#Zwartkops Raceway – Paige, Pete quick out the blocks as Kirsten wins

Lindenberg Racing began its international Historic Racing season in flying style as Peter Lindenberg drove his 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 to third overall in the SKF Legends of the 9 Hour races and daughter Paige brought the ’68 Lindenberg Racing Ford Fairlane tenth at the opening leg of the South African leg at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday.

Peter and Paige then shared the team’s ’65 Shelby Daytona Cobra to come home third in the Castrol Le Mans Sports & GT 45 minute enduro, while Kirsten Venter started her season in style with Class G victory in the Pre-1980 Saloon Car races aboard her Lindenberg Racing/Road to Race Ford Escort.

Peter had to fight back from 13th on the SKF Legends of the 9 Hour starting grid after electing to skip a sodden Friday afternoon qualifying session, but that was not enough to stop him from blasting back to third in the opening race before ending fourth in race 2 to take that podium third for the day.

“What a wonderful day’s racing and a great result too,” Lindenberg admitted. “I had to fight to the front in the early laps, but from there I enjoyed a brilliant scrap with race 1 winner Hennie Groenewald in the Mercury Comet, Sarel van der Merwe who won the second race in the Galaxie, Jonathan du Toit’s Chevy Nova, Michael Stephen in the Chev Belair and Dutch driver Michiel Campagne’s Galaxie. “Fantastic stuff!”

Paige also had a ball throwing her monster Ford Fairlane around the tight confines of Zwartkops. “I enjoyed a great scrap with Dutch drivers Armand Adriaans’ Chevy Biscayne and Frans van Maarchalkerwaard in his Plymouth and ended up splitting them in race 1. “What a brilliant start to the season — Frans pipped me to tenth in the end, but I now have three meetings in Cape Town, over in Holland and in England to get him back — I really cannot wait!

Paige, Pete and the International Historic contingent now head for Killarney in Cape Town for the second round of the series this coming Saturday 9 February, before heading to Zandvoort in Holland and Brands Hatch in England in May and June this year for rounds 3 and 4.

The dynamic Langebaan dad and daughter team then teamed up to bring Pete’s Lindenberg Racing Daytona Cobra home third overall in the Castrol Le Mans Sports endurance race and fourth on Index of Performance. “We had a good race,” Pete reported, while Paige added, “We fought hard but never quite had the pace to match Mark and Jonathan du Toit’s Daytona, but we chased SA champions Michael Stephen and Jeffrey Kruger’s Chevron B8 hard throughout. “The Cobra ran like a dream and we’re delighted with the result — bring on Cape Town!”

Kirsten Venter then went on to complete a great day for the team when she qualified third before finishing race one in that position and then raced to the race 2 win en route to taking Class G of the Pre 1980 Historic Saloons race with her Lindenberg Racing/Road to Race Escort. What a wonderful way to start the season,” an elated Kirsten concluded. “Can’t wait for the next race — now I really need to keep that ball rolling!”

Lindenberg Racing is backed by Sabat Batteries, Road to Race and Shelby SA; GES, aQuellé water, Metabo cordless power tools, The Solutions Team branding, Adendorff Machinery Mart and Hard Rock Cafe, as well as Llumar and Motul lubricants.