First Youngtimers season wraps up with thrilling contests
The inaugural season of Youngtimers historic racing has come to an exciting conclusion. Read more about it here.
The Ben Morgenrood Group’s Youngtimer Historic Series completed its maiden season at Red Star Raceway near Delmas during the last weekend of October. Throughout the season, the Youngtimers format has consistently delivered tight and fiercely competitive racing.
The Historic Tour finale races featured a line-up of four Youngtimers, with debutant Stewart McLarty’s Mazda Etude adding fresh excitement to the growing field.
During the qualifying rounds, the grid saw some interesting changes. Jonathan Visser’s Volkswagen Jetta claimed the top spot, relegating the regular frontrunner and Group N veteran Mike O’Sullivan’s Mosport Honda Ballade to second place. McLarty’s Mazda also made a strong impression by securing the third position. His participation marked an impressive 50 consecutive years of racing cars on the track. Unfortunately, Rob Clark failed to set a time after his Containerforce Honda Ballade shed an oil pipe during his out lap, forcing him to start from the back of the grid.
In the first heat, O’Sullivan quickly closed in on Visser, resulting in a fierce two-way battle. After a heated exchange, O’Sullivan eventually secured the lead. Clark had a challenging race, passing the McLarty Mazda on the way to turn 1 and then successfully closing the gap to Visser. A few laps later, Clark made his move out of turn 4, and a thrilling chase with O’Sullivan ensued. The lead changed several times per lap during their intense Group N racing. Ultimately, O’Sullivan emerged victorious over Clark, with Visser and McLarty following closely behind.
Race 2 delivered more heart-pounding action, as O’Sullivan and Clark went side by side on the run down to turn 1 at the start. After a closely contested race, Clark had a slight edge at the flag, followed by O’Sullivan, Visser and McLarty. Clark’s overall victory for the day was secured by a mere 0.069 seconds over O’Sullivan, with Visser and McLarty not far behind.
Looking ahead, the Youngtimer category is set to bring even more thrilling racing and excitement to Historic Tour weekends in 2024.
Source: MotorsportMedia / Photos: Supplied
