Engen Volkswagen Cup – Pepper Racing’s weekend of woe

Pepper Racing endured a dreadful Engen Volkswagen Cup weekend at the East London Grand Prix Circuit as the team suffered countless technical issues, which robbed it of any chance of worthwhile results.

Shaun Le Réserveé suffered a gearbox failure in qualifying before taking third in race 1, but his engine broke on start up for the second race; Daniel Duminy suffered two gearbox failures and Giordano Lupini missed qualifying, broke a wheel and then a gearbox. Tasmin Pepper’s gearbox woes prevented her from even starting a race.

“As far as I am concerned, that was our worst weekend in twelve years of Polo Cup racing,” team boss Iain Pepper pointed out. “All four cars had the pace to run comfortably inside the top 10 all day Friday, but then Saturday arrived and the bad luck gods showered us with everything they could.”

“I was really excited to drive the car and be down at East London again,” Alpine Motors Pepper Racing pilot Shaun La Réserveé explained. “I was quickest in the first two Friday practice sessions, but we lost 5th and 6th gears in the third session. “We fixed that Friday evening but it only lasted as long as qualifying and the gearbox broke again on the start of my super pole lap.

“Race 1 was good — I started sixth and ended third, but we didn’t even get out the pit garage for race 2 ,” Durbanite Shaun rued. “I was strapped in and ready to make my way down pit lane, but as I fired the engine up something let go inside. “I cannot tell you how disappointing that was — I was gutted. “We’ll be back at Zwartkops to fight again — huge thanks to Iain and Shane for all their work over the weekend — we’ll get it at the Big Z!”

Ballito Pepper Junior Team driver Daniel Duminy lost a gearbox in his SMD Polo in race 1, only for the brand new replacement unit to fail in race 2 to cause him to cruise home without all the gears in his box. “That was my first time at East London and I can’t say anything but thank you to the team and feel so sorry for the guys. “All of us had horrible luck — Shaun’s engine broke, Tazz never even started and G just keeps on battling. “On the bright side we know we all had top ten pace — watch this space to a major Pepper Racing comeback at Zwartkops.

East London proved another chapter in a trying Polo Cup story for Pepper Racing’s rookie second Junior driver Giordano Lupini since the Franschhoek lad stepped into Polo Cup. A driveshaft issue struck on Friday before Lupini broke a side shaft exiting the pits in qualifying. Starting from the back, Giordano broke a wheel in his efforts to avoid an accident and then lost fifth and sixth gears in the second race. “Another terrible day,” Giordano rued. “I don’t know when our luck will turn but I made the best of what I could this weekend and I’m taking every opportunity to learn. “Thanks to the team for all its efforts.”

Tasmin Pepper never even made it to the start line following a series of transmission failures that saw her pull off the grid in race 1 before the team parked her Campos/Alpine Polo. Pepper Racing suffered seven gearbox failures in all through the weekend, among its other woes. “There’s not really too much to say,” Edenvale lass Tasmin admitted. “That really was a tough weekend, it went from bad to worse so surely our luck has to change? We need now to put all this behind us and make sure we get the car 100% for the next round at Zwartkops.”

“They say this is part of racing but enough is enough,” Iain Pepper concluded. “All this aside we will be back & hopefully stronger than ever — see you at Zwartkops 17 June.”