Wet and tricky finish to Inland Historic tour at Red Star

This year’s Inland Historic season came to its conclusion at the Red Star Raceway on Saturday, with seven four-wheeler categories taking to the Delmas tarmac.

Cold weather and rain severely tested drivers, and a number of competitors left the season with crinkle-cut vehicles.

Top billing on the day went to the Pre-1990 Sports and Saloon Car contingent, with the two classes competing together.

Peter Bailey (Porsche 911 RSR) took the opening race from Stuart Konig (Northern Bolt Volkwagen Scirocco), Jannie van Rooyen (Volkswagen Scirocco), Rene van Rensburg (SV Tech Ford Escort) and Gavin Lundin (Datsun 1200 GX).

Race two, on a sopping wet circuit, saw Bailey slipping and sliding around with his Porsche on slick tyres, and just about everybody in the field ended up spinning somewhere.

George Avvakoumides (Liqui Moly Porsche 911 RSR) had wet-weather rubber and went on to win easily, leading home Andre’ van der Merwe (Porsche 911 RSR), Stefan Puschavez (Porsche 911), Lundin and Konig. 

Youngster Dawie van der Merwe (Universal Polo) won the opening Pozidrive VW Challenge race, chased to the finish line by Rory Atkinson (BHIT Polo) and Wayne Masters (Performance Masters Polo).

Race two was red-flagged due to a start-line pile-up in the wet, leaving much of the pit straight strewn with Volkswagen parts, and the ever efficient Midvaal marshals with a formidable cleaning job. After the restart, Atkinson drove impeccably to win from Wayne Masters and Bevin Masters (CPS Warehouse Polo). 

The first Lotus Challenge race went to Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Birkin 7) ahead of Johan Nel (Nellize Birkin) and John Kruger (Universal Birkin 7).

Race two, run in a full-scale rainstorm, saw young Kruger drive superbly to pull steadily away from the field. He was followed at a distance by Nick Hodgson (Rocam) and Ben Knights (Rocam).

The Midvaal Historics race was held in drizzling rain, causing almost everybody in the field to spin at least once. In the end Travis Jensen (SV Tech Datsun 1200) won from the equally nimble Jensen Towing Datsun 1200 of Franz Jensen, and the gingerly driven Master Mowers Chevrolet CanAm of veteran Eugene Gouws.

With nobody in possession of rain tyres, the drivers collectively decided to give the second race a miss, and end the season with their cars intact.

The initial VW GTi Cup race went to Duabe Brown in his turbocharged Polo, leading home Andy Gossman (Polo GTi) and Ian Walker (Polo GTi).

Brown retired from the second, wet, race, leaving Mike McGregor (Polo GTi) to win from Gossman and Miquel Dias (Polo GTi).

Ken Price (Formula M) led home the similar single seaters of Grant Will and Tony Beecher in the first Monoposto race. Will won race two from Hayden Archer (Formula Vee) and Price.

Andre’ Dannhauser (Opel Kadett) took the opening Charlies Superspar Pursuit handicap race, ahead of Althea Pretorius (Nissan Exa) and Hilton Ewart (Alfetta). Lady racer Pretorius won race two from Ewart and Dannhauser.