Taking racing to Extremes
SASOL GLOBAL TOURING CAR BRIGADE SET A HOT PACE IN THE WESTERN CAPE The action next moves to Kyalami on November 4.
The 2017 Extreme Festival visited the Western Cape Killarney circuit on Saturday, with a large crowd treated to a wide variety of national championship racing spectacle.
In the process, two South African title chases were finalised.
Official top billing belonged to the Sasol Global Touring Car brigade, where a titanic battle for this year’s title continued between Michael Stephen (Engen Xtreme Audi) and Gennaro Bonafede (Sasol BMW).
Bonafede took the opening heat victory, one tenth of a second ahead of Stephen after a 10-lap race-long fight for supremacy.
They led home Simon Moss (Engen Xtreme Audi), Robert Wolk (Sasol BMW), Michael van Rooyen (RSC BMW) and Mathew Hodges (VW Motorsport Jetta).
Stephen reversed the order the second time out, comfortably leading home Bonafede, Moss, Hodges and Daniel Rowe (VW Motorsport Jetta).
The first GTC2 victory went to Trevor Bland (TB VW Golf GTI), followed by Charl Smalberger (Nathan’s Golf GTI), Mandla Mdakane (VW Motorsport Golf GTI), Bradley Liebenberg (Ferodo MINI JCW), Chris Shorter (Champion MINI JCW) and Nick Adcock (Rico Barlow Golf GTI).
Keagan Masters (VW Motorsport Golf GTI), who suffered an off-track excursion the first time, returned to win race two from Shorter, Smalberger, Bland, Liebenberg and Iain Stevenson (Comsol Golf GTI).
Local hero Dawie Joubert took his Motul Lotus Exige Honda to the opening G&H Transport Extreme Supercar race win, comfortably ahead of Marcel Angel (Autohaus Angel Ferrari 458 GT3), Craig Jarvis (Panacea Ferrari 458 GT3), Franco Scribante (Porsche 997 T), Nicky Dicks (Curvent Porsche 997 T) and Dino Scribante (Liqui Moly Porsche 997 T).
Race two saw both Dawie Joubert’s Lotus and Franco Scribante’s Porsche blow turbochargers.
That left Angel to win, leading home the similar Ferrari of Jarvis, Dawie Olivier (G&H Transport BMW M3), Dino Scribante, Adrian Dalton (Xtra Clothing BMW CSL) and Ricky Giannoccaro (G&H Transport BMW M3).
The day’s closest finish was provided by the Engen Volkswagen Cup category.
Woman racer Tasmin Pepper (Campos Polo) beat Shaun la Reserve (Alpine Motors Polo) to the flag by five hundreths of a second, with Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Health Polo) in the final podium place.
Championship leader Devin Robertson, who suffered gearbox maladies with his Payen Polo, finished ninth.
He returned in style the next time out, to win ahead of Kruger and Pepper.
In so doing, Robertson became this year’s Engen Volkswagen Cup champion.
Another South African champion was crowned in the Investchem Formula 1600 category, when Julian van der Watt (RDSA Mygale) led the day’s first race from start to finish.
He led home Josua Dolinschek (Mygale Ford) and Dean Venter (Desco Mygale).
Van der Watt won race two as well, followed by Dolinschek and Liam Pienaar (Phoenix Jewellers Mygale).
Graeme van Breda (Ivid ZX10R) won both the Red Square Kawasaki Masters races.
On the first occasion he was chased to the flag by Sven Grune (Kawasaki ZX10) and Pieter de Vos (Kawasai ZX10).
The next time out, Jaco Gous (Central Propshaft ZX10) and Grune filled the podium.
Jaco Schriks (Cubed Coatings Rhema) won both the Hankook Formula Vee races.
The first time he finished ahead of Peter Hills (Lubefusion Rhema) and Siyabonga Mankonkwana (Cervinia Rhema).
In race two, Lushen Ramchander (Miami Products Forza) and Hills filled out the podium.
Shane du Toit (S&S Meat VW Golf 1 Turbo) won both the races for Midas Clubmans Saloon Cars, chased to the flag by Michael le Sueur (New Engineering Golf Turbo).
Danie van Niekerk (Wingfield Motors BMW325i Turbo) and Clint Rennard (SpeedPrecision Golf 2L) took turns on the final podium step.
The next round of the 2017 Extreme Festival series will be held at the Kyalami circuit on Saturday, November 4.