JOHANNESBURG - South African motorsports competitors enjoyed another positive weekend on home turf, and abroad.
Darryn Binder (KTM) delivered his best-ever Moto 3 result with a brilliant second in the Argentinean Grand Prix, while his brother, Brad, came home to a fighting fifth on his Moto 2 Ajo KTM.
On four wheels, SA’s former Nurburgring 24 hour winner Kelvin van der Linde, sharing his Audi R8 with Germans Christopher Mies and Markus Winkelhock, ended seventh in the California 8 Hour Intercontinental GT Challenge but it was a race to forget for another South African, Jordan Pepper, sharing with Brit Steven Kane and Frenchman Jules Gounon, after their Bentley retired following a series of mechanical gremlins.
Back on South African soil, national racing action saw a thrilling second round TRP SA Motocross at Cape Town’s Zone 7 as a Maddy Malan (Q4 Fuels Husqvarna) oercame a flat tyre to share 450cc MX1 wins and second places with Lloyd Vercueil (Yamaha). Home hero Anthony Raynard (Yamaha) stamped his authority on the MX2 class; over-30 year old rider Troy Engelbrecht (KTM) shared MX3 wins with over-40 rider Ian Topliss (Yamaha). Tayla Raaf (KTM) took Ladies honours.
Dalton Venter (Husqvarna) took both 125cc High School races, Uganda’s Stav Orland (KTM) was unstoppable in big wheel 85cc Pro and Zimbabwean Emmanuel Bako was unbeaten in 85cc Juniors; Niel van der Vyver (Q4 Fuels Husqvarna) continued his domination of the primary school 65s and Ethan Williamson (Husqvarna) took baby 50cc honours, sharing the wins with Christian Berrington-Smith (KTM).
SA champions Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle meanwhile dominated the season-opening Overberg Grand Prix SA National Rally in their R2 Gazoo Toyota Yaris, beating the Open 4 Class Subaru of Llewelyn Jones and Chris Pichon with R2 rivals JJ Potgieter and Tommy du Toit (Ford Fiesta), AC Potgieter and Nico Swartz in their 1-litre turbo VW Polo and Chris Coertse and Greg Godrich (Mazda 2) next up in national R2.
Paul Franken Hilton Auffray took Open 2 honours in another 1-litre Polo, the spectacular Ettienne Malherbe and Raj Jutley took Classic honours in their Datsun 160U SSS. Cobus Edas and Kes Naidoo took WP regional honours in their S2 Toyota Corolla ahead of Derick and John Clift’s sideways S4 Toyota Hilux and Faizel Davids and Lloyd Brady’s Open 2 Toyota Corolla, while Gareth and Gill Vernon took S2 honours in their VW Citi Golf.
In regional race action, splendid East London weather graced the Grand Prix circuit for the second round of the Border Racing Championships as V8 men Bevan Schwartz (Corvette) and Darron Gudmanz took respective Modified and Historic honours and Jason Lamb continued undefeated on two wheels.
Johan van der Westhuizen (Camaro) took Modified Class A, Kean Barnard (Harper V8) won Class B, Chris Farley (BMW M3) Class C, Alwyn Kretzman Class D, Sharniel Holmes’ Golf Class E and Eli Vergara Class F. In Historics Darron, Alex (Capri Peranas) and Mathew Gudmanz (Datsun SSS) took Classes A, B and C, Graham Lessing (Escort) Class D and Quinton Bates Escort Class E, while Lamb’s Kawasaki took Unlimited, Travis Naude Supersport and Lodewyk Hattingh Clubmans bike honours. The PE karting regional meanwhile turned into a bit of a mini national ahead of the real Rotax Max event taking place over Easter, as Benjamin Habig beat Michael Stephen two DD2 races to one with Jason Coetzee third in DD2 as they mixed it with shifter drivers including Kyle Mitchell and David Veringa.
Finally, rounding off an action -packed weekend, Cape Junior trio Charl Visser, Troy Dolinschek and Simon Simpson-Heath dominated the ‘Clubmans’ races; Jozi lads Troy Snyman and Mohamed Moerat shared the Micro Max wins, Cape kid Lucas Royston beat Jozi lad KC Ensor-Smith two races to one in Mini Rok and Cape lad Rayan Karriem beat Jozi challengers Tshepang Shisinwana and Caleb Odendaal to baby Bambino honours. Two Honda motorcycle races saw Damian Oberholzer take NSF 100 and Chad Bilsbury 150 honours.