Wet and wild weather fails to dilute Kyalami 9-Hour spectacle

High drama, brilliant driving, close-fought battles and the most marginal overall championship victory in the history of the series, all in front of a large crowd.

That is how enthusiasts will remember Saturday’s 2023 9-Hour race at Kyalami, the final round of the 2023 South African GT and Endurance Series.

Overall results

The race, that attracted a large entry and – like every other before – a typical Highveld rainstorm at dusk, was won overall by Nick Adcock, Michael Jensen, Jonathan Thomas and Leyton Fourie in their Adjust4Sleep Nova Proto.

They led home the BBR Porsche 911 GT3 RS of Hein Lategan/Verissimo Tavares/Keagan Masters and the Backdraft Roadster of Mike McLouglan/Steve Clark.

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Fourth overall, and clinching the year’s overall South African Endurance series by a single point, was the Stradale Motorsport Audi R8 GT3 of Charl Arangies, Arnold Neveling and Kwandas Mokoena.

They were followed by the play.co.za Juno of Byron Mitchell, Peter van der Spuy and Nian du Toit, plus the Backdraft Cobra of  Richard van Heerden and Gavin Rooke.

Seventh, and clinching the 2023 Class E title, was the Morgenrood Group Backdraft of Ben Snr, Benjamin and Crisjan Morgenrood, closely followed by the similar entry of Gian Maria Gabbiani, Alberto Huober and Mark Owens.

Series newcomers Albert and Oliver Hintenaus won their first saloon car race in their Coastal Supplies BMW 335i, finishing ninth overall, chased to the line by the PPLE/Adapt Backdraft of Melark Harvey, Philip Meyer and Dean Wolson.

How it happened

The race, which started at noon, was initially led by the Into Africa Lamborghini Huracan of Stuart White, Xolile Letlaka and Mikael Pitamber.

They conceded the lead to the Arangies/Neveling/Mokoena Audi by mid-afternoon, but then drama struck.

First, the Audi broke a sideshaft and limped to the pits for a long repair stop. Then, just as the rain came down, the Lamborghini’s alternator shed a belt, causing huge damage in the engine well. It also ended in the pits.

That left the Adcock/Jensen/ Thomas/Fourie Nova in the lead, which they kept to the end.

After changing the vehicle’s sideshaft in record time, the Arangies/ Neveling/Mokoena Audi team scythed through the pack from behind, eventually taking the fourth place. The team only found out that they were now champions when told after the race.

By the same token, the Gazoo Racing Toyota GR86 of journalists Setshaba Mashigo, Chad Luckoff, The Citizen’s Road Test Editor Mark Jones and Dennis Droppa won the overall Index of Performance prize without knowing it.

The team finished the full nine hours on the same set of tyres and brake pads. The year’s Index of Performance National Champion, after his first season of racing, is Jean Paul Briner (Tradecor Steel Backdraft).

Finally, after suffering a very rare retirement, the works Volkswagen Motorsport SupaPolo of Daniel Rowe, Jonathan Mogotsi and Charl Visser still left Rowe as the year’s overall saloon car champion.

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