Summarize

East London fans were treated to great racing and something a little different when the Northern Regions Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola visited the epic Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend. The thundering Dunlop V8 Supercars, quality ATE VW Challenge racing, close BMW M Performance Parts Series action, a turn up for the DOE Formula Vees books and some locals to shout for among the ACD Welkom 111 GTs, Sports and Saloons ranks, made for a memorable weekend in perfect weather at the epic beachside racetrack.

Terry Wilford made his intentions clear with Dunlop V8 Supercars pole position for the first and second heats. Terry and his luminous green Mustang then made off to win both those races, but there was a significant development behind in race 1, when Thomas Reib’s Lumina stopped to allow title rival Warren Lombard to trot to second. And close right back up on Reib in the title chase after Lombard’s retirement in the previous meeting. Behind them, Alan Ryan’s Ford beat Wayne Spicer’s Chev to the GT2 win. Reib was back to chase Wilford home in Race 2, ahead of Lombard and Ryan. Lombard then did his title hopes no harm at all as he romped to the Final win from day winner Wilford and Reib as Auke Compaan hit back on Ryan and Spicer in GT2.

The ATE VW Challenge may have lacked in quantity, but it certainly made up in quality. The only class A car, Jayden Goosen romped away to an unopposed double Class A and overall win off pole position, but the real interest was in the classes. Francis Aldrich made best of the thick seaside air to put his normally aspirated 2-litre Polo on the Class B pole over Stuart Mack’s turbo-litre car. Mack fought back to win the first race but Aldrich hit back to end his rival’s unbroken streak in race 2. Elna Croeser and Jono Konig shared out the thirds. Bryce Pillay had to work hard for his Class C double over Stuart Konig, as Adriaan de Beer and Andy Gossman shared out the third places. That leaves Mack, Pillay and de Beer in a three-way two-point title fight with four races to run.

Leon Loubser similarly went unopposed in Class A of the BMW M Performance Parts Series. Behind him. Andreas Meier beat Anton Pommersheim and Renier Smith to Class B, while Lenard Archer took C from Anand Naidu and Nishal Singh. Loubser did the double as Archer was moved up to take Class B from Smith and Nek Makris, and Naidu beat Sheldon Chetty in Class C. Racing on their own as ever, Nick Naidoo took the Class D, E and F race from Andre van Vuuren and local wildcard Shaun Gradwell. Karabo Malemela beat fellow karter Kent Swartz to Class E and Kyan Boodaya took Class F from Shriyav Naidu. Van Vuuren then won race 2 from Gradwell and E winner Wessel Mostert, from Malemela and Eddie Rodrigues as Kyan Boodaya beat Naidu to Class F.

Lendl Jansen was once again in charge of the opening heat of the DOE Formula Vees partnered with CIM Lubri Fuel, despite Theodore Vermaak’s best efforts in second. Gert van den Berg followed in third ahead of Daine Stewart, Brandon Hills, Richard Carr, Vaughn Hills, and Jaco Smit. Theodore Vermaak however confirmed his recent form with the race 2 win over Jansen, a resurgent Peter Hills, van den Berg, Stewart, Brandon and Vaughn Hills and Richard Carr in race 2. Vermaak then doubled up to win the Final from Jaco Schriks, Jansen, van den Berg and Stewart, with Brandon and Vaughn Hills and Shaun van der Linde in chase. Theodore took the day from Lendl, Gert, Daine, Brandon and Vaughn.

Jared Rossouw’s SupaPolo beat Lenard Archer‘s BMW 335i and Wouter Roos’ Golf 7 GTI to an entertaining opening race GT class 1-2-3 in the opening GT 111 GTs, Sports and Saloons race now proudly backed by ACD Welkom. Wayne Robb’s Ford Focus ST took Class A honours in fourth ahead of local stalwart Shaun Gradwell‘s BMW and Piet Potgieter’s Golf. VW Challenge winner Jayden Goosen added another trophy to his cabinet with the Class B cup in his Polo turbo over Mike O'Sullivan’s Honda Ballade, while Christopher Tait’s Polo took Class C and another local, Paul Berry’s BMW who won Class F. Archer gained revenge on Rossouw in race 2 with Wayne Robb third from Roos and Gradwell and Potgieter, while Goosen and Tait did Class B and C doubles.

The Northern Regions Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola now returns much closer to Gauteng for round 6 at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas on Saturday 4 October.