Inland series puts on a show at a sparsely spectated Phakisa

Regional motorsport returned to the Free State Phakisa Raceway on Saturday, with hard racing in front of a sparse audience the order of the day.

Top billing of the event between Welkom and Odendaalsrus belonged to the M Performance Parts BMW brigade.

Race one was won by Andreas Meier (#trainedamateurs BMW 318i STC), leading home Salvi Gualtieri (Savspeed BMW 328i Turbo), Carlo Garbini (Kimbo Coffee BMW 328i Turbo) and Jagger Robertson (Big Boss Auto BMW M3).

Race two, started from an inverted grid, saw Robertson drive brilliantly to take the victory, leading home Meier, Gualtieri and Jan Evertsteyn (African Surprise BMW M3).

Andre’ van der Merwe (Evapco Porsche 911 RSR) took the first Historic Racing heat win, leading home Jannie van Rooyen (PAR Volkswagen Scirocco), Stuart Konig (PAR Volkswagen Scirocco) and Andre’ ten Napel (TNMC Volkswagen Scirocco).

Van der Merwe won race two as well, trailed by Van Rooyen, Konig and Ten Napel.

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The first Midvaal Historics race went to Travis Jensen (Datsun 1200 GX), followed by Frans Jensen (Datsun 1200), J.P Coetzer (Datsun 1200) and Peder Jensen (Datsun 1200). Travis Jensen took the second heat from Frans Jensen, Coetzer and Peder Jensen.

A total of 18 single seaters faced the starter in the opening Formula Monoposto race. Hylton Morrow (Chaplins Eye Care Formula M) took the victory, ahead of Didier Diedericks (Formula M), Corrie le Roux (Pigments Formula M) and Herman Krige (Formula M).

Race two, interrupted due to a crash involving the Pigments Formula M of Clayton le Roux and the similar car of Herman Krige, went to Diedericks, followed by Morrow, Jannie Gerber (Namib Formula M) and Kennedy Torres (RackAir Concord).

Rounding out the event were two handicap races for the Ben Morgenrood Group Pursuit category. Andre’ Hattingh (Mercedes Benz 190E) won the first time, leading home Wynand du Plessis (Porsche 944), Werner Hartzenberg (Porsche 916) and Wynand du Plessis Jr. (Toyota MR2).

Race two went to Rob van Aarle (Ford Escort), ahead of Paul Manigold (Alfa Romeo GT Junior), Hartzenberg and Wynand du Plessis Sr. (Porsche 944).

The next race meeting at the Phakisa Raceway will be a Regional Extreme Festival event on Saturday, September 10.