Summarize

In something of the calm before the storm, Zwartkops’ Inland Championship half of its double header delivered a fine day of entertaining racing. The Lotus Challenge, INEX Legends and Formula Monopostos, as well as Silver Cup 2.0, On Track Magazine Clubmans and Sportscars, and International Race Supplies Roofsure Midvaal Historics kept an enthusiastic Pretoria crowd satisfied.

Pole man Mackie Adlem took another step towards the 2023 Lotus Challenge title as he sped to a six-second opening race win over Thomas Falkiner and Bladen van Rensburg. Title contender Rudi Barnard and Brett van Rensburg hit trouble, but it was much closer among the Locost front runners. Half a second split Sean Hepburn, Nick Hodgson, and Miles Downard, with Andrew Fulton and Davide Favo in chase. Adlem took another comfy second race win from Barnard, Falkiner and Bladen van Rensburg, while Hodgson held Downard, Fulton, Favo and Barry Dunford off for the Locost victory after Hepburn took an early shower.

Devin Robertson took his customary win in the opening heat of the well-supported INEX Legends grid from Sebastian Lanzetti, Tyler Robinson, Richard van Heerde, Jayden Goosen and Cyril Jacobs Jr. The top three came home in the same order in race 2, as Goosen put one over van Heerde with Jacobs sixth. Lanzetti then made it someone other than a Robertson to win an INEX Legends race for the first time in a while as he beat Devin to second. On form lass Tyler Robinson made it a triple of thirds, from Goosen, van Heerde and Jacobs.

Jannie Gerber’s Formula M overcame a feisty Allen Meyer’s Formula VW early in the opening Formula Monoposto race to make off and win. Lushen Ramchander, Pieter Hills and Grant Will’s Formula Super Vees followed from Steve Venter’s Formula Ford Van Diemen and Super Vee quartet, Tjaden Tromp, Blane de Meilon, Nick van der Westerhuizen and Bruce van Niekerk. It was much the same in heat 2 as Gerber fought off an early challenge to win from Meyer, with Hills third this time. Will, Tromp, van der Westerhuizen and Venter were next home ahead of de Meilon, Chris Mfume’s Super Vee and van Niekerk.

Shaun Lamprecht kept a large and battling Silver Cup 2.0 pack behind his BMW to win the opening heat from Class A winner Fred Kruger’s Honda CR-X and Michael MacGregor’s Hyundai i20. Giulio Airaga’s Tigra, Quinton Ferreira in a Mazda Capella and Marius Jacobs’ Tigra followed from Paul Saayman’s Polo, B winner Wayne Pereira’s Golf, C+ victor Michael Kernick in a Nash, Chris Cronje’s Toyota, and C winner Giles Darroch’s Golf. It was all change as Marius Jacobs took heat 2 from Airaga, Karel Stols’ RX7, A winner Kruger, Riaan Draper’s Toyota, Ferreira, C winner Giles Darroch, and Pereira, Don McKay and Kenny Darroch’s Golfs.

Glenton Rebello benefited Adriaan le Roux’s similar Caterham dropping back to take his Birkin 7 to victory in the opening On track Magazine Clubmans and Sportscar race. Class C winner Kobus Brits’ Polo kept class rival Dirk Lawrence and le Roux behind for second as Rodney Kruis’ Honda Ballade took a close Class D win from Wayne Pereira’s Golf and Johan Labuschagne’s Subaru, SR4 winner Paul Sullivan, Jonathan Visser in a Polo, and Riaan Draper’s Toyota. Dirk Lawrence turned the tables over the charging le Roux and Brits as the Clubmen started ahead heat 2. Wayne Pereira beat Labuschagne and Kruis to the D win with A’ron Harmse’s S2000, Rebello and Anton Muller’s Birkin rounding out the top ten.

Eugene Gouws celebrated fifty years of The Little Chev by piloting his growling Firenza Can Am V8 to victory in the International Race Supplies Roofsure Midvaal Historics race. He beat Class E winner Deon Schwabsky’s Escort, F victor Johan Coetzer Sr. in a Datsun 1200 GX and Ted Young’s Anglia. JJ Venter Jr. took Class G in his Escort, from Lourens van Zyl’s Alfa Berlina, Gary Stacey’s XR6, Sean Fandam in his Fiat 124 Coupe, Andries Draper, Colin Green’s Mazda, and Chris Williams in an Anglia. Race 2 delivered the same top four as Draper beat Venter, Stacey, and van Zyl to fifth. Fandam Followed from Green and Richard Williams in the Anglia.

With the calm weekend done, the storm now follows as Zwartkops Raceway braces itself for this coming Saturday 14 October’s National Extreme Festival Finals to crown most of 2023’s South African circuit racing champions. Be there!