Summarize

It was quality that trumped quantity as Algoa Motorsport Club’s hectic race season got off to a cracking start at Aldo Scribante Racetrack in Port Elizabeth over the weekend where smaller fields delivered some spectacular racing ahead of an appreciative local crowd.

Nick Davidson got his 2020 Eastern Province Modified race season off to a perfect start with a trio of wins aboard his Hella Audi S5, ahead of Deon Slabbert (Emerald Fire Polo) and Gordon Nicholson (Brights Motorsport/Fuchs Skyline GTR) each time. The Class A trio made off to leave Class X winner George Van Baalen and his Emerald Fire Polo battling it out with his future Class D rival Stephan Aucamp Injection Technik/A1 Cooling BMW after a little drama in Classes B and C. 

Ian Riddle was the only Class B runner in his Mastercrete BMW and only finished one race, while Class C man Gordon Nolan (GB Racing/HR Focus Polo) and Class X runner Thys Geyser (GDC Golf) were involved in a dramatic second heat startline incident that eliminated both cars. That drama saw Geyser out for the day but Nolan managed to have his crinkled Polo out in race 3 as the drama allowed Class E top two Derek Gouws (BMW) and Pikkie Marais Mesradox Lotus 7 up to fifth and sixth overall for the day. 

Second and third in Class X, Kelsey Davidson (Polo) and Ashwin Harri (Astra) ended up seventh and 8th overall ahead of the recovered Nolan who pipped class C rival Gerhard Oosthuysen (BMW) to tenth after fellow class C runner Jeandre Marais Mesradox Lotus 7 endured a troubled day. The scant 16-car grid may have lacked the numbers, but the racing entertained and will surely benefit all those who raced and scored points as the season progresses.

In other action, Kean Barnard (Opel Kadett) sounded an EP Coastal Challenge historic racing warning with three wins, two over Neil Van Eyk (Escort) and a third over Rane Berry (Skyline). Anton Ehlers (Escort) emerged fourth overall from Dinesh Coopoo (BMW 2002) and Gordon Bennett (Opel Rekord) as close racing down the field kept the crowd on its toes in spite of a few regulars being away racing at Cape Town's Passion for Speed weekend.

On two wheels, Breakfast Run class rider Morne Kock (Kawasaki)  took a couple of wins en route to overall victory in the Motorcycle races. Historic Suzuki GSX 1000 pair Malcolm Burrows and Remi van den Bergh entertained en route to second and third overall ahead of race 2 winner, 300 rider Graigen Nel. Powersport Kawasaki trio Melt Koekemoer, Kevern Farley and Richard Hawkins enjoyed a good spat through the day ahead of Wayne Molloy’s Breakfast Run Yamaha R6.

Last but not least, Tom Hugo (Skyline) took a win, a second and a third in the three thrilling Street Car handicap races to take the day from final race winner Duncan Lethbridge (Audi TT) and the consistent Kelsey Davidson (Polo), Pat Fourie (Maxima), race 3 winner Royce Griffin (Honda), Quinsley Sale and Andrew Boshoff (Golf). This allcomers race sees each car starting at its own time with the objective for all cars to reach the finish at the same instant. Makes for great entertainment and is a regular highlight of Aldo Scribante race days.

There’s a short wait for Aldo‘s  next drag meeting Saturday 29 February before the Monocle motorcycle race circus comes to town a week later and then the SA Endurance Series joins the next round of Aldo Scribante’s AMSC regional races on 21 March, as the circuit prepares to treat local race fans to a truly action packed bumper 2020 calendar.