Summarize

Historic Racing South Africa heads to its penultimate round at Red Star near Delmas in Mpumalanga on Saturday 16 October. And with most championships poised on a knife’s edge and only four races left to run, it’s also an exciting time for the series as it prepares for some highly anticipated changes in its sprint classes. They will step back to regional championship status for 2022, but all eyes remain fully fixed on Red Star as this year’s title chases start to play out.  

Peter Bailey has made few mistakes up front as he's ruled the Pre-90 Historic GT roost in his Bailey Porsche 911 RS, but that does not mean he has a commanding championship lead. Especially not with the ever-consistent George Avvakoumides' Liqui-Moly Porsche  911 RS in the house. He has somehow kept Bailey’s GT and Class A title advantage down to just a handful of points. And never ignore the ever present Steve Pickering’s Class G Porsche 914 in that GT fight either.

It's super-close in the ever competitive Pre-80 Historic saloons too. Class F man Sean Hepburn’s Automobile Association Datsun 1200 Deluxe and Deon van Vuuren’s Class C Hoosier Mazda R100 are split by a couple of points at the top of the overall title chase. With Riaan Roux, Stuart Konig, Jan Jacobs and Rene van Rensburg in hot pursuit. Van Vuuren has a reasonable Class C class advantage, but he still has Johann Smith’s JMS Mazda Capella RS to contend with on track.

Class D is however the scene of another very close Historic title fight, with Stuart Konig’s Northern Bolt Scirocco, Rene van Rensburg’s SvTech Escort and Andre Ten Napel’s TNMC Medical Scirocco covered by half a dozen championship points. They're not alone — Alan Green’s Escort,  Jannie van Rooyen’s Scirocco and Mike O’Sullivan’s thundering Chevy SS are also well within class championship striking distance.

It’s simpler in Class E, where Riaan Roux's Addfin Scirocco has a comfy buffer over Tony Lundin’s Datsun 1200 GX and Jaco Roux’s Scirocco. And in Class F, where overall leader Sean Hepburn’s Datsun has a healthy advantage over Cam McLeod and his Mercedes 280CE. But it’s all to play for in Class G where Jan Jacobs’ Oliphantsfontein Alfa GT Junior leads Harm Beens Escort. They will be aware of Historic stalwart’s John Simpson Evoke Realty Alfa GT Junior’s recent pace though. 

Modified Fines man Wynand du Plessis Senior and his Porsche 944 have built a comfortable Charlies SuperSpar Pursuit championship advantage through the season. He has a sizeable lead over Trophy man Riaan Roux's Volkswagen Scirocco and Modified Fines rival Werner Hartzenberg’s Porsche 916, which sit tied in second. And under pressure from Fines class leader Bert van Aarle’s Mazda MX5 and Willem van Niekerk’s unique Modified Fines Marauder.

He has another Modified Fines rival, Althea Pretorius' Nissan Exa, Fines duo Rob Clark’s Citroen GS 1220 Club and Richard Tudor-Owen's Mercedes-Benz 190E, Modified Fines man Andre Hattingh’s similar machine and Devon Martin’s Trophy class Datsun, and the rest is, well, Pursuit! Charlies SuperSpar Pursuit is also working toward some championship refinements next year — watch this space!

With Government Gazette confirming spectators are allowed again, Red Star Raceway was yet to confirms ticketing arrangements. Keep informed via the Red Star Raceway’s Facebook page.