A slice of motorsport history, a world record and a dollop or two of drama all combined to provide for an entertaining round seven of the WesBank Super Series at the Phakisa Raceway on Saturday.
History was made when Transkei-born driver Tschops Sipuka became the first black South African to win a national series singleseater race when he took the opening heat of the Formula Volkswagen event. For good measure Sipuka, a protégé of former South African champion Terry Moss, also won the second heat for a unique double.
The world record went to Johannesburg rider Sheridan Morais when he scored his 13th Interfile SA Supersport win of the year. Morais shared the previous record of 12 straight wins in a national championship with an American Motorcycle Association rider.
There was a fair share of other drama during the day with a number of championship issues left in limbo. With just two meetings left this season some tight title finishes are on the cards.
Sipuka, in the Southern Sun/Oakley FVW, had to fend off current championship leader Jayde Kruger (Motul/First Freight FVW) to secure both his wins. A former South African saloon car champion, the Transkei driver never put a wheel wrong although one has the feeling that Kruger was quite content to consolidate his championship lead.
The other feature of both races was the performance of teenager James Temple in the VW Racing/BP Ultimate FVW. Temple marked his debut with a podium finish behind Sipuka and Kruger in race one.
Temple had a more adventurous race two but still managed an impressive fourth. This time around the final podium place went to the steady Gordon Connelly in the Bravo Holdings/Cowan Signs FVW.
On the motorcycle front Morais, on Emtek Racing Kawasaki entries, is attempting to become the first rider to win both the Interfile SA Superbike and Interfile SA Supersport titles in one season – and leads both championships. He romped away with the opening Supersport heat leaving the rest of the field in his wake with Steven Odendaal (Mitsubishi Electric Suzuki) and Dylan White (White Aluminium Yamaha) also on the podium.
Race two, however, was a different story. After running off the circuit in race one Ronan Quarmby (Gallardo/Interfile Yamaha) bounced back in race two to inflict on Morais his first defeat of the year.
Quarmby will race in Britain next year and always held the upper hand. Morais never really threatened and was joined on the podium by teenager Odendaal who had a good day.
The opening Interfile Superbike race featured a superb duel between talented local youngster Greg Gildenhuys, on the Race Nation Honda, and veteran Lance Isaacs on the Portable Shade Honda. Gildenhuys has been threatening a win all season and it finally came with the former Supersport champion holding on to win by the skin of his teeth with Morais third.
A first corner off track excursion scuppered Isaacs in race two. Morais went on to take the win ahead of Gildenhuys, former champion Arushen Moodley (PS Honda), Chris Leeson (Team Yamaha) and Isaacs.
It was a good day for the Engen Xtreme Team in the Bridgestone Production Car championship with team-mates Michael Stephen and Shaun Watson-Smith sharing the wins. Stephen completely dominated race one from pole position with Leeroy Poulter (SAM Racing/GP Windscreens Nissan 350Z) and reigning champion Johan Fourie (Indy Oil Audi A4) second and third.
With heat two run from an inverted grid Watson-Smith, who has not had much luck this season, stamped his authority on proceedings. Behind him another former champion, Anthony Taylor (Afrox BMW 330i), finally got the better of a good dice with Marco da Cunha (SAM Racing Nissan 350Z) and Robert Wolk in the second Afrox BMW.
After serving a two race suspension, during which he lost the Class T championship lead, Graeme Nathan (Indy Oil/Kaye Eddie VW Golf GTi) bounced back with a vengeance. Nathan won both heats and with arch rival Gary Formato (Ford Racing/Nando’s Ford Focus) failing to finish race two the title race is in the melting pot.
Also in the melting pot is the WesBank V8 Supercar championship with the issue likely to boil down to a fight between Marc Auby and teenage brother Brandon in the ELT International Jaguars. Woes continued for three time champion Hennie Groenewald Timken Holden) and after a second and a did not finish it looks as though his hopes of a fourth straight title are out the window.
A win and a fifth from the race two inverted grid have lifted Brandon Auby, who is busy with matric exams, to within 14 points of brother Marc whose return for the day was a third and a ninth. In an action packed second race which saw Brandon Auby and Groenewald have a coming together at turn one, a popular win went to veteran Franco di Matteo, in the Varta Batteries Jaguar, ahead of Richard Pinard (Timken Jaguar) and local driver Jaco Correia in the Liqui Moly Chev Corvette.
The Engen VW Cup is another championship in the melting pot. A sixth and a fifth were enough to keep Mathew Hodges (PG Glass VW Polo) at the top of the heap with main rival Devin Robertson (Champion VW Polo) running into race to woes.
Robertson romped away with heat one to come home ahead of Bryan Morgan (Timken VW Polo) and Gennaro Bonafede in a second Champion entry. The Alberton schoolboy was then forced to retire from race two with a blown engine, and the win went to Bonafede ahead of Darren Nathan (Sex Trader VW Polo) and Morgan.
Hodges salvaged valuable point to leave Phakisa with a 10 point advantage over Robertson. Bonafede is a further four points adrift with four races left.
Results:
WesBank V8 Supercars: Heat 1 – 1 B Auby (Jaguar); 2 H Groenewald (Holden); 3 M Auby (Jaguar); 4 D Auby (Holden); 5 J Correia (Chev Corvette). Heat 2 – 1 F di Matteo (Jaguar); 2 R Pinard (Jaguar); 3 J Correia (Chev Corvette); 4 B Morgenrood (Chev Lumina); 5 B Auby (Jaguar).
Bridgestone Production Cars: Heat 1 – 1 M Stephen (Audi A4); 2 L Poulter (Nissan 350Z); 3 J Fourie (Audi A4); 4 D Olivier (Subaru); 5 R Wolk (BMW 330i). Class A – M Stephen (Audi); Class T – G Nathan (VW Golf GTi); Class B – G Green (Alfa Romeo 147). Heat 2 – 1 S Watson-Smith (Audi A4); 2 A Taylor (BMW 330i); 3 M da Cunha (Nissan 350Z); 4 R Wolk (BMW 330i); 5 J Fourie (Audi A4). Class A – S Watson-Smith (Audi A4); Class T – G Nathsan (VW Golf GTi); Class B – K Swanepoel (Toyota RunX).
Engen VW Cup: Heat 1 – 1 D Robertson (VW Polo); 2 B Morgan (VW Polo); 3 G Bonafede (VW Polo); 4 K Quarmby (VW Polo); 5 D Nathan (VW Polo). Heat 2 – 1 G Bonafede (VW Polo); 2 D Nathan (VW Polo); 3 B Morgan (VW Polo); 4 K Barnes (VW Polo); 5 M Hodges (VW Polo).
Formula Volkswagen: Heat 1 – 1 T Sipuka (Formula VW); 2 J Kruger (Formula VW); 3 J Temple (Formula VW); 4 G Connelly (Formula VW); 5 P da Cunha (Formula VW). Heat 2 – 1 T Sipuka (Formula VW); 2 J Kruger (Formula VW); 3 G Connelly (Formula VW); 4 J Temple (Formula VW); 5 T Pepper (Formula VW).
Interfile SA Superbikes: Heat 1 – 1 G Gildenhuys (Honda); 2 L Isaacs (Honda); 3 S Morais (Kawasaki); 4 A Moodley (Honda); 5 C Leeson (Yamaha). Heat 2 – 1 S Morais (Kawasaki); 2 G Gildenhuys (Honda); 3 A Moodley (Honda); 4 C Leeson (Yamaha); 5 L Isaacs (Honda).
Interfile SA Supersport: Heat 1 – 1 S Morais (Kawasaki); 2 S Odendaal (Suzuki); 3 D White (Yamaha); 4 D Estment (Yamaha); 5 D Vos (Kawasaki). Heat 2 – 1 R Quarmby (Yamaha); 2 S Morais (Kawasaki); 3 S Odendaal (Suzuki); 4 D White (Yamaha); 5 B Estment (Yamaha).