Summarize

Chilly autumn weather and unseasonal rain brought an edge to Saturday’s Morgenrood Historic Racing at Zwartkops. The damp certainly played a part in qualifying, but the rest of the day went better to allow the ladies and gentlemen of the HRSA to entertain on a dry track. The tortoise beat the proverbial hares as Rob Clark’s Citroen took Pursuit honours, while Andre van der Merwe did enough to take Ben Morgenrood Historic Sprint honours in his Porsche 911 RSR.

Peter Bailey put his Class B Bailey Cars 1974 Porsche 911 on Sprint pole as George Avvakoumides again proved his wet weather mastery in his Class D Liqui-Moly Porsche 911. Class G man Jan Jacobs did an even better job to put his Olifantsfontein Training Centre Alfa Romeo GT Junior third from Class C regulars Jannie van Rooyen and Stuart Konig’s yellow Pro Auto Rubber Sciroccos. Andre ten Napel was next in his Class D TNMC Scirocco from Class E pole man Neil Lobb's Fiat 131.

Class C duo Stefan Puschavez' Porsche 911 RS and Johann Smith’s JMS Mazda Capella RS were next up, while David Leyshon’s Class E U-Pack Scirocco closed off the top ten. Andre Dannhauser topped Class F in his Pro Auto Toyota SR5 from Class E duo, Gavin Lundin’s Silverguard Datsun 1200 and Sean Hepburn’s AA Deluxe version, Tihan van Rooyen’s G Porsche 924, Cape insurgent Daniel Lotter’s Killarney Motor Spares Escort and Fred Konig’s Northern Bolt D Scirocco.

Andre van der Merwe struggled to 17th in his Class B Evapco Porsche RSR from D man Rene Jansen van Rensburg’s SvTech Escort, Steve Pickering’s F Porsche 914 and Class G man Harm Beens Jr’s H3 Generator Escort in 20th. Class D man Sophos Pantazis' Datsun 240Z, E Tony Lundin’s E Silvergaurd Datsun GX Coupe, Barry Nel in a Datsun P510 and D man Johann Barnard’s Industrial & Mining Ford Capri rounded off the grid.

Andre van der Merwe delivered a masterful race to come from behind and beat Peter Bailey to a Porsche 911 RSR 1-2 with Rudolf de Vos holding a watching brief in third in his rumbling Little Chev Can Am V8. The rest of the field returned to more or less the expected order in the dry as Class C man Stuart Konig beat Richard Pott’s B Porsche to fourth with the Class D top four next up as Andre ten Napel pipped Rene Jansen van Rensburg, Lundin and Evelthon Rotsides to the flag.

Class E winner Niel Lobb was next home from another two D men, Sophos Pantazis and Johann Barnard, second in E, Sean Hepburn and Class D duo Fred Konig and George Avvakoumides. Class F winner Andre Dannhauser led Class G top four John Simpson, Harm Beens Jr, Tihan van Rooyen and Barry Nel home. Leyshon, Smith, Pickering van Rooyen, Lotter, Jacobs, Lundin, Norton and Puschavez did not finish among the impressive 29 starters.

Bailey got one back over van der Merwe in race 2 as Stuart Konig took the C win in third from Avvakoumides. Johann Smith struck back in fifth in the rotary, while Andre ten Napel took Class D from Rotsides, Lundin and Fred Konig. Class E winner Sean Hepburn was next ahead of G winner John Simpson, his rival Beens, Pickering, van Rooyen and Class H winner Norton. Pott, Lobb, de Vos Barnard and Dannhauser failed to finish.

Andre van der Merwe did enough in race 1 to beat Peter Bailey to the overall and class B wins, Stuart Konig took Class C for the day from Johann Smith and Jannie van Rooyen, and Andre ten Napel won Class D from Evelthon Rotsides and Gavin Lundin. Sean Hepburn topped Class E from Neil Lobb and David Leyshon, Steve Pickering won Class F from Andre Dannhauser, while John Simpson beat Harm Beens Jr and Tihan van Rooyen to G and Henrich Norton took Class H.

The back to front handicap Ben Morgenrood Historic Pursuit races also dodged the wet weather after qualifying to deliver their regular overtaking spectacle. The slowest cars Pursuit start first and the fastest last, all timed to theoretically reach the finish together. Modified man Kola de Klerk’s Nissan 300ZX was the only hare to catch the tortoise, Rob Clark's Trophy class Citroen GS 1220 Club in the opening heat, in spite of Rob's promise of retiring the car in the lead up to the race.

Tim Abbot and Werner Hartzenberg's Porsche 916s followed from Willem van Niekerk’s Marauder, Henk de Klerk’s Civic, Robbie Frank’s Lotus 23B, John Bronner's Alfa GT Junior and Wynand du Plessis Jr. in a Toyota MR2. Althea Pretorius’ Exa was next ahead of Mercedes men Machiel Oberholzer’s 190E and Jose Vasques’ popular 280, top Youngtimer Mike O’Sullivan’s Honda Ballade and Harm Beens Sr.’s Escort. The rest were unclassified after escaping their handicap brackets.

Hartzenberg took race 2 from Clark, Beens Sr, du Plessis Jr, Oberholzer, Jensen Ewart's Alfetta and O’Sullivan. Vasques held van Niekerk’s Marauder off ahead of Nissan ladies Pretorius' Exa and Smith’s Nissan Skyline as the rest of the field broke out. So, Rob Clark’s Citroen survived to win another day from Hartzenberg and du Plessis Jr, while fourth for the day, Willem van Niekerk took the Modifiied win from Beens Sr. and Pretorius. Mike O'Sullivan grabbed the Youngtimer gong.

Ben Morgenrood Historic Racing South Africa takes a break through June before returning to a midwinter date at the Phakisa freeway in Welkom on 16 July.