Round 7 of the Pro Tour series, run at Welkom's Phakisa Freeway at the weekend, saw a new South African champion emerge after a day of spectacular racing at the Free State circuit.
The new hero was Rui Campos, whose efforts in the day's two Shelby CanAm races gave him an unassailable lead in the title chase.
Campos also starred in the headline event of the day, a 45-minute, combined race for Shelby CanAm and GT Sports cars, that started at dusk and ran into darkness. The new champion led the race, which included a mandatory three-minute pit stop, until ten minutes from the end, when his car and Thomas Reib's Shelby touched in the Boot corner; the resulting off-track excursion cost Campos 20 seconds and five places.
Reib won overall, just two seconds Darryn Lobb (Shelby), with Andrew Strike third, two seconds further adrift in another Shelby, Sean Greve fourth and Campos fifth.
Nic Chapman (Ferrari 430) won the GT category from Greg Parton in a KTM X-Bow, Andrew Culbert (Porsche GT3 Cup) and Sun Moodley (Porsche GT3).
SHELBY CAN AM
Earlier in the day, the first Shelby CanAm race saw Rui Campos clinch the title with a victory, closely followed by Brian Algar, Alan Eve and Darryn Lobb.
GT SPORTS CARS
Nic Chapman won the first GT race overall and in Class GTC1, chased home by Class GTC2 drivers Tato Carello (BMW M3), Nicky Dicks (Ferrari) and ulbert. Kris Budnik (BMW M3), Anthony Blunden (Porsche RSR) and Dillon Miller (Porsche 911), won the Class GTC3, GTC4 and GTC5 classes respectively.
FORMULA VEE
Teenager Michael Taylor (Rhema) was on top form and, starting from pole, won the day's first Formula Vee race, leading home Peter Hills (Rhema), Jaco Schriks (Rhema) and Johan Gouws (Mantis).
Taylor and Hills produced a carbon-copy result in Race 2, this time finishing ahead of Gouws and Schriks.
ZX-10R MASTERS CUP
Former SA Superbike star Stewart MacLeod won both the Kawasaki ZX-10R Masters races from defending champion Gavin Lightfoot and Pieter de Vos, with Paul Jacobs fourth in Race 1 and off-road wizard Brian Bontekoning fourth in Race 2.
With four races left, only MacLeod or Lightfoot can win this year's title - expect fireworks.
GOLDWAGEN CHALLENGE
With more than 50 entries this calls provided some of the day's top spectacle. Eddie Rodrigues (VW Polo) won Class A overall from Waldie Meintjes (VW Polo) and Wayne Masters (VW Golf 4). Youngster Kelvin van der Linde (VW Golf) took his customary Class B victory, beating off Elna Croeser (VW Golf) and Derek Minnie (VW Golf). Class C win honours went to Adrian Wood (VW Golf), from Andre Needham (VW Golf) and Brad Hall (VW Golf). In Class D, Graham Nathan (VW Polo) won from Adrian Dalton (VW Golf) and Darren Nathan.
GT CLASSIC
Steve Miller (Porsche RSR) took overall victory in the day's GT Classic Invitational races, followed by Evan de Jager (Porsche Carrera), Marius Wait (Porsche 924) and Hennie de Klerk in his Porsche 924.
PORSCHE CLUB CHALLENGE
Wait won the handicap-based Porsche Club Challenge races from Ray Wise (Porsche 924) and Mark Harvey (Porsche 924). The Open Class went to De Jager's Carrera, ahead of Miller in the RSR.
The next round of the 2011 Pro Tour racing roadshow will be run at Pretoria's Zwartkop Raceway on October 8.