Race Report: Liqui Moly Legends Championship – Round 5 – Midvaal Raceway

The fifth round of the 2015 championship saw the Liqui Moly Legends Championship make their way to a rather cold Midvaal Raceway on Saturday 20 June.

With more than twenty entries lining up on the grid the racing was expected to be closer than ever.

As always the traditional ball draw produced a few surprises for the grid of the opening race. Series newcomer Neville Loosemore (Master) would start from pole position with Fred Els locking out the front row for the Masters competitors.

Franco Di Matteo (Masters) would start from the second row with young gun Keagan Wessels (Semi-Pro) alongside him. Morne Stoltz (Pro) would start from fifth position with Llewellyn Myburgh (Pro) rounding out the top six.

Robertson was in dominant form as usual

The start of the first race saw the field jockeying for position on the opening lap. Seef Fourie (Pro) led the pack across the line for the first time with Myburgh, Loosemore and Devin Robertson (Pro) hot on his heels. Willie Erasmus (Pro) was playing the tail gunner role for his team mate with Justin Robertson (Master), Wessels and Shaun Nel (Pro) in tow.

Franco Di Matteo lost ground to the rest of the field when he had to make an unscheduled pit stop after the first lap. Robertson grabbed third position on lap two, with team mate Erasmus relegating Loosemore to fifth position a lap later. Robertson Senior followed his team mate’s example as he also got past Loosemore on the fourth lap.

The battle at the sharp end of the field was closer than ever with Myburgh literally pushing Fourie down the back straight. He grabbed the lead through turn five, only to lose the position to Fourie at the start of the next lap. A hard charging Robertson then picked up second position from Myburgh down the back straight, and promptly took the lead through turn five at the end of the straight. Myburgh managed to get past Fourie on lap six and set about after the race leader. The battle behind them was just as good with a number of impressive performances – most notably young Lonika Maartens (Young Lion) who was up to seventh position from twentieth position on the grid!

When the chequered flag came out after eight exciting laps it was Robertson who claimed a comfortable victory ahead of Myburgh. Fourie crossed the line in a close third position, but dropped back to seventeenth after being judged to have jumped the start – a harsh 30 second penalty showing just how close the racing actually is. Robertson Senior claimed the Masters honours with a respectable fifth position, while Maartens claimed the Young Lion laurels with an impressive sixth overall. Series newcomer Anro Stadler crossed the line in seventh position to take the Semi Pro category.

Race 2

Stadler put in some good performances once again

A partially inverted grid for the second race was definitely going to keep things interesting. When the dust had settled through the first three corners it was Willie Erasmus (Pro) who had grabbed the lead ahead of Robertson, Stadler and Fourie. Robertson made his move at the end of the straight and took the lead from his team mate. Fourie followed his example as he picked up third position from Stadler.

The battle behind the leaders was just as close with Nel holding off Jason Loosemore (Semi-Pro), Robertson Senior and Johan van Deventer (Master). Nel took fourth position on the second lap and set about after the leading trio. Myburgh was scything his way through the field from twelfth on the grid and slotted into sixth position by lap three. He wasn’t about to stop here as he grabbed fifth from Stadler and then shot past Nel to claim fourth position on the next lap.

With Robertson breaking away in front the battle for the minor placing’s was heating up. Fourie grabbed second on lap six, with Myburgh trying to chase down Erasmus for third. Once again Maartens was driving with skill beyond her years as she slotted into ninth position from twenty first on the grid – putting in the fifth fastest lap time of the race in the process.

Robertson romped home to victory ahead of Fourie with Erasmus keeping Myburgh at bay to claim third position. Sixth placed Stadler took his second win in the Semi-Pro class with Maartens claiming the laurels in the Young Lions category once again. Robertson Senior kept the family flag flying with yet another win in the Masters class.

Race 3

Wessels fought back gallantly to claim his highest result yet in the final heat

The final race of the day would see a full reverse grid with the opening laps of the race guaranteed to be an action packed affair. Di Matteo grabbed an early lead ahead of Loosemore Junior and Wessels. Morne Stoltz (Pro) was hot on their heels with Fourie, van de Venter and Loosemore Senior in tow. A collision between Stadler and Myburgh through turn five brought the safety car out.

When the race got back underway it was Di Matteo who held onto the lead ahead of Loosemore Junior and Wessels. Fourie grabbed fourth position with Robertson blasting his way up to sixth position behind Stoltz. Wessels grabbed second position a lap later with Fourie and Robertson then relegating Loosemore Junior to fifth position on the same lap.

A determined Robertson then took third position from Fourie on lap four and swiftly shot past Wessels and Di Matteo to take the lead before the lap was completed. Nel was also making his way through the field and was systematically picking off the opposition one by one. He got past Loosemore Junior to claim fifth position on lap seven. Fourie was also starting to make progress as he grabbed third position from Wessels and then squeezed past Di Matteo to pick up second position on the penultimate lap of the race.

Maartens was on fire once again as she closed down a massive gap on the opposition in the closing stages of the race. She blasted past Stoltz to pick up eight position, and then made short work of getting past Loosemore Junior to claim seventh.

The slightly longer ten lap race certainly didn’t lack any action, but it was Robertson who managed to take yet another comfortable victory ahead of Fourie. Di Matteo had to work hard to pick up third position ahead of young Wessels. In doing so he claimed the Maters class honours with Wessels taking his best result to claim the Semi-Pro class win. Maartens dominated the Young Lions category to take the triple crown in the class.