Varied production car race winners in the Eastern Cape

The bill-topping Bridgestone Production Car championship events provided varied winners and close competition.

In Class A the wins and fastest lap bonus points were shared between Michael Stephen (Engen Xtreme Audi S4) and Johan Fourie (Alcohol Killer BMW 335i).

In the nine-lap sprint race Stephen had teammate Simon Moss alongside him on the front row of the grid and the pair were never challenged on their way to a one-two finish.

Behind them Gavin Cronje (Alcohol Killer BMW 335i) led the Sasol Audi S4 models of Hennie Groenewald and Gennaro Bonafede, plus his BMW teammate Johan Fourie.

The quartet thrilled the crowd with very close competition, often running two or three abreast. Unfortunately it came to an end, when contact between Groenewald and Cronje in the final corner of the race allowed Bonafede through to claim third place.

Fourie out dragged a recovering Cronje to the line to take fourth while Groenewald had to settle for sixth.

In the feature race the drivers lined up in reverse championship order which gave Moss pole position with Cronje alongside him.

Moss outbraked himself going into the first turn and dropped to the back of the field, handing the lead to Cronje.

He had teammate Fourie behind him with the Audis chasing hard. Fourie took the lead approaching one-third distance and opened up a big gap while Cronje kept the Audis at bay.

Stephen muscled his way past Cronje with Moss following in his wheel tracks as they approached the half way mark.

Contact between Cronje and Moss put the former out of the race while Moss dropped down to fourth behind Bonafede.

Stephen did his best to close the gap between him and Fourie but ran out of laps, eventually crossing the line just over eight tenths behind the BMW. Bonafede completed the podium.

Groenewald’s race had come to an early end when mechanical gremlins sidelined his Audi,

v Gary Formato (Ford Racing Focus ST) grabbed all of the championship points on offer when he won both races and set the fastest lap in each.

Formato was never challenged on his way to the Class T win.

Michael van Rooyen (Williams Hunt Chevrolet Cruze) was heading for second place until he found the oil that Cronje’s car had dropped at the final corner.

His subsequent off track excursion allowed Shaun Duminy (Ford Racing Focus ST) through to cross the line in second.

Duminy’s joy was short-lived as his car was found to have exceeded the maximum boost level in the post race check.

This promoted Graeme Nathan (VW Genuine Parts Golf GTi) to second and Lee Thompson (Castrol MINI) through to third place.

Ryan Rhode in the second Castrol MINI also found the oil but recovered to finish fifth behind van Rooyen. Charl Smalberger (Tyremart VW Golf GTi) had and uneventful race to sixth place.

Formato made it a double for the day with another comfortable Class T win, this time ahead of rookie Rhode in the Castrol MINI.

Behind the leading duo there was a three-way battle for the final podium position for much of the race.

Nathan van Rooyen and Thompson fought for supremacy until gearbox problems slowed Thompson and he dropped back through the field.

Nathan and Van Rooyen crossed the line separated by just under half a second, but Van Rooyen was later excluded for a boost pressure infringement.

Smalberger was eventually credited with fourth place after Duminy was also excluded for exceeding the maximum allowable boost.