Tag: Inex Legends

Pre Race Report: Liqui Moly Legends Championship – Round 6 – Zwartkops Raceway

Greg ReillyINEX Legends Racing, Race Reports, Zwartkops Raceway

The sixth round of the 2015 Liqui Moly Legends Championship will return to the Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday 25 July for three more heats of fast paced action. With five exciting rounds behind them, the title chase is really starting to heat up.

Devin Robertson (Pro) has secured his position at the top of the leader board with a string of victories over the past few events.

Llewellyn Myburgh (Pro) continues to hunt him down but will need to pull something special out of the bag to put a dent in the defending champions lead. Seef Fourie (Pro) is not too far behind the current leaders either and will be keen to try and pull off a victory of his own.

Willie Erasmus (Pro) has jumped up to fourth position and will be looking to make up for a few missed opportunities from earlier on in the season. Keagan Wessels (Semi-pro) moves up one spot into fifth position and will be determined to score more consistent results than what he has had of late.

Shaun Nel (Pro) has seen his luck change for the better and moves into the top six for the first time this year. He will have his work cut out for him however as experienced veteran Franco di Matteo (Master) is tied on points with Nel and will no doubt be determined to break into the top six as well.

Divan Myburgh (Pro) has seen his early season championship hopes fade with mechanical and electrical gremlins plaguing his efforts over the past two events. Justin Robertson (Master) leapfrogs into ninth place after a string of good results over the past few races while Morne Stoltz (Pro) has also seen a change of fortune as he breaks into the top ten.

Young Lion Lonika Maartens is leading the Young Lions category with a mere 45 points ahead of Clinton Bezuidenhout who is sure to challenge her for this lead.

With more than a dozen other drivers in the field who are all more than capable of taking valuable championship points, the racing at Zwartkops is expected to be closer than ever!

Top Ten after 5 events

  1. Devin Robertson (P) – 2580 points
  2. Llewellyn Myburgh (P) – 2230 points
  3. Seef Fourie (P) – 2215 points
  4. Willie Erasmus (P) – 1945 points
  5. Keagan Wessels (SP) – 1690 points
  6. Shaun Nel (P) – 1640 points
  7. Franco di Matteo (M) – 1640 points
  8. Divan Myburgh (P) – 1485 points
  9. Justin Robertson (M) – 1265 points
  10. Morne Stoltz (P) – 1155 points

Website: www.legendsracing.co.za
Facebook: Legends Racing SA
Event Photographs: www.RacePics.co.za

Race Report by: Greg Reilly
Media and Photograph requests must please be forwarded to RacePics at Click-to-Reveal@racepics.co.za

Di Matteo finally declared 2014 National Champion

Greg ReillyINEX Legends Racing, Inland Championship, Race Reports, Super Series
Franco Di Matteo – 2014 National V8 Champion
Franco Di Matteo – 2014 National V8 Champion

After more than six months of torturous legal battles and unnecessary financial expense Franco Di Matteo has finally received the recognition that he so richly deserves – officially being crowned the 2014 National SA Sports & V8 Supercars Champion!

Di Matteo has been a stalwart of V8 racing throughout the years – whether it be under the Wesbank Modifieds banner or more recently the V8 Supercars banner. He has also come close to winning the illustrious crown on numerous occasions but it has always seemed to elude him. The 2014 season certainly looked to be the year that he would take the crown.

Almost everyone within SA motorsport circles as well as the Sports and GT category as a whole would agree that Di Matteo was last year’s worthy champion. Unfortunately lack of sportsmanship from one championship contender would see a rather ugly and somewhat unnecessary legal battle ruin what would have been the realisation of a dream for the popular “Italian Stallion”, as he is affectionately known.

However, endless months of MSA Courts of Appeal and National Courts of Appeal have finally seen justice prevail at the end of May this year when Di Matteo was rightfully declared the 2014 V8 Supercar National Champion with a seven point margin over Ben Morgenrood.

Despite the cloud that has hung over him for more than six months, Di Matteo has carried on admirably with his motorsport involvement. He has also been a regular competitor in the Liqui Moly Legends category, and topped the 2014 season off by winning the Masters category in this competitive series as well. He was then privileged enough to travel to Virginia in the USA to compete in the INEX Legends World Finals at the end of last year and returned home as the third placed Master in the world – a remarkable achievement considering that he raced against the best that the world had to offer!

The view that Di Matteo will be looking to give the opposition for the rest of the season
The view that Di Matteo will be looking to give the opposition for the rest of the season

When the National Super Series tier collapsed at the end of last season the V8 Supercar brigade were given the option to join the Regional Super Saloons category in a new GTA class created especially for them. Di Matteo was one of the first drivers to support the initiative and hasn’t missed a race since. With four of the nine scheduled events for the season already behind them Di Matteo currently leads the 2015 Big Boss Super Saloons GTA Class Championship.

A second place and a win at the recent Midvaal event will see Di Matteo heading into the fifth round of the championship at Zwartkops Raceway in July with a slight advantage over the rest of the GTA field. The irony is that he finds himself in almost the exact same situation as last season, as he has a narrow two point advantage over arch rival Morgenrood.

It is anyone’s guess as to who will take the 2015 title but Di Matteo is guaranteed to give it his all. The remainder of the 2015 season will be watched with great interest to see if he can pull off his second championship title in as many years.

Di Matteo’s success would not be possible without his valued sponsors – Varta Johnsons Control, Amtec Lubricants, Derek’s Machining, Tre-D Engineering, GWR Racing and PF Hydraulics. He will certainly be looking to reward them with another great result at the end of the 2015 season.

Report by Greg Reilly
Media requests must please be forwarded to RacePics at Click-to-Reveal@racepics.co.za

Di Matteo Sponsors

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

Greg ReillyINEX Legends Racing, Inland Championship, Midvaal Raceway, Race Reports

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.

Race 1

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.

Maartens absolutely obliterated the opposition in her new liveried machine

Race 1 Results

  1. Devin Robertson – Best lap: 1:14.684
  2. Llewellyn Myburgh – Best lap: 1:15.423
  3. Willie Erasmus – Best lap: 1:16.636
  4. Shaun Nel – Best lap: 1:16.545
  5. Justin Robertson – Best lap: 1:17.235
  6. Lonika Maartens – Best lap: 1:16.238

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.

Liqui Moly Legends Championship Round 5 – 20 June 2015 – Midvaal Raceway

Race 2 Results

  1. Devin Robertson – Best lap: 1:15.122
  2. Seef Fourie – Best lap: 1:15.600
  3. Willie Erasmus – Best lap: 1:16.101
  4. Llewellyn Myburgh – Best lap: 1:15.499
  5. Shaun Nel – Best lap: 1:16.242
  6. Anro Stadler – Best lap: 1:16.364

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.

Young Lion Clinton Bezuidenhout

Race 3 Results

  1. Devin Robertson – Best lap: 1:15.400
  2. Seef Fourie – Best lap: 1:16.260
  3. Franco Di Matteo – Best lap: 1:16.718
  4. Keagan Wessels – Best lap: 1:16.495
  5. Shaun Nel – Best lap: 1:16.128
  6. Willie Erasmus – Best lap: 1:16.202

The next round will see the Liqui Moly Legends Championship make a welcome return to Zwartkops Raceway on 25 July 2015.

Race Report by: Greg Reilly

Website: www.legendsracing.co.za
Facebook: Legends Racing SA
Event Photographs: www.RacePics.co.za

Media and Photograph requests must please be forwarded to RacePics at Click-to-Reveal@racepics.co.za