected to set event’s quickest lap times. PHAKISA: SEVEN COMPETITION DISCIPLINES ON THE MENU AT THE WELKOM RACE TRACK

The Regional contingent of the 2018 Extreme Festival will perform at the Free State Phakisa Raceway near Welkom this Saturday, with seven separate competition disciplines on the menu.

Topping the menu will be two races for SAMCAR V8 Supercars, with the massively tyred and winged, 450 kW vehicles fully expected to set the event’s quickest lap times.

Front runners should include Benjamin Morgenrood (Morgenrood Ford Mustang), Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Jaguar), Terry Wilford (Fuchs Falcon), Franco di Matteo (Varta Batteries Jaguar), Larry Wilford (Fuchs Mustang), Steve Herbst (Pri Instrumentation Chevrolet Corvette) and Ian Young (Associated Alterations Ford Falcon).

The Red Square Kawasaki Masters race should see a continuation of the tough fight for supremacy between defending champion Graeme van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks ZX10R) and Sven Grune (Kawasaki ZX10R).

Other riders who could interfere with their fight should include Jaco Gouws (Kawasaki ZX10R), Apanna Ganapathy (ART ZX10R), Gareth Bezuidenhout (Kawasaki ZX10R), Pieter de Vos (Kawasaki ZX10R), Johan le Roux (Avidan ZX10R), Jonty Collard (Kawasaki ZX10R), Teddy Brooke (Brooke Refrigeration ZX10R) and Brian Bontekoning (Mayfair ZX10R).

The races for Car Care Clinic 111 Sports and Saloon Cars will provide the event’s biggest field, with some 25 cars taking to the Phakisa tarmac.

Top contenders should include Wouter Roos (Strata Drilling VW Golf), Louis Cloete (SV Tech VW Beetle), Veritie-Ann Joubert (Honda Spares Ballade), Danie Deysel (Solly’s Tyres Honda Civic), Mel- anie Spurr (G&H Wealth Avenue VW Polo), Louis Scholtz (Car Care Clinic Honda Civic), Gerhard Henning (Toyota Replacement VW Polo) and Mark Harvey (Adapt Design Porsche 944).

Veteran and multiple champion Lance Isaacs (Supabets BMW S100RR) must be the victory favourite in the Bridgestone Thunderbike and Sub-10 Superbike races.

His closest adversaries should include Clifford Ogle (Rapid Bike Ducati Panigale), Harry Timmerman (Supabets BMW S1000RR), Joe Herbig (MV Agusta), Byron Rothquel (Mag Magic BMW S1000RR), Dirk Stols (Road Spec Kawasaki ZX10R), Harry Potgieter (T-Squared Projects Kawasaki) and Adan Barnard (GB Projects Kawasaki ZX10R).

The Bridgestone Challenge races should see people like Michael Dixon (Westside Motorcycles Honda CBR), Zaidy Williams (Dectha Steel Suzuki GSXR), Loutjie Vermeulen (Auto-Lo Suzuki GSXR) and Nienke Ferguson (Places and Prices Yamaha R6) fighting for podium places.

Rounding out the day will be two races for National Sports Cars, with front runners expected to include Paul Sullivan (SBK Nash MV3), James Forbes (Nash ADR MCE 3) and Fritz Kleynhans (Comenius Ligier JS 49). – Circuit Racing Correspondent

Pictures: RacePics FAST AND FURIOUS. Benjamin Morgenrood (Morgenrood Ford Mustang) should be the favourite in Saturday’s SAMCAR V8 Supercar races, with the category expected to set the day’s quickest lap times.

HOT. Defending champion Graeme van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks ZX10R) could win the Kawasaki Masters races.

BUSY STUFF. The races for Car Care Clinic 111 Sports and Saloon Cars will see a wide variety of vehicles on track, with the Strata Drilling VW Golf of Wouter Roos a podium contender.