| The first round of the 2014 BMW CCG Club Racing Series took place at the historic Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday 9 March. Despite a few familiar faces missing due to a clash of dates with the Argus Cycle Tour, the racing was no less exciting. |
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| Qualifying proved to be rather disappointing for some of the well known drivers in the field. Kris Budnik (E46 M3 GT) suffered brake failure heading into Clubhouse Corner and ended up in the unforgiving tyre barriers, putting an immediate end to his race day. Mishal Sing (E92 M3) suffered a cracked tappet cover which also put a premature end to his challenge. Manny Ribeiro (E36 325i Turbo) experienced side shaft failure and wasn’t able to get the car repaired in time for the first race. Adam Starostecki (Mazda MX5 Turbo) had a broken oil pipe putting paid to his chances of racing as well. |
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| Despite putting his car on pole position, Thouca Mechanicos (E46 M3 GTR) had to start from pit lane when a broken fan belt had to be replaced shortly before the race. |
Race 1
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| The first race got off to a great start with Carlo Garbini (E46 M3) and Jimmy Giannoccaro (E82 135i) neck and neck through turn one with the rest of the nineteen car field in tow. It was Giannoccaro who emerged in the lead down the back straight with Garbini and Joachim Kremnitzer (E46 328i Turbo) in tow. Dino Fameliaris (E36 M3) had a great start from sixth position on the grid and slotted into fourth overall ahead of Warren Dodd (E36 325i) and Lee Jones (E39 M5). Mechanicos was driving like a man possessed and was scything his way through the field at a rapid rate of knots. |
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Giannoccaro was simply brilliant in the first race
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| An unlucky Kremnitzer retired through the esses on lap four when the diff on his car had cried enough. Mechanicos continued his charge through the field and slotted into eighth position on the same lap. With Giannoccaro and Garbini off into the distance, it was the battle for the minor positions that had the spectators on their feet. Fameliaris was holding onto third position but Dale Penny (Nissan 350Z) and Jones were hot on his heels. The trio would soon have to contend with Mechanicos as well. He grabbed fifth position at the bottom of the Mine Shaft on lap six and proceeded to claim fourth position through Clubhouse Corner a lap later. He closed in on Fameliaris and then passed the talented youngster to grab third position through turn three on the last lap of the race. |
| Giannoccaro cruised home to victory ahead of Garbini with Mechanicos taking an excellent third position from the back of the grid. |
Race 1 Class Results
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Class A
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Class B
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- Jimmy Giannoccaro – Best lap: 1:52.233
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- Carlo Garbini – Best lap: 1:54.090
- Thouca Mechanicos – Best lap: 1:54.403
- Dale Penney – Best lap: 1: 56.669
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Class C
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Class D
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- Dino Fameliaris – Best lap: 1:57.600
- Lee Jones – Best lap: 1:57.546
- Warren Dodd – Best lap: 1:59.683
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- Bruce Turner – Best lap: 2:08.622
- Shane Grobler – Best lap: 2:12.967
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Garbini was on the limit in Class B
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Race 2
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| The second race would see the proverbial cat set amongst the pigeons with a reverse grid by class according to the first race results. |
| It didn’t take long for the faster cars in each class to manoeuvre themselves through the field before the end of the first lap. Giannoccaro’s luck came to a sudden end however when a broken water pump forced him to retire his car coming out of the Esses on the opening lap. Garbini grabbed the lead with Mechanicos and Justin Robertson (E36 328i) in tow. Penny slotted into fourth position with Noordeen Sing (E30 325i) trying to keep Jones and Julian Fameliaris (E36 328i) at bay. Mechanical gremlins put paid to another impressive performance from Mechanicos when he retired to the pits on the third lap. |
| Kremnitzer had taken the reins of his team mate Manny Ribeiro’s car for the second race, and was slicing his way through the field from the back of the grid. He had worked his way up to sixth position by lap four and then picked up another two positions a lap later as he set about chasing the leading trio. It didn’t take him too long either as he grabbed third position from Robertson and then second position from Penny on the next lap. An unfortunate incident between Dodd and Dino Fameliaris on the fifth lap saw Fameliaris being unceremoniously spun off into the unforgiving concrete wall just before the turn thirteen sweep. |
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Fameliaris was unlucky to experience this incident
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| The red flag then came out on lap six when the heavens opened with sudden monsoon like conditions, reducing visibility to almost nil. The race would need to be restarted because less than 75% of the second race had been run, but only two competitors were brave enough to tip toe around the circuit behind the safety car to complete the required number of laps. When the chequered flag came out it was Dodd who took the victory ahead of Robertson with Garbini being credited with third place. |
Race 2 Class Results
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Class A
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Class B
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- Justin Robertson – Best lap: 2:01.793
- Carlo Garbini – Best lap: 1:59.290
- Joachim Kremnitzer – Best lap: 1:57.096
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Class C
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Class D
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- Warren Dodd – Best lap: 2:01.033
- Julian Fameliaris – Best lap: 1:59.290
- Lee Jones – Best lap: 1:59.637
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- Steven Platt (Nissan Skyline R33) – Best lap: 2:07.164
- Bruce Turner – Best Lap: 2:12.148
- Shane Grobler – Best lap: 2:15.614
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Dodd braved treacherous conditions to claim victory in the second race
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| With a couple of well known names returning to the fray for the next event on 12 April at the Phakisa Freeway in Welkom, the racing is expected to be even more spectacular. |
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