Packed day at Aldo Scribante
2017 EXTREME FESTIVAL DOES NOT DISAPPOINT IN PORT ELIZABETH Local hero Michael Stephen shines in Sasol Global Touring Car qualifying session and wins on the day.
The 2017 Extreme Festival visited the Aldo Scribante circuit near Port Elizabeth on Saturday, treating a large Eastern Cape crowd to a full programme of spectacular motorsport.
Top billing belonged to the Sasol Global Touring Car category, where local hero Michael Stephen (Engen Xtreme Audi) took pole position in Friday’s official qualifying session.
Stephen backed that up with a flawless victory in Saturday’s first race, chased to the flag by his Engen Xtreme Audi team-mate Simon Moss, championship point leader Gennaro Bonafede (Sasol BMW), Johan Fourie (EPS Couriers BMW), Michael van Rooyen (RSC BMW) and Daniel Rowe (Volkswagen Jetta).
Race two, from an inverted starting grid, saw Bonafede and Stephen try to claim the same piece of tarmac, with the resultant contact sending both cars spinning into the flora.
Johan Fourie’s BMW and the Rowe’s Jetta clashed on the final lap, while Van Rooyen outbraked himself and ran off the tarmac.
All of which left Robert Wolk to take his Sasol BMW to victory, followed by Moss, Mathew Hodges (VW Jetta), Stephen, Bonafede and Van Rooyen.
Eastern Cape driver Bryn High had a brilliant Touring Car debut, winning the first GTC2 race in his S&K Diesels Chev Cruze .
He led home Trevor Bland (TB Golf GTI), Charl Smalberger (Lee Thompson VW Golf GTI), Bradley Liebenberg (Ferodo Mini JCW), Mandla Mdakane (Golf GTI) and Keagan Masters (Golf GTI).
Chris Shorter (Champion Mini JCW) won the next race from Masters, Smalberger, Iain Stevenson (Comsol Golf GTI) and High.
Pre-event favourite Devin Robertson (Payen Polo) led the opening Engen Volkswagen Cup race from start to finish, chased by Juan Gerber (Glasfit Polo), Clinton Bezuidenhout (Glyco Polo), Shaun la Reservee (Alpine Motors Polo) and Darren Oates (Glasfit Polo).
Race two, started from an inverted grid, saw novice Jonathan Mogotsi take his VW Driving Academy Polo to a brilliant victory, beating Justin Oates (Glasfit Polo), Devin Robertson, Darren Oates (CTrack Polo), and Tasmin Pepper (Campos Polo) to the line.
The first Investec Formula 1 600 single-seater race went to Julian van der Watt (Investchem Mygale), leading home Stuart White (Fantastic Mygale), Cameron O’Connor (Mygale), Alex Gillespie (Mygale) and Liam Pienaar (Phoenix Jewellers Mygale).
Van der Watt and White led race two followed by Gillespie, O’Connor, Brad Beningfield (General Energy Mygale) and Andrew Schofield (Investchem Mygale).
The initial Red Square Kawasaki ZX10 Masters race was redflagged after two laps when Henk Shuilling high-sided his Air Systems ZX10R at the end of the pit straight and fell hard.
After the restart, defending champion Sven Grune won from Graeme van Breda (IVID ZX10R), Pieter de Vos (Kawasaki ZX10R), Jaco Gous (Kawasaki ZX10R) and Gareth Bezuidenhout (Kawasaki ZX10R).
Van Breda returned with a vengeance the next time out and won, followed by Grune, De Vos, Bezuidenhout and Sanjiv Singh (Double Apex ZX10R).
Former South African Superbike champion Arushen Moodley took his Dynamic Express Yamaha R1 to both AMSC Club Motorcycle race victory, setting the day’s overall quickest lap time of 63.80 seconds.
He was followed by Jared Schultz (Kawasaki ZX6R) and Dominic Doyle (Triumph 675) on both occasions.
Niwyaas Modack (Audi S4 4WD) won the first AMSC Regional Modified Saloon Car race ahead of Bevan Schwartz (Chev Corvette) and Brent Watts (Nissan Skyline R33).
Nick Davidson (Audi S4 4WD) won the next heat, followed by Schwartz and Modack.
The next round of the festival will be at the Free State Phakisa Raceway on Saturday.