Thrills and lots of spills at Inland Historic Phakisa meet

The Free State Phakisa Raceway hosted round two of the 2021 Inland Historic series on Saturday, with eight racing disciplines attending.

Heading up proceedings in front of empty grandstands were two races for Pre-1980 Saloon Cars. Race one went to a hard charging Alan Green in his Ford Escort, followed by Deon van Vuuren (Hoosier Mazda R100 Rotary) and Stuart Konig (Northern Bolt Volkswagen Scirocco). Driving brilliantly and emerging as the day’s hero, Green won race two as well, again ahead of Van Vuuren and Konig.

Running ahead of the tin-tops, Peter Bailey (Bailey Cars Porsche 911 RSR) took heat one of the Pre-1990 Sports Car races, followed by George Avvakoumides (Liqui Moly Porsche 911 RSR) and Fred Konig (Northern Bolt Porsche 911 RSR). Bailey won race two as well, ahead of Avvakoumides and Konig. On both occasions the Porsche drivers came under attack from Green in his Escort.

Alan Green emerged as the day’s biggest hero, taking on Porsches and other bigger cars, to win both races for Pre-1980 Saloon Cars. Picture: Dave Ledbitter.

Andreas Meier (#Trained Amateur BMW E36) won the first BMW Car Club race, followed by Rick Loureiro (Combined BMW E30) and Jagger Robertson (Viking BMW E30). William Einkamerer (Liqui Moly BMW 325i) won race two from Meier and Loureiro.

The opening Midvaal Historics race was stopped when the Datsun 1200 of Tony Lundin and the Toyota Corolla SR5 of Ken Price collided and blocked the circuit.

After the restart old-timer Jannie van Rooyen (Volkswagen Scirocco) won, leading home Travis Jensen (SV Tech Datsun 1200) and Franz Jensen (Jensen Towing Datsun 1200). Bjorn Gebert (Alfa Romeo GTV-6) won race two ahead of Van Rooyen and Price, in his repaired Toyota.

Andreas Meier (#Trained Amateur BMW E36) won the first BMW Car Club race. Picture: Dave Ledbitter.

Marius Jacobs (AAA Recovery Opel Tigra) took the first Clubmans race from Dirk Lawrence (LDM Honda Ballade) and George Economides (Wealth Avenue BMW 328i). Jacobs dropped out of race two, leaving Lawrence to win from Economides and Wayne Lebotschy (Shield Volkswagen Golf).

Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Health Birkin), Thomas Falkiner (Adaptive Resources Taylon) and Rudi Barnard (Barney’s Birkin) filled the podium after the first Lotus Challenge race. After a huge three-car battle Kruger won race two as well, followed by Falkiner and Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Birkin).

The first Monoposto race went to Clint Badoux (Ratel Racks Ray), leading home Corrie le Roux (Pigments Kawasaki) and David Austin (Rhema 2). Le Roux won the next time, followed by Koos Pothumus (Suzuki) and Austin.

Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Health Birkin) and Thomas Falkiner (Adaptive Resources Taylon) fough hard for the day’s Lotus Challenge race victories. Picture: Dave Ledbitter.

Richard Tudor-Owen (Mercedes-Benz 190E) took the opening Charlies’ Super Spar Pursuit race from Althea Pretorius (Nissan Exa) and Devon Martin (Datsun GX). Riaan Roux rolled his Volkswagen Scirocco in race two, causing a red flag. The restarted race went to Tudor-Owen, leading Wynand du Plessis (Porsche 944) and Werner Hartzenberg (Porsche 916).

Neil de Later (Torpak Lotus Birkin) won the initial Sports Car race from Klippies Krige (Mercury Lotus 7) and Steve Venter (Dezzo Nash MW3). Krige won the next time, followed by Neil de Later (Torpak Birkin) and Ron Harmse (Sports 2000).