Time to get revved again
André de Kock
It was a long time coming, and its most important component – spectators – will be absent.
Even so, Gauteng enthusiasts are happy to hear that motorsports will return to the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria this Saturday.
Topping the Zwartkops Winter Challenge programme will be the opening round of this year’s South African Endurance Series.
At the time of writing a field of over 30 cars was entered for the four-hour Backdraft 500, scheduled to start at 1.15pm.
Heading up the field will be Franco and Silvio Scribante in their Chevron Suzuki B26, facing off against people like Romano Sartori/Franco di Matteo (AMC Ligier Honda), James Forbes/ Riaan Bothma (Auto Investment Ligier), Duncan/Graham Vos (Ecurie Zoo Juno), Eric Salomon/ Dave Sinclair (Team Lessons Elf S06) and Dean Wolson/Philip
Meyer/Gerald Wright
Sports 2000).
Stradale Motorsport has entered Stuart White/Chassen Bright/Bradley van Zummeren (McLaren MP4-12C) and Charl Arangies/AN Other (Lamborghini Huracan).
Also running in the GT class will be the Autohaus Angel Ferrari 458.of Marcel and Dayne Angel, plus the works Backdraft Racing Roadsters of Brian Martin/Trevor Graham and Tony Martin/ (Wright
Mike McLoughlin.
The all-new Roadster class for Lexus V8-powered Backdraft cars should see front runners like Colin Ellison/Peter Jenkins, Bryan Morgan/Donavan Taylor, Zane Pierce/Brad Funnel, Clair Vale/ Wade von Zimmerman, Stiaan Kriel/Kosie Weyers and Steve Clark/Reghard Roets.
Others to watch should include Harm/Barend Pretorius, Graham/Jean du Toit, Charles Davis/ Pieter van Rooyen/Henri and Stefan
Zermatten, Paul Richter/Colin Clay, plus Bean Willams and Johan Meyer.
Almost a dozen cars, split across three classes, will fight it out for the tin-top crown.
Topping Class A will be the VW Polo GTi of Keagan, Bevin and Wayne Masters.
VW Motorsport’s Bradley Liebenberg and Jonathan Mogotsi (VW Polo GTi) will top Class B, challenged by people like Nathi Msimanga/Reaobaka Komane (Squadra Corse VW Polo).
The day’s main supporting race will be two rounds of the Bridgestone BMW Club Series, with top drivers like Sav Gualtieri (SAVSpeed BMW F30 335i), Ricky and Paulo Loureiro (Combined Racing F30 335i), Dino Familiaris (2002 E36 M3), Jorge Estrela (E36 M3), Andreas Meier (BMW E36 STE), Oz Biagioni (BioPool E46 M3) Jan Eversteyn (Bavaria 0.0% E46 M3).
There will also be races for Monoposto single seaters, Lotus Challenge cars, Backdraft Roadsters and Clubmans Cars.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 protocols in place for the event mean that no spectators will be permitted at Zwartkops, but, fans will be able to follow the action on the SA Endurance Series Facebook page.