The sixth round of the 2016 Inland Championship saw this popular Roadshow head out to the technical Red Star Raceway this past weekend for another action packed round which provided thrills and spills for the large crowd on the day.
An impressive performance by Seef Fourie (Pro) saw him taking the overall and Pro class victory
The INEX Legends Championship series kicked off proceedings with their first race of the day. Poleman Jordan Larsson (Semi-Pro) held an early lead ahead of Seef Fourie (Pro) and Keagan Wessels (Pro). Fourie took the lead before the end of the lap however with a hard charging Clinton Bezuidenhout (Young Lion) up to second a lap later. Fourie held on for a comfortable victory with Wessels getting the better of Bezuidenhout on the last lap to claim second. Maartens was credited with third after Bezuidenhout was penalized for a jump start.
Poleman Divan Myburgh (Pro) held the lead at the start of the second race with Justin Robertson (Master) and the rest of the pack in tow. Lonika Maartens (Semi-Pro) was up to third and rapidly closing down on the leaders. She got past Myburgh for second and then grabbed the lead from Robertson coming out of turn one on the second lap. Fourie was up to second by the penultimate lap, bringing Wessels with him. Maartens took a comfortable win ahead of Fourie and Wessels.
Shaun Nel (Pro) took an early lead at the start of the third race with Bezuidenhout, Larsson and Fourie not too far behind. Bezuidenhout grabbed the lead by lap three only to lose it to Fourie a lap later. Fourie held on for the win ahead of Bezuidenhout with Maartens coming through to take third.
The hard dueling JDM Tuning team saw Jeff Langeveldt (Honda CRX) take both race wins
The first combined race for the Yokohama Modified Production Cars / Sports Racing Association and Silver Cup classes was marred by a start line incident which saw Paul van Niekerk (Golf 1) and Paul Saayman (Golf 1) hit the pit wall after tangling off the line. The re-start was a much cleaner affair with Dirk Lawrence (Honda Ballade) taking the lead ahead of Jeff Langeveldt (Honda CRX) and Giles Darroch (Golf 1). Mario Nardini (Nardini SP) was up to third place by lap four with James Alexander (Nardini SP) and Adrian Dalton in tow. Langeveldt grabbed the lead on lap four and romped home to victory. Alexander picked up second place and first in SRA. Lawrence held on for third with sixth placed Marius Jacobs (Spaceframe Tigra) taking the Silver Cup honours.
The second race was a much cleaner affair with Lawrence and Langeveldt taking the lead ahead of Dalton and Warren Fenton (Honda Ballade). Langeveldt grabbed the lead on lap four while Fenton got past Dalton by lap three to make it an all Honda affair out in front. Langeveldt held on for the win ahead of Lawrence while SRA leader Alexander grabbed third position on the penultimate lap of the race. Seventh placed JP Bohlman took the Silver Cup honours ahead of Jacobs this time around..
The first Formula Monoposto race saw poleman Louis van der Merwe (Formula GTI) take the lead ahead of Nicolas Zavalone (Speads), Leon Scholtz (Formula Vee) and Jannie Geyser (Formula Vee). Zavalone used his superior speed down the back straight to claim the lead before the end of the first lap. After a bad qualifying Didier Diedericks (Formula M) had made his way up to third place by the end of lap two with Geyser getting past Scholtz to claim fourth as well. Zavalone took an unchallenged Overall and Formula M victory ahead of class B Libre winner van der Merwe. Diedericks held on for third overall as well as the Formula M class B win. Geyser took Libre class C with ninth placed Michael Kernick (Formula Ford) taking Libre class D. Twelfth placed Steven Levin (Formula Vee) took the Libre class E honours.
Zavalone picked up where he left off from the first race to take an immediate lead ahead of van der Merwe, Diedericks and Geyser. He romped home to yet another unchallenged Overall and Formula M victory. Van der Merwe claimed the double in Libre class B with Diedericks doing the same in Formula M class B. In a day of doubles Geyser took Libre class C while Levin took Libre class E honours yet again as well. Mark Lagden (DAW) claimed the Libre class D victory this time around.
Julian Fameliaris (E36 328i Turbo) was unstoppable on the day
The first race for the Bridgestone BMW Club Racing Series saw poleman Julian Fameliaris (E36 328i Turbo) hold the lead ahead of Riaan Woest (E46 M3 GTR) and Jorge Estrela (E36 328i Turbo). Rick (E30 3.2 CSL) and Paulo Loureiro (E36 M3) slotted in behind the leading trio with the rest of the pack in tow. Fameliaris romped home to an easy victory ahead of Woest and Estrela. Seventh placed Lorenzo Gaultieri (E36 328i) and Troy Cochran (E46 325i) took the class C and D honours respectively.
The second race with the traditional reverse grid by class saw Desmond Bloem (E36 M3 Turbo) take the lead ahead of Manny Ribeiro (E36 M3) and Fameliaris. Fameliaris grabbed the lead before the end of the lap and never looked back. Rick Loureiro claimed third position with Estrela relegating Ribeiro to fifth. Fameliaris claimed another comfortable victory with Bloem and Loureiro holding on for second and third respectively. Gaultieri and Cochran took the C and D class honours yet again with Mike Dodd (E36 318is) taking the double in class E.
The 250 Superkart brigade made a welcome return to the Inland Championship. Kyle Lawrence grabbed the early lead in the first race ahead of poleman Bevan Williams. Former champion Fabio Tafani slotted into third position ahead of son Riccardo Tafani. Williams grabbed the lead on the second lap with Richard Fuller getting past Riccardo on the same lap for fourth. Williams held on for an easy victory with Lawrence and Fabio taking the remaining podium positions.
Lawrence grabbed an early lead in the second race with Fuller, Fabio and Williams in tow. Williams was up to second by lap three and took the lead on lap five. He went on to take the double for the day with Lawrence holding on to second ahead of Fuller.
Poleman Devin Robertson (Chev Corvette) took the win in both Big Boss Auto Super Saloons races
Poleman Devin Robertson (Chev Corvette) took the lead of the first Big Boss Auto Super Saloons race and quite literally never looked back. Ben Morgenrood (Ford Mustang) slotted into second with Mackie Adlem (Jaguar) hot on his heels. Amos Cockerham Junior (Chev Corvette) had his hands full with Larry Wilford (Jaguar) for fifth. Robertson went on to claim an easy Overall and GTA class win. Willie Hepburn (Opel Rekord) took the GT2 honours while Jody Viana (Mazda RX8) claimed GT3. Adrian Dalton (Golf 1) and JP Breedt (Nissan 300ZX) took the honours in classes GT4 and GT5 respectively.
Robertson picked up where he left off in the first race by taking an immediate lead once again. Morgenrood slotted into second with Adlem in tow. Franco Di Matteo (Jaguar) moved into fourth with Cockerham Junior and Wilford hot on his heels. Viana looked set for another victory in GT3 but a blown engine on the third lap put paid to his chances. Mechanical issues for Cockerham Junior ended his race on lap five. Robertson took his second Overall and GTA class win ahead of Morgenrood and Adlem. Hepburn took the GT2 honours yet again with Dalton taking the double in GT4. Riaan van Niekerk (Spaceframe) took the honours in GT5.
Poleman Colin Ellison (Alfa Romeo GTA) took the lead into the first corner of the Midvaal Historics / Trofeo Challenge race with Riaan Jacobs (Datsun 160Z) and Travis Jensen (Datsun 1200 GX) in tow. Ted Young (Ford Anglia) grabbed third position from Jensen a lap later. Jacques Mostert (Datsun GX Coupe) took fourth position on lap three with Travis being hassled by Franz Jensen (Datsun 1200 GX) as well. Jacobs retired on the same lap with a puncture coming off the back straight however. Mostert was up to second by the penultimate lap of the race with Franz getting past Young to grab third. Ellison took the Overall and Trofeo win with Mostert taking class F. Fifth placed Peder Jensen (Datsun 1200 GX) took class G with thirteenth placed Eugene Gouws (Fiat 124 Sport) taking class H.
Ellison grabbed an immediate lead in the second race followed by Mostert, Young and Franz Jensen. Young dropped back to sixth place by lap two when Franz, Brendan Parker (Datsun GX Coupe) and Peder all got past him. A hard charging Parker then passed Franz and Mostert to claim second place a lap later. Ellison romped home to claim another Overall and Trofeo class victory. Parker took the class E honours with Mostert taking class F. Fifth placed Peder took class G once again with Gouws taking the double in class H as well.
The Comsol VW Challenge saw Waldie Meintjes (LTR / Marty’s Body & Spray Polo) taking an unchallenged overall victory for the day and class A wins in both races. Rory Atkinson (Comsol Polo) came second overall in class A with Capetonian Stiaan Kriel (Imperial Select Polo) in third. Nic Clarke (Central Technical Services Polo) stood as victor in class B for the day. Darren Nathan (Sextrader Polo) who got his first ever VW Challenge pole position came in second overall for the day and Adrian Wood (Laserfische Polo) rounded up the top 3 for class B. Class C was the only class where the pole position was converted to a win by Shaun Crous (Ancro Building Projects Polo). Crous had another untroubled run to victory in class C in the second race which landed him the overall victory in class C. Wouter Roos (Nathan’s Motorsport Polo) walked away with second overall for the day with Christiaan de Wet (Polo) settling for third overall in class C.
The next round for the Inland Championship will head back to the Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria on 17 September.
For any enquiries, photographs or media reports on the Inland Championship feel free to contact Paul Blackburn on 082 900 6443 or media@racepics.co.za.
