Close call as Fourie Jnr spins and misses high-speed crash
The Zwartkops Raceway’s annual Passion for Speed extravaganza returned in style over the weekend, with 16 competition disciplines in action.
The event’s highlights happened on Saturday, with top billing going to races for Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-1966 Legend Saloon Cars.
The first race saw Jonathan du Toit (Chevrolet Nova) lead all the way to win from Ben Morgenrood (Ford Mustang), Mark du Toit (Ford Fairlane), Sarel van der Merwe (Ford Galaxie) and Oliver Broome (Ford Mustang).
The race produced the day’s closest escape when Seef Fourie Jnr spun his Ford Galaxie in the back straight and came within centimetres of collecting a tyre wall while travelling backwards at over 170km/h.
Race two saw Jonathan du Toit, Morgenrood and Jeffrey Kruger (Ford Comet) covered by less than a second over the finish line, with Fourie Jnr and Van der Merwe filling out the top five.
Officially, the day’s premier billing belonged to a 45-minute race for Castrol Pre-1968 Le Mans Sports and GT cars.
After taking turns in the lead, the Ford GT40s of Jonathan du Toit and Olivier Dalais both ran out of brakes and retired.
That left Dennis Temple to win in his Shelby Daytona Coupe, followed by Josh Dovey (Ginetta), Johan de Bruyn (Porsche RSR), Peter Bailey (Shelby Daytona Coupe) and Alan Garrow (Cobra 289).
Youngster Riaan Lubbe (Alfa GT Junior) took both the races for Marlboro Crane Hire Pre1966 Little Giants, leading home
Terence Botes (Mini Cooper) and Gary Stacey (Ford Cortina) on the first occasion.
In race two Lubbe was followed by Stacey and John Simpson (Alfa Giulia GT).
Old-timer Willie Hepburn (Sabat Rekord V8) won both the Auto Truck Tyre International Sports Prototypes races from Rob Beaumont (Porsche 917), with Kruger (Chev Camaro) and Rudolph de Vos (Chev CanAm) taking turns in the respective third places.
Both the G&H Transport Extreme Supercar races went to Charl Arangies (Lamborghini Huracan), ahead of Paulo Loureiro (BMW F30).
Kris Budnik (Dodge Viper) and Morgenrood (Lexus V8) took turns in the third places.
Franco Donadio (Ford Escort Mk1) won both the Pre-1980 Midvaal Historic races from the Alfa GTV6 entries of Bjorn Gebert and Mario Rossi.
Ian Schofield (March 77B) won both Historic Single Seater races from Ben van der Westhuizen (Royale RP24) and Des Hillary (Dulon MP158).
Thomas Reib (Chev Lumina) took the opening Mobil 1 V8 Supercar race ahead of Franco di Matteo (Jaguar XKR) and Mackie Adlem (Jaguar XKR).
Adlem won race two from Richard Fuller (Mustang) and Warren Lombard (Falcon).
The Pozidrive VW Challenge brought the biggest entry of 34 cars, with Rory Atkinson (BHIT Polo), winning both races from Waldie Meintjies (Pozidrive Polo).
Wayne Masters (Performance Masters Polo) and Dawie van der Merwe (Universal Polo) took the respective third places.
Charl Smalberger (Volkswagen Polo) won the Car Care Clinic 111 Sports and Saloon car sprint race ahead of Mikaeel Pitamber (Mini Cooper) and Adrian Dalton (VW Golf Turbo).
The Car Care Clinic SuperHatch sprint went to Brett Garland (Honda Civic), ahead of Jonathan du Toit (Honda Civic) and André Dannhauser (Opel Corsa).
The two classes combined in a 40 minute race at dusk, won by Smalberger, ahead of Bob Neil (Honda Type R) and Pitamber (Mini Cooper).