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Will reverse direction racing impact on Formula 1600 results?

The last South African Investchem Formula 1600 championship races at East London were of historical significance at South Africa’s oldest racetrack at East London. But Saturday 25 September's fifth round races head to the country’s youngest track with the majority of the locals keen to get one up on championship leader Andrew Rackstraw at Red Star Raceway at Delmas, not far from Johannesburg.

Gauteng Teenager Jarrod Waberski finally stopped Cape Town kid Rackstraw's dominant run at East London in the first win for a single seater in his family’s famous yellow DAW colours since dad Garth won in Formula GTi 30 years ago. But that was not before Andrew had matched Jack Brabham’s Grand Prix Circuit lap record in his Repco Brabham set 55 years ago in the 1966 South African Grand Prix.

Red Star however has another significance. The Delmas Raceway is the track where all the upcountry racers do most of their testing. But here’s a curve ball this weekend. Red Star races in the reverse anti-clockwise direction for the first time. So will that equal playing field play into visiting Rackstraw’s hands? Or will the locals have it taped? Time will tell. But considering his seven out of eight race win record, home hopes may well be dashed.

The long and the short of it is that young Waberski and his yellow DAW Mygale have already once beaten Rackstraw and his Investchem RDSA Mygale. So he knows he can do it. But they are by no means the only players in this game. Nicholas van Weely is dead intent of improving his lot down in third in the title chase. That’s a bit further back than usual and he's out to make up lost ground in his Magnificent Paints & Hardware van Diemen.

Behind him in the chase, another young charger, top rookie Josh Le Roux will be out to make up for a dreadful day out in East London in his ICLA New Heights Mygale. It proved troublesome at the Border. He’s tied in the championship fourth with fellow young gun Alex Vos and his Ecurie Zoo DV van Diemen. And it’s even closer a fight over sixth. Just two points split Abacus Divisions Mygale brothers, Antwan and Gerard Geldenhuys and Ewan Holtzhausen’s Total Plastics version.

Andrew Schofield has missed a few races, but he was back and making a great impression at East London in his Fly Safair Mygale, and Brendan Tracey will be out in his Investchem Mygale. They will be joined by Taya van der Laan's Macrocom TNT racing, pending her meeting racing licence requirements now that she is old enough to step up to main circuit racing from karts.

The wings & slicks Formula 1600s will be joined by a few old school treaded tyre Formula Ford 1600s at Red Star. Watch for old fox, Mr Investchem Ian Schofield among this lot as his Investchem Mygale fights off Allen Meyer’s Investchem van Diemen and Nick van Weely’s similar Magnificent Paints & Hardware machine, Graham Hepburn and Dean Venter’s Chamber 77 Mygale and others.

Spectators sadly remain barred from watching live sports. You can however catch the Investchem Formula 1600 action live streamed along with the rest of Red Star’s national championship races on the Extreme Festival’s YouTube and Facebook channels on Saturday 25 September.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Investchem Formula 1600

What:Investchem Formula 1600 Round 5 Preview
Where:Red Star Raceway, Delmas
When:Saturday 25 September 2021
Community:South Africa National

For further information please contact kgregory@investchem.co.za

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