Blairgowrie-based Johan Gouws had the thrilling opportunity to drive a Ferrari F360 Challenge race car at Zwartkops Raceway; a reward for winning the Easy Equities F1 Simulator Fastest Lap Challenge.
After a friend informed and encouraged him to participate, Gouws took on the F1 Simulator challenge, held in Rosebank, set the fastest lap immediately, and maintained the top spot until the challenge concluded. His victory earned him a Pablo Clark Ferrari Driving Experience at Zwartkops.
“I was super excited. Luckily, I was close by and went to do my three laps on the F1 Simulator, driving a Ferrari around the Monza circuit.” Those three laps won him the experience.
He said that, on the day of the driving experience, his excitement was overwhelming as he prepared to sit in a Ferrari for the first time; let alone push it to the limit on the track.
With extensive racing experience, and familiarity with Zwartkops, he quickly adapted under the instructor’s guidance, nearing the car’s limits within a few laps.
“It is an experience I will never forget. Hopefully, I will get to experience a top-tier GT race car in racing circumstances in the future. I found the Ferrari extremely fun to drive; its speed, the intense power kick exiting corners, the breathtaking acceleration, and the sound of the screaming 400bhp V8 Ferrari engine just behind, was exhilarating.”
Driving the Ferrari presented some unique challenges; unlike his usual Formula Vee race car, it had no clutch. Johan explained that normally, in such situations, you’d use your left foot to brake, but that requires a delicate touch he hasn’t mastered yet, which resulted in jerky braking.
“I opted to brake with my right foot instead. Another challenge was the throttle control when exiting corners. In Formula Vee, we tend to start accelerating before reaching the apex. However, with the Ferrari’s immense power, you must wait until the apex to accelerate, at least, and even then, you must do so gently to avoid excessive wheel spin.
“I am incredibly proud of this achievement. It’s always a question of whether your skills can translate to different environments. Being able to jump into a new simulator, with only three laps, and set the fastest time was a significant confidence boost, and a testament to my abilities,” added Johan.
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