Dazzling racing at Zwartkops Pro Tour

Published Jul 2, 2012

Share

Pro Tour racing returned to Zwartkops Raceway in spectacular fashion at the weekend as former GT Challenge champion Toby Venter return with a vengeance in his works Porsche GT3.

GT Challenge/GT Classics

Venter qualified the car on pole and led the first GT Challenge race from start to finish, winning the unopposed GTC Unlimited class in the process. He led home Class GTC1 winner Vernon Bricknell (Porsche GT3), GTC2 winner Sun Moodley (Porsche GT3), Jonathan Schenkman (Ferrari F430), Greg Parton (KTM) and Johan Engelbrecht (Porsche GT3).

Kris Budnik (BMW M3) won the GTC3 class from Deon du Plessis (KTM) and Nicky Dicks (Porsche GT3).

Donovan Symes (Porsche 935 K3) won the Classic race overall, ahead of George Avvakoumides (Porsche 911), Willem van der Westhuizen (Porsche 911) and Stefan Puschavez (Porsche 911).

Venter repeated the GTC Unlimited victory in Race 2, again followed across the line by Bricknell's GTC1. This time Greg Parton took his GTC2 KTM to third ahead of Engelbrecht, Moodley and Andrew Culbert (Porsche GT3).

Budnik again won the GTC3 class from Du Plessis, while Van der Westhuizen took the Classic honours from Greg Wildman (Porsche 911).

Formula Vee

Race 1 saw pole position qualifier Greg Wilson (Rhema) spin off in the first corner and wqind up with his car stuck in the kitty litter. Two laps later, a back-marker slid off in the same spot, hitting Wilson's stationary car hard enough to rip wheels off both. The race was stopped and the carnage cleared.

At the restart, Scott Temple (Rhema 2) won from Alan Holm (Rhema 2), Peter Hills (Rhema 2), Jaco Schriks (Rhema 2), Symm Grobler (Rhema 2) and Gareth Jackson (Rhema 2).

The drama resumed in Race 2, when Nicolas Tennant tangled wheels with another competitor and somersaulted his Rhema car on the Table Top. The race was stopped and the driver rescued from the melee, suffering from soft tissue injuries.

Veteran Alan Holm then took the victory from Temple, Wilson, Schriks and Gert van der Berg.

Kawasaki ZX10 Masters

With championship leader Stewart Macleod away on holiday, South Africa's most exciting one-make series was wide open - and produced brilliant racing.

Brian Bontekoning and Pieter de Vos took it all the way to the line in Race 1, with both riders spending time in the lead - but Bontekoning was in front when it mattered, beating De Vos to the flag by two tenths of a second. Joe Shearer took the final podium place, ahead of Tony Klem, Paul Jacobs and Johan le Roux.

The second race was almost a carbon copy of the first, with Bontekoning and De Vos again engaged in a full-scale war. This time De Vos won from Bontekoning, ahead of Shearer, Klem and Jacobs.

Goldwagen Challenge

The VW-based production categories were busy affairs with high attrition rates. Young Charl Smalberger got a love tap in the first lap of Race 1 that resulted in him emulating airborne reverse flight simulator procedures.

Lee Thompson (Polo) took Class A honours for the day, while lady racer Elna Croeser (Golf) did the same in Class B. Class C victory went to Jannie van Rooyen (Golf), with youngster Lyle Ramsay (Golf) the day's Class D winner.

Shelby Can Am

Defending champion Rui Campos took Race 1 from Brian Algar, Alan Eve, Thomas Reib and Gerald Chapman. Race two went to Algar, ahead of Campos, Reib and Eve.

The next round of the Pro Tour will be run at Kyalami on Saturday, July 28.

Related Topics: