WHITE-KNUCKLE TIME COMING FOR KYALAMI

+ Click to Enlarge RACE WINNERS: Shaun Watson-Smith (A5, Audi A4) and Johan Fourie (A1, Audi A4) took a win apiece in the Production Car races in Round 8 of the WesBank Super Series at Killarney. Image: Tracksidepics

September 28, 2009

Round eight of the 2009 WesBank Super Series – the second-last meeting of the SA circuit racing championship, provided superb racing in wintry conditions at Cape Town's Killarney circuit but ultimately posed more questions than it answered.

Only two championships have so far been settled - Sheridan Morais clinched the SA Supersport title in the previous meeting at Phakisa and Jayde Kruger wrapped up the Formula VW championship at Killarney.

For the rest, however, it's going to be white-knuckle time in the final meeting at Kyalami on October 17.

A win and a third for Hennie Groenewald (Jaguar) threw the V8 Supercar championship wide open. Brothers Marc and Brandon Auby (each in a Jaguar) arrived in Cape Town firmly in control of the championship and Groenewald's quest for a fourth title looked dead and buried.

But a good day for Groenewald and a nightmare weekend for the Auby family set up a mouth-watering finale at Kyalami. Groenewald is now only five points behind Marc Auby with Brandon a further five points down.

Groenewald won the opening race ahead of Jaco Correia (Chev Corvette) and Deon Auby. The Auby brothers each had gearbox problems but worse was to come.

Tricky conditions and a reversed grid combined to provide an interesting second race. Correia took an early lead followed by local driver Neil Hawkins in a V8 Opel Astra and, apart from a brief attack from Groenewald, the leading two were untroubled.

Terry Wilford (Jaguar) and Franco di Matteo (Jaguar) were fourth and fifth. Father Deon Auby and younger brother Brandon were out of the points while championship leader Marc could manage no better than 10th – which put his title aspirations under severe threat.

PRODUCTION CARS

Both the Class A and Class T championships will be decided at Kyalami after a second and a win took local favourite Johan Fourie (Audi A4) ahead of Anthony Taylor (BMW 330i) in Class A, with Gary Formato (Ford Focus ST) moving past Graeme Nathan (VW Golf GTI) in Class T.

The first heat win went to Shaun Watson-Smith ahead of Fourie, Michael Stephen and Melvill Priest in an Audi A4 1-2-3-4. Taylor was fifth.

Heat two was also an Audi benefit with Fourie, Stephen and Watson-Smith leading home Leeroy Poulter (Nissan 350Z). Taylor and Fourie are within a couple of points at the top of the championship standings but Stephen is not yet out of the picture. Kyalami is going to be interesting.

Nathan and Formato shared wins in Class T but a puncture in the second heat hit Nathan where it hurts and Formato's third in Race 1 secured a slight points advantage to take to Kyalami.

VW CUP

The VW Cup is also poised for a dramatic finale with Mathew Hodges, Gennaro Bonafede and Devin Robertson set to fight it out. Robertson and Bonafede seized the initiative in Race 1 at Killarney, coming home first and second while championship leader Hodges finished out of the points with a gearbox problem.

But Hodges hit back in a wet second heat with a faultless display. Robertson put himself out of the running with a first-lap indiscretion and Bonafede had an adventurous ride to fourth behind local Kosie Weyers and Kieran Quarmby.

FORMULA VW

Two polished wins from Wesleigh Orr, the second in atrocious conditions, saw him close the gap on Formula VW championship leader Jayde Kruger. The latter did not have a happy day with a fifth and a seventh but they were enough to put him out of reach of Orr in the championship stakes.

Orr won the first race ahead of Tasmin Pepper and Phakisa winner Tschops Sipuka, then ran away from Gordon Connelly in Race 2 with the impressive Pepper taking a second podium.

ALL RESULTS

WesBank V8 Supercars
Heat 1 - 1 H Groenewald (Jaguar); 2 D Auby (Holden); 3 J Correia (Chev Corvette); 4 T Wilford (Jaguar); 5 F di Matteo (Jaguar).
Heat 2 – 1 J Correia (Chev Corvette); 2 N Hawkins (Opel Astra); 3 H Groenewald (Jaguar); 4 T Wilford (Jaguar); 5 F di Matteo (Jaguar).

Bridgestone Production Cars
Heat 1 - 1 S Watson-Smith (Audi); 2 J Fourie (Audi); 3 M Stephen (Audi); 4 M Priest (Audi); 5 A Taylor (BMW). Class A – S Watson-Smith (Audi); Class T – G Nathan (Golf GTi); Class B – K Swanepoel (Toyota RunX).
Heat 2 – 1 J Fourie (Audi); 2 M Stephen (Audi); 3 S Watson-Smith (Audi); 4 L Poulter (Nissan 350Z); 5 A Taylor (BMW). Class A – J Fourie (Audi); Class T – G Formato (Ford Focus); Class B – K Swanepoel (Toyota RunX).

Engen VW Cup
Heat 1 - 1 D Robertson (VW Polo); 2 G Bonafede (VW Polo); 3 K Weyers (VW Polo); 4 M Pasqualli (VW Polo); 5 D Nathan (VW Polo).
Heat 2 – 1 M Hodges (VW Polo); 2 K Weyers (VW Polo); 3 K Quarmby (VW Polo); 4 G Bonafede(VW Polo); 5 K Barnes (VW Polo).

Formula Volkswagen
Heat 1 - 1 W Orr (FVW); 2 T Pepper (FVW); 3 T Sipuka (FVW); 4 G Connelly (FVW); 5 J Kruger (FVW).
Heat 2 – 1 W Orr (FVW); 2 G Connelly (FVW); 3 T Pepper (FVW); 4 T Sipuka (FVW); 5 S Moss (FVW).

VW Citi Celebrity Race
Heat 1 - 1 C Aberdein; 2 G de Villiers; 3 T Moss; 4 G Hall; 5 M Lupini.
Heat 2 – 1 T Moss; 2 G de Villiers; 3 S van der Merwe; 4 G Hall; 5 M Lupini.

Interfile SA Superbikes
Heat 1 - 1 L Isaacs (Honda); 2 G Gildenhuys (Honda); 3 S Morais (Kawasaki); 4 A Moodley (Honda); 5 C Leeson (Yamaha).
Heat 2 – 1 L Isaacs (Honda); 2 S Morais (Kawasaki); 3 G Gildenhuys (Honda); 4 A Moodley (Honda); 5 C Leeson (Yamaha).

Interfile SA Supersport
Heat 1 – 1 S Morais (Kawasaki); 2 E Alberts (Honda); 3 J Peskens (Honda); 4 B Estment (Yamaha); 5 S Odendaal (Suzuki)
Heat 2 – 1 S Odendaal (Suzuki)/J Peskens (Honda)/M Wahl (Yamaha); 4 S Morais (Kawasaki); 5 J Oliver (Yamaha).