The early dice between the Nova NP02 of Nick Adcock, Mike Jensen and Ryan Naickerand the Lamborghini Huracan of Stuart White and Xolile Letlaka was the highlight of the meeting. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter.
This year’s South African Endurance Series started its activities at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, with all indications pointing to a brilliant season.
Topping the bill was a four-hour endurance race for sports and saloon cars, with 19 competitors facing the starter.
It was won by the Nova NP02 of Nick Adcock, Mike Jensen and Ryan Naicker, followed by the Lamborghini Huracan of Stuart White and Xolile Letlaka.
The two crews delivered the event’s top excitement, via different ways.
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Starting from pole position, Adcock took the Nova into an immediate lead. White, meanwhile, had to from the pit lane after not qualifying on Friday due to electronic bothers.
He immediately started to blast the Lamborghini through the field, arriving at the front end just behind the Nova after just seven laps.
The two quickest cars in the race then proceeded to dice furiously, with the Nova faster on the straights and the Lamborghini quickest through the corners.
Of course it could not last, and the fight was broken up when pitstop started.
Then Letlaka got thumped while lapping a slower car, and limped to the pits with a broken tie-rod.
The repair cost them 10 laps, which presented a mountain not even White and Letlaka could climb.
They retained second place behind the Nova, in which youngster Ryan Naicker set the weekend’s quickest lap time of 59.303 just before the end.
Third, 26 laps behind, was the Backdraft Roadster of Mike McLoughlin and Steven Clarke, leading home the similar car of Gianni Gabbianni and Mark Owens, and the Team Pasty entry of reigning champions Barend and Harm Pretorius.
Backdrafts, driven by Remi Guigue/Andre Bettencourt/ Pedro Garcia, Dan Hirsch/Fabienne Lanz/Lucen Ramchander, and Dean Wolsen/Mark Harvey/Phillip Meyer respectively, filled the next three places.
Ninth overall, and winning Class C, was the Scuderia Rossi Alfa Romeo Giulia QV of Mario Rossi, Regard van Zyl and Werner Vonk.
Rounding out the top 10 was the Backdraft of Jonathan Edwards, Jordan Edwards and Barry Glanz.
Though last on the track, the Toyota Altezza of Sergio Alvares and Marco da Cunha was the only survivor in Class B, and became the winner.
The One-hour dash, run in conjunction with the Endurance race, went to Shayur Harpal (Lamborghini Gallardo), ahead of Andrew Horne (Ligier JS49) and Antony Marx (Shelby CanAm).
Charl Arangies (Porsche 911 GT3 R) won the first Porsche GT Cup race, beating Arnold Neveling (Porsche 911 GT3), Ryan Naicker (Porsche 911 GT3) and Nicky Dicks (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup).
Arangies won the next time out as well, finishing ahead of Naicker, Neveling and Dicks.
The first Sports and GT race went to Andrew Horne (Ligier JS49), leading home Nicky Dicks (Porsche 911 GT3), Mia Mo (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) and Mike Verrier (Shelby Can-Am).
The opening Unlimited Superbike heat was won by Clive Turnbull (Suzuki GSXR 1000), followed by Siya Tshabalala (Yama YZF-R1), Simphiwe Mahlobo (Yamaha YZF-R1) and Shaun Petersen (BMW S1000).
Turnbull won race two as well, this time ahead of Tsabalala, Petersen and Jhandre Fourie (Kawasaki GSXR1000).
Both the Senior Superbike races were won by Adolf Boshoff (Honda CBR 1000), followed by Siya Khumalo (Ducati Panigale V4R), Nathan Pienaar (Honda CBR) and Damion Purificati (BMWS 1000 RR).
Both the Junior Classic Superbike races went to Fergal McAdam (Honda VTR 1000), ahead of Wessel Kruger (Suzuki GSX750), John Kosterman (Suzuki GSX 1000) and Etienne Louw (Kawasaki Z1000).
McAdam won race two as well, chased to the flag by Kruger, Kosterman and Louw.
The next event at Zwartkops will be the opening round of 2025 Regional Extreme series this coming weekend, 1 March.
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