Sasol Race Day – Stephen, Robertson, White Kings of Extreme

Saturday’s Zwartkops Sasol Race Day action proved extreme in every sense of the word with a large and appreciative crowd treated to Extreme Festival thrills, spills and sensational action throughout, on a fine winter’s afternoon that thought it was midsummer as Michael Stephen, Devin Robertson and Stuart White emerged victorious among SA’s trio of premier race formulae.

Stephen’s GTC double
Engen Xtreme Audi star Stephen was the biggest winner on the day, qualifying second before storming to a couple of race wins to cap a season-long chase and wrest the Sasol GTC championship lead from Sasol BMW driver Gennaro Bonafede. Michael and Engen Audi teammate qualified behind the second Sasol BMW of surprise pole man Robert Wolk, who led from the start.

Stephen however soon took care of the BMW to clear off to an easy win from Moss and Volkswagen Motorsport Jetta driver Mathew Hodges, Johan Fourie’s EPS Couriers BMW, Bonafede and Michael van Rooyen’s RSC BMW, while Wolk and Daniel Rowe’s second Volkswagen Motorsport Jetta both retired. Keagan Masters took an easy Sasol GTC2 win in his Volkswagen Motorsport Jetta ahead of Christopher Shorter’s Champion Mini, Trevor Bland (TB VW Golf GTI), Charl Smalberger (iCorp VW Parts Golf GTI), Iain Stevenson (Comsol VW Golf 6 GTI and Bradley Liebenberg (Ferodo Mini).

The second reversed-grid Sasol GTC race was however a far more grinding affair as Rowe led Wolk away, but a first lap incident eliminated Moss and Hodges to see Stephen up to third and soon past Wolk and Rowe to take the win. Wolk then spun and was collected head-on by Liebenberg’s Mini allowing Fourie through to pursue and eventually pass Rowe for second, while van Rooyen and Bonafede’s troubled BMWs limped home behind.

There was a sting in the tail of the second GTC2 dice after the Wolk and Liebenberg incident inverted the fighting field up front allowing Masters to come home first from Shorter and Smalberger. But both Masters and Shorter were handed 20-second turbo over-boost penalties to allow Smalberger through for the win from Mandla Mdakane (Volkswagen Motorsport Golf GTI), Bland, Masters, Dayne Angel (Autohaus Angel Honda Civic Type R) and Shorter.

Robertson dominates Polos
There was only one man to lead the Engen Volkswagen Cup action – championship leader Devin Robertson (Payen) increased his stranglehold on the series by driving his Signature Motorsport Polo to a trio of dominant victories to take the day. Teammate Clinton Bezuidenhout (Glyco) was second in race 1 from Masters winner Juan Gerber (Glasfit/Ctrack), Universal Health duo Jeffrey Kruger and Jano van der Westhuizen, Darren Oates, Kuda Vazhure, Jonathan Mogotsi, Daniel Duminy and Justin Oates after 6th-placed Tasmin Pepper (Campos) took a 30-second jump start penalty.

Race 2 went much the same as the first, with Robertson leading Bezuidenhout home from Kruger, Gerber, Pepper, Darren and Justin Oates, Vazhure, Mogotsi, Benjamin Habig and an impressive Ethan van Heerden who best overcame the wild midfield melee. Robertson endured a little pressure from Gerber in race 3 before clearing off, leaving Kruger third from Shaun La Réservée (Alpine VW), Darren Oates, Pepper, Bezuidenhout, Matt Shorter, Habig and Mogotsi.

Stuart White showed his Investchem Formula 1600 intent by qualifying his Fantastic Racing Mygale on pole position ahead of the so far dominant Julian van der Watt (Investchem/RDSA Mygale) and Cameron O’Connor (Strata/Repro Supplies Mygale), but van der Watt restored status quo by moving into an early lead to win from White and Liam Pienaar (Phoenix Jewellers) after O’Connor went off. Dean Venter was fourth from Alex Gillespie, Andrew Schofield, Wesley Vosloo and Class B winner Allen Meyer.

White’s first F1600 win
Van der Watt once again seized the early race 2 advantage, but White was having none of it and pulled off a brave move around the outside to pass Julian for a lead he would not relinquish to take a delighted maiden win from van der Watt and a recovered O’Connor. Pienaar was fourth from Venter, Gillespie, Schofield, Vosloo and Class B winner Ian Schofield.

The autoBarn Super Hatch races topped the supporting act, with Brett Garland taking his autObarn Honda Civic to race 1 victory over Jonathan du Toit’s similar Trans Africa Racing car and Reno van Heerden’s Hot Wheels Peugeot 206 GTi, while Nic Martin (RDG/Daddy Cool Kadett) took Class B and Barry Viljoen (BB Kadett) Class C. Du Toit turned the tables on Garland in race 2 with Karel Stols (Pretoria Noord Toyota RunX) third, while Martin and Viljoen did the double in the smaller classes.

Only one race of two of the three motorcycle classes happened before the track became too slick and the the two-wheel action was curtailed. Gavin Upton rode his Motion Perfection Yamaha win Bridgestone Thunderbikes from Shaun Vermaak’s Fourways/BST Kawasaki. Morne Potgieter (Fourways Flyers Kawasaki) took Class B on and Masters rider Brian Bontekoning (Kawasaki) won Class C, Brandon Quaye (Kawasaki) took Sub 10 A honours and Keith Agliotti (Edenvale Gearbox Honda) won Sub 10 B.

Nickolas Gertenbach Westside (Honda CBR) took the Bridgestone Challenge race win from Masters trio Ian Thomas (SA Compressor Kawasaki), Simon Buissinne (Kawasaki) and Joe Herbig (MV Agusta) while Class C winner Zaidy Williams (HNR Suzuki GSXR) ended in front of top Class B finisher Reino Kruger (Tracom) and Chris Kruger (Tracom) took Class D. The Red Square Kawasaki ZX10 Masters did not race.

The next round of the National Championship Extreme Festival is at Killarney in Cape Town Saturday 9 September.