Summarize

It was all about Porsches in the Free State as Andre van der Merwe and his 911 Carrera RS made the Phakisa Freeway his own in the Sprint Races and Werner Hartzenberg took Pursuit honours in his 916 when the Ben Morgenrood Historic Racing Series visited the Welkom racetrack as part of the BMW M Power Phakisa Tour on Saturday.

Van Der Merwe put his Evapco Class B machine on pole position in an all Porsche front row in qualifying from Stefan Puschavez’ Class C 911. Peter Bailey made it an RS 1-2-3 in third in his Class B version. He sat alongside and ahead of Jannie van Rooyen and Stuart Konig’s familiar yellow Class C Pro Auto VW Sciroccos, with Andre ten Napel closing off the top six in his white D TNMC Medical Scirocco. 

Rene van Rensburg’s svTech Escort Gavin Lundin’s Silverguard Datsun and Fred Konig’s Scirocco followed, ahead of Class E lot, Riaan Roux’s Scirocco, Ian Kilburn’s Datsun GX and Sean Hepburn in a similar AA 1200 Deluxe, and Daniel Lotter’s Killarney Spares Escort. John Simpson’s Evoke Realty Alfa Sprint topped Class G from Jan Jacobs’ similar Olifantsfontein car, Paul Manegold’s Class F Sprint, Tihan van Rooyen’s VRO Porsche 924, Harm Beens’ Escort and Steve Pickering's Porsche 916.

Van der Merwe took no prisoners as he made off to an easy first race win. Jannie Van Rooyen and Stuart Konig benefited Peter Bailey’s early demise in the purple Porsche to lead the Class C runners home in second and third with Class D winner Andre ten Napel in chase. Behind them Rene van Rensburg and Gavin Lundin battled over second in Class D, while there was huge action further back.

Once it had all settled down, it was Fred Konig who emerged in seventh overall ahead of a fraught spat for Class E honours eventually headed Roux with Hepburn holding Kilburn off for second. Alfa Sprint trio, Class G winner Simpson, Class F winner Manegold and Class G man Jacobs followed from G rivals Beens and Tihan van Rooyen, Class F second man Pickering and van Zyl as Puschavez and Lotter joined Bailey in retirement.

Van Der Merwe made a poor getaway and then delivered the early entertainment in an albeit calmer second race as the Porsche fought back to take the lead at mid distance. Class C frontrunners van Rooyen and Stuart Konig and Class D men ten Napel, van Rensburg and Lundin. Sean Hepburn beat Ian Kilburn to Class E glory from Class F winner Manegold, G winner Simpson,  Jacobs, Tihan van Rooyen, Beens and Pickering. 

Overall, Andre van der Merwe took a dominant Class B and overall win for the day from Class C man Jannie Van Rooyen and Stuart Konig. Andre ten Napel won Class D from Rene van Rensburg and Gavin Lundin and Sean Hepburn emerged on top of Class E from Riaan Roux and Ian Kilburn. Paul Manegold took Class F from Steve Pickering and John Simpson won Class G from Jan Jacobs and Tihan van Rooyen.

As always, the Ben Morgenrood Group Historic Pursuit Series entertained as the handicap class delivered its regular overtaking fest that seemed to favour the Fines class cars at Phakisa on the day. Andre Hattingh led a Fines top six in race 1 in his Mercedes Benz 190E. He beat Wynand du Plessis Sr.’s Porsche 944 S2, Werner Hartzenberg in a Porsche 916, Wynand du Plessis Jr.s Toyota MR2, Rob van Aarle's Ford Escort MK1 and Machiel Oberholzer in another 190E. 

Clive Winterstein was the first Modified class man home in his Porsche 356 A, from Althea Pretorius' Nissan Exa after Paul Manegold's Alfa Romeo Sprint broke out to be unclassified. Rob van Aarle took the second race win as Manegold disrupted the Fines order up front in second in his Modified Alfa, from Hartzenberg, du Plessis Sr, Hattingh, du Plessis Jr, Oberholzer, Pretorius and Winterstein. 

So, Hartzenberg led a Fines class top five overall from Hattingh, van Aarle and du Plessis Senior and Junior. Manegold took Modified honours for the day from Pretorius and Winterstein. Ben Morgenrood Historic Racing returns to Red Star next for an anti-clockwise meeting around the Delmas Raceway on Saturday 27 August.