Summarize

Historic season starts in style

Historic Racing South Africa’s 2020 championship season got off to a fine start at Zwartkops’ Passion for Speed festival on Saturday, where HRSA members at the new Historic City were treated to a splendid day at the races with close Universal Pre-‘81 Saloon Car and Sports & GT track action and splendid Charlies SuperSpar Pursuit series dices.

Pre-81 — Wailing Thunder
The first Universal Pre-81 race delivered a stunning dice up front as Seef Fourie Junior and his wailing Mazda R100 put one over the rolling V8 thunder of PE visitor Rudolf de Vos’ Little Chev Can-Am and legend Willie Hepburn’s Ford Capri Perana. 

Behind them Phillip Pantazis took Class D in his splendid Datsun 240Z over Stuart Konig's VW Scirocco and Class C winner Jannie van Rooyen (Scirocco) and Class D gang Marius Verwey (Mazda R100), Frank Davis (Escort) and Mario Rossi, (Alfa GTV6). Andre Ten Napel (Scirocco) took class E from Miguel Ribeiro’s Alfa Romeo GTAM, Dave Leyshon (Scirocco) beat Marco Verwey (Datsun) and Cor Kraamwinkel to Class F and Stewart McLarty (Mazda 323) defeated  Lourens van Zyl in Class G. 

Fourie again beat de Vos in heat 2 after Hepburn took an early shower, while Johann Smith was back after an early heat 1 exit to steer his Mazda Capella to The Class C win over van Rooyen. Pantazis took Class D from Konig, Verwey, Davis, Rossi and Lopes’ Fiat 131, while Escort duo Janse van Rensburg took Class E from Greg Steen and Neil Lobb (Fiat 131), Nick Sheward (Sierra XR8) won Class F and van Zyl took Class G again. So Fourie took overall and Class B honours, Smith won Class C, Pantazis D, Janse van Rensburg E, Sheward F and van Zyl Won Class G for the day.

Pursuit - Rise of the Phoenix
It was a case of the return of the phoenix as Rob Clark floated his Citroen GS 1220 Club to the opening Charlies Superspar Pursuit race after building the car into a new chassis following an East London roll last year. Clark started first and aced the handicap to fend father and son Wynand du Plessis Senior (Porsche 944) and Junior (Toyota MR2), Frans Venter (Nissan 280ZX) and Henk de Klerk (Honda Civic) to a Fine class top 5. Trophy top two Kola de Klerk (Nissan 300ZX) and Rickus Botha (MG B) were next from FJ Smit (MGA), Michelle Smith (Skyline), Brad Schafer (Porsche) and Tiaan Vermeulen (Rover).

Clark could not hold dad Wynand off as he drove home in a du Plessis top three sandwich and another Fines top three in race 2 ahead of Trophy frontrunners Kola de Klerk and champion Werner Hartzenberg (Porsche 916, who had broken out in race 1, with Fines four Frans Venter, Michelle Smith, Henk de Klerk, Tiaan Vermeulen, Jen Abbot (Porsche 914/6) and Brad Schafer next up. Clark took the Fines overall from du Plessis Sr. and Jr, while the only Trophy runner not to break out on the day, Kola de Klerk took that cup from Hartzenberg and Botha.

Sports & GT - Legends at Play
The HRSA Pre’74 Sports & GTs boasted a spectacular field of cars including a contingent of international visitors, but it was local veteran Larry Wilford who drove his Lola T70 tribute to the first race win over young gun Keegan Campos and Peter van der Spuy’s Porsche 911 RSRs. Oliver Dalais’ Bailey Porsche 917. Was next home from Swede Brent Andersson in his Lola and Porsche four Richard de Roos, Peter Bailey, Richard Pott and Andre van der Merwe and Swede Kennet Persson’s Le Mans ‘66 Ford GT40.

Keegan Campos took charge of the second race early on and stormed off to an easy win over Neil Lobb’s Lola T70, Hennie Groenewald’s thundering Trans Am Camaro, Rob Beaumont’s Porsche, the delayed Wilford, van der Spuy, Bailey, de Roos, Persson and Philip Pantazis’ Datsun 240Z.

The second round of the Historic Racing South Africa championship sees the Delmas Red Star Raceway hosting the Historic City on 7 March.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Historic Racing SA

What:Historic Racing SA Final Round 1 Report
Where:Passion for Speed Festival, Zwartkops
When:Saturday 1 February 2020
Community:South Africa National

For further information please contact stewart@bmautogroup.co.za

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