Summarize

Marcel back at his best on an action-packed day

Defeated after a troubled season last year, Marcel Angel made no mistakes when he got his 2020 V8 Masters season off to a flying start with a clean sweep of pole position, the fastest lap of the day and two race wins on his way to overall victory at Killarney on Saturday. The V8 Masters, who race powerful identical Ford V8-powered Mustang-like machines, must be 40 years or older to compete and the series regularly attracts a keen field of more mature drivers from around the country to race in Cape Town once a month. 

Angel turned in a spectacular 1:15.007 lap to take pole by over a second from Sean Moore, Richard Schreuder and a seemingly struggling reigning champion Fabio Tafani in qualifying Friday afternoon. Angel and Tafani’s erstwhile karting rival of a good few decades ago, Barry Ingle gave notice of his V8 Masters intent with a fine fifth on the grid ahead of Mark Ridgway, Rui Campos, Brian Evans and Silver Class pole man Fanie Theron. Rob Warrington was next up from Mike Brooks, Alister Brown, debutant Ian Kaplan, rookie Jason Ibbotson and Rhoderick Simpson.

Angel made off up front while Tafani’s day went from bad to worse as he spun in the pack on the opening lap for the first race, while Silver pole man Fanie Theron took out Mike Brooks with an optimistic lunge on turn 1 and then Brian Evans and Rui Campos tangled to bring out the red flag on lap 3. It took a while to clear the debris before the race resumed to see Angel romp home from Moore and Schreuder.

Tafani fought back to pass Ingle for fourth and behind them, Silver winner Alister Brown held Mark Ridgway and Rob Warrington off for sixth with Silver second man Jason Ibbotson, Ian Kaplan and Rhoderick Simpson next up in a race that resembled a war zone but, which saw most drivers all smiles in parc ferme. When the two halves of the race were tallied up, the top three remained unchanged, but there was a reshuffle behind as Barry Ingle, Ridgway, Brown and Warrington all moved up ahead of Tafani.

Race 2 was a more straightforward affair as Angel made off up front ahead of Tafani, who overcame Schreuder on the second lap and set off in pursuit of his old rival, but Schreuder went off at mid distance and retired to let Ingle up to third behind his old Superkart rivals and ahead of Brian Evans who managed to get his car sorted between heats following his first race crash. 

Mark Ridgway was fifth from Moore and Silver winner Ibbotson, Kaplan and Brooks, who recovered after tangling with Rob Warrington, whose gearbox packed up, while Silver second and third men Fanie Theron and Simpson made up the runners. So Marcel Angel took the day from Sean Moore, Barry Ingle, Fabio Tafani, Mark Ridgway and Silver winner Jason Ibbotson, who ended sixth for the day.

The V8 Masters return to Killarney at the next round of the Cape’s Power Series roadshow on 28 March.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of V8 Masters

What:V8 Masters Round 2 Report
Where:Killarney International Raceway, Cape Town
When:Saturday 7 March 2020
Community:Cape Town, Western Province.

For further information please contact bevans@finacta.co.za

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