The Citizen (KZN)

Formula 1 GP pull-out tomorrow

NAILBITING STANDOFFS: DESPITE INCLEMENT WEATHER, CROWDS GOT THEIR MONEY’S WORTH

- Circuit Racing Correspond­ent

From leaders bashing each other off the track, to breathtaki­ng equalisers – race day had it all.

The weather was not kind at Zwartkops on Saturday, during the opening round of this year’s regional Extreme Festival series.

But, those who braved the cold and sometimes wet conditions were rewarded with a full day of spectacula­r circuit racing.

The opening race for autObarn Super Hatch cars saw a huge dice for the lead between Brett Garland (autObarn Honda Civic) and Jonathan du Toit (TAR Honda Civic).

Coming into the pit straight on the penultimat­e lap they touched, sending both cars spinning off the circuit.

That left Werner Pieterse (Scarlet Sun VW Golf) to win, followed by a recovered Garland and Du Toit, Louis Scholtz (Car Care Clinic Honda Civic) and Andre Dannhauser (Jestic Opel Corsa).

Du Toit made no mistakes the next time around, leading from start to finish.

He was followed by Garland, Pieterse, Scholtz and Zane van Zyl (Credit Guarantee Golf).

Nic Clarke (AVO Suspension Polo) won the first Motor Mart VW Challenge race from Waldie Meintjies (Dimension Signs Polo), Lyle Ramsay (Monroe Polo) and Wayne Masters (Performanc­e Masters Polo) and Devon Masters (CPS Warehouse Polo).

Rory Atkinson (BHIT Polo), who had retired from race one, returned to win race two from Ramsay, Meintjies, Wayne Masters and Devon Masters.

Jaco Schriks (Bean Child Rhema) emerged as the opening Hankook Formula Vee race winner, after a race-long dice with Lushen Ramchander (Technical Rope Forza) and Lendl Jansen (VW Formula Vee).

Schriks won race two as well, this time chased to the finish line by Ross Rugheimer (Rhema) and Symm Grobler (Rhema).

The first Car Care Clinic 111 Sports and Saloon Car race went to Neil Lobb (TVR Chimeara), leading home Gerhard Henning(www.toyota.spares; VW Golf) and George Bezuidenho­ut (Accolade Nissan Primera).

Bjorn Gebert (FAS Alfa Romeo GTV6) won race two from Lobb and Henning.

Martin Botha (Climax Datsun 1200GX) won the first Midvaal Historics race from Brendon Parker (Datsun GX Coupe) and Andy Gossman (Dimension Signs VW Scirocco).

Botha won again the next time, followed by Gossman and Regard van Zyl (Alfa GTV).

Both the Motul Modified Production Car races went to Keagan Pottas (EV Dynamics Honda CRV), ahead of Adrian Dalton (Xtra Shoes VW Golf) and Jeff Langeveld (JDM Tuning Honda CRX).

Marius Jacobs (AA Recovery Tigra) took the first Big Boss Auto Supersaloo­n race from Franco di Matteo (Deltech Batteries Alfa GT) and Evert Seyffert (Cable Solutions Chev Can-Am).

Di Matteo took the second victory, ahead of JP Nortje (N4 Autocraft VW Corrado) and Jacobs.

Mark Lauth won the opening National Sports Car race in his Shelby Can-Am, followed by Klippies Krige (Lotus 7) and Fritz Kleynhans (Comenius Ligier J549).

The next time around Lauth led home Ian Smith (Shelby CanAm) and Krige.

The opening Bridgeston­e Challenge race went to Coen Erasmus (Auto Investment BMW S1000RR), ahead of Warren Els (Honda CBR) and Mark Wakeling (Westside Kawasaki ZX10).

Els won race two from Erasmus and Wakeling.

The first national round of the 2018 Extreme Festival will take place at the Kyalami circuit this Saturday.

The opening race for autObarn Super Hatch cars saw a huge dice for the lead

 ?? Picture: RacePics ?? CLOSE DICE. Jonathan du Toit (TAR Honda Civic) and Brett Garland (autObarn Honda Civic) fought tooth and nail in both of Saturday’s autObarn Hot Hatch races at Zwartkops.
Picture: RacePics CLOSE DICE. Jonathan du Toit (TAR Honda Civic) and Brett Garland (autObarn Honda Civic) fought tooth and nail in both of Saturday’s autObarn Hot Hatch races at Zwartkops.

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