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Changing conditions made for a few spills, but also some unexpected overall results.
The headline races for Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-1966 Production Cars both went to Seef Fourie Jr (Mercury Cougar), ahead of Ben Morgenrood (Morgenrood Auto Ford Mustang. Photograph: Seamus Donoghue.
Adverse weather did little to distract competitors at Saturday’s Inland Historic Tour event around the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria.
Enthusiasts who braved the conditions were well rewarded with spectacular dicing, some brilliant driving performances and various unexpected winners.
Topping the show were two races for Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-1966 Production Cars.
Their official qualifying session held in pouring rain, weather master Hennie Groenewald proceeded to plant his Kameeldoring Ford Escort RS2000 on pole position, in front of 11 V8-engined cars.
In race one, held in the dry, he was caught by three of the vastly more powerful cars, and then forced to retire two laps from the end due to electronic maladies.
ALSO READ: Inland Historic Tour season kicks-off at Zwartkops
The race went to Seef Fourie Jr (Mercury Cougar), ahead of Ben Morgenrood (Morgenrood Auto Ford Mustang), James Temple (Lindenberg Ford Capri Perana), Mark du Toit (Ford Fairlane) and Warren Lombard (Chevrolet Camaro).
Fourie, Morgenrood and Temple filled the podium again in race two, with a mighty drive yielding fourth overall for Groenewald in the little Escort.
Lombard and Jonathan Needham (Ford Fairlane) took the fifth and sixth places respectively.
Jonathan Needham (Ford Cortina Perana) won the first Marlboro Crane Hire Under Two-litre race from Djurk Venter (Lindenberg Ford Escort), Marc Miller (RentMySolar Alfa Romeo Giulia), Francesco Lombardi (Alfa Romeo Giulia) and Roger Houston (Alfa Romeo Giulia) .
Race two went to Needham, Lombardi, Deon Schwabsky (Vexalab Ford Escort) and Ben van der Westhuizen (Toyota Celica).
Behind them, Nicolas Christofides (Alfa Romeo GT Junior) took the Little Giants category ahead of Kyle Brink (Mini Cooper), Robbie Frank (Lotus 23B) and Ishmael Baloyi (GSM Dart).
Brink won the second heat ahead of Christofides, Baloyi and Donavan Meier (Mini Clubman).
Mark du Toit (Lola T70) won the first Pre-2000 Prototypes race from Lee Thompson (Opel Astra V8), Andre van der Merwe (Evapco Porsche 911 RSR) and Seef Fourie Jr (Chevrolet Firenza CanAm).
Thompson won the next time out, followed by du Toit, James Temple (Lindenberg Daytona Coupe) and Fourie.
The opening Silvercup 2.0 heat went to Marius Jacobs (AAA Recovery Opel Tigra Spaceframe), leading home Marius du Plessis (Forklift Spares Nissan Primera), Paul van Niekerk (Dub Developments Volkswagen Golf) and Faudo Sidique (Honda Civic).
Du Plessis won race two from Sidique, Van Niekerk and Tony Szabo (Honda Civic).
Andre van der Merwe (Evapco Porsche 911 RSR) took the first Evapco HRSA race ahead of his namesake Andre ten Napel (TNMC Volkswagen Scirocco), Clive Wilmot (Kameeldoring Ford Escort RS2000) and Johan Gouws (Keller Williams Volkswagen Scirocco).
Race two, in the wet, saw Gouws win ahead of ten Napel, Wilmot and John McLachlan (Hamilton’s Datsun 1200 GX).
Glenton Rebello (ATS2000 Birken 7), took the opening Clubmans race from Rodney Kruis (Real Pro Honda Ballade), Wayne Lebotschy (Shield Volkswagen Golf) and Tjaart Visser (Race Technique Volkswagen Golf).
Rebello won race two as well, again followed by Kruis, Dirk Lawrence (JDM Tuning Honda Ballade) and Lebotschy.
Nick Hodgson (Singular Systems Locost) won the first Lotus Challenge race ahead of David Jermy (Blue Bubbles Taylon), JP Nortje (N4 Autocraft Birkin) and Sean Hewitt (Birkin).
Jermy won race two, followed by Hewitt, Jeff Gable (Blue Bubbles Birkin) and Josef Kotze (Top Products Birkin).
Race three went to Nortje, leading home Jermy, Hewitt and Gable.
The incredibly rapid Namib Biltong Formula M of JM Gerber took the opening Monoposto race from Adrian Morrow (Chaplins Eye Formula M), Louis van der Merwe (Liabri Swift 92) and Damien Archer (McNeil Plastics Ray).
Driving superbly in the wet, Gerber won race two as well, followed by Archer, Jannie Geyser (Vision Formula Vee) and Hylton Morrow (Chaplins Eye Formula M).
The first Historic Single Seater race went to Ryan Budd (Budlite Ray), leading home Paul Richardson (Aztek Dulon), Alan Kernick (Tempest FF) and Des Hillary (Dulon FF).
Budd and Richardson took the first two places again in race two, with Hillary and Kernick swapping third and fourth positions, respectively.
The first Liqui Moly INEX Legends race went to Gavin Botha (Pta Noord Toyota), followed by Sebastian Venkov, Devin Robertson (Big Boss Auto) and Cyril Jacobs Jr (Auto Perfect).
Botha won race two as well, ahead of Robertson, Cyril Jacobs Sr (Auto Perfect) and Christiaan Padayachee (Midas Gem).
Robertson took his turn as winner in race three, followed by Jacobs Jr, Riccardo Tebbut and Padayachee.
The next event at the Zwartkops Raceway will be the Zwartkops 200 endurance race for 111 Sports and Saloon Cars on Saturday, 17 May.
ALSO READ: Annual Zwartkops Passion for Speed puts on a show of note
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