James Temple completed 31 laps to win the premier 45-minute race for Pre-1966 Le Mans Sports and GT Cars in his Lindenberg Racing Daytona Coupe Picture: Dave Ledbitter.
The 2025 South African circuit racing season started on a blistering note during the Passion for Speed extravaganza Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday.
A large crowd turned up to be fully entertained, the rain stayed away until the very latter stages and enthusiasts were again reminded why historic racing is an absolutely brilliant form of the adrenaline game.
The day’s main attraction was a couple of races for Pre-1966 Legend Production Cars.
In race one, multiple oval circuit champion Seef Fourie arguably delivered the race of the day by taking his Mercury Cougar to victory after starting low down in the field.
With a pass on the last lap, the big red Mercury finished ahead of Mark du Toit (Ford Fairlane), Italian visitor Nicky Pastorelli (Pablo Clark Ford Galaxie), Jonathan du Toit (Chevrolet Nova) and Hennie Groenewald (Ford Escort).
ALSO READ: Passion for Speed revving-up to start 2025 circuit racing calendar
Having broken out of the category’s lap time bracket, Fourie had to start from the back of the second race grid. Then the car’s front suspension broke two laps in and he retired.
That left Pastorelli to win with the Galaxie, followed by Mark du Toit, Jonathan du Toit, Lee Thompson (Chevrolet Bel Air), Ben Morgenrood (Morgenrood Auto Ford Mustang) and Colin Ellison (Ford Tunderbolt).
Officially, the day’s premier event was a 45-minute race for Pre-1966 Le Mans Sports and GT Cars.
James Temple completed 31 laps to win in his Lindenberg Racing Daytona Coupe, followed by Oliver Dalias (Marlboro Crane Hire Ford GT40), Steve Clark (Cobra), Djurk Venter (Lindenburg Shelby Daytona), Anthony Taylor (BMW 328i) and John ten Doeschate (Marauder Mark 3).
Larry Wilford (Fuchs Lola T70) won the opening race for Pre 1974 International Sports Prototypes, chased over the finish line by Antonie Marx (Tiga), Michiel Campagne (McLaren M8F), Franco di Matteo (Ford Mustang GT) and Hennie Groenewald (Chevrolet Camaro).
Netherlands visitor Campagne got into his stride in race two, blasting the huge, bellowing seven-litre CanAm-era McLaren around Zwartkops to good effect.
He won the race from Wilford, Jonathan du Toit (Chevron B8), Lee Thompson (Opel Astra V8), Marx and Jason Campos (Porsche 911 RSR).
The Pre-1966 Under Two-litre category saw its first race going to Sophos Pantazis (Datsun 240Z), followed by Carel Pienaar (Lotus Cortina), Alan Poulter (Volvo 122S), Jonty Needham (Ford Cortina Perana) and Marc Miller (Alfa Romeo Giulia).
Pantazis and Pienaar again took the first two places in race two, chased to the flag by Jaco Krynauw (Datsun 240Z), Needham and Alan Poulter (Volvo 122S).
Chad ten Doeschate (GSM Dart) took the opening Little Giants race from Kyle Brink (Mini Cooper S), Nicolas Christofides (Alfa Giulia GT Junior), John ten Doeschate (GSM Flamingo) and Terence Botes (Mini Austin).
Ten Doeschate and Brink again finished first and second in race two.
This time they were followed by Vic Campher (Campher Volvo P1800), Christofides, John ten Doeschate and Ishmael Baloyi (GSM Dart).
Hennie Groenewald won the first Evapco HRSA heat in his Datsun 240Z, despite completing most of the event without a bonnet after it parted early on.
The versatile Groenewald lead home Andre’ van der Merwe (Evapco Porsche 911 RSR), Werner Kotze (Mazda R100), Phillip Pantazis (Datsun 240Z), and Andre ten Napel (TNMC Volkswagen Scirocco).
Race two saw Groenewald, van der Merwe, Kotze and ten Napel take the first four places again, followed by George Avvakoumides (Euro Shop Porsche 911 RSR) and Oliver Broome (Chevrolet SS).
The opening single-seater race went to Dean Venter (Titan), leading home Andrew Horne (Royale RF31), Josh Dovey (Chevron B20), Ryan Budd (Ford Ray 92) and Paul Richardson (Dulon LD9).
Venter and Horne took the first two places in race two as well, this time followed by Budd, Richardson and Dovey.
Peter Hills (Mangaza Rhema) won the first DOE Forrmula Vee race ahead of Kyle Watt (Mangaza Rhema), Vaughn Hills (VMax Mangaza), Brandon Hills (Rhema) and Gert van den Berg (DOE Rhema).
In races highlights by a series of accidents and safety cars, including a prolonged stoppage after a three-car pile-up in the day’s first race, Bob Neill (Delmon Mining M3 Turbo) took the opening BMW M Performance Parts race ahead of Leon Loubser (Monaco 335i), Renier Smith (Fast Development M3 Turbo), Fabio Fedetto (M4) and Hein van der Merwe (Savpeed 328i Turbo).
Neil, Loubser and Smith filled the race two podium as well, followed by Nek Makris (335i), Fedetto and Oz Biagioni (M4).
The second round of the 2025 Passion for Speed will take place at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas this coming Saturday (8 February).
ALSO READ: Local motorsport off with a bang at Zwartkops Passion for Speed
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
