The South African Sports and V8 Supercars took to the Zwartkops International Circuit for the opening rounds of this year’s Super Series.
Tricky conditions made things difficult for the entire field, some of whom called on all their experience to put their first points on the leader board in 2014.
In the V8 Supercars, Franco di Matteo (Varta Batteries Jaguar) took the first win of the season after a race long tussle with defending champion Ben Morgenrood (Indy Oil Mustang) and Mackie Adlem (Jaguar XKR).
The trio ran nose to tail throughout 8 laps, until Morgenrood ran wide coming on to the pit straight, and Di Matteo duly took advantage of the champion’s mistake to grab a lead which he was not to relinquish.
Adlem finished second, with Morgenrood demoted to third.
Terry Wilford (DNA Cars Mustang) came home in fourth place ahead of Larry Wilford (Hot Wheels Corvette) and Romano Sartori (AMC Mustang).
Following a lengthy delay to extricate a single seater from the barriers after a crash in the preceding race , heat 2 became a tricky affair.
A soft, steady drizzle had coated the track, but undaunted, everyone elected to start on slicks, and they were soon calling on every ounce of experience just to stay on the black stuff.
Romano Sartori took the lead from Thomas Reib (Q Nomy and Cool Star Shelby), from the partially inverted starting grid, followed by Larry and Terry Wilford. The first race’s top three, Di Matteo, Morgenrood and Adlem were further back, muscling their way through the field, while trying to stay out of trouble on the wet track. Larry Wilford then took over at the front, with his son Terry giving chase.
Morgenrood, as always, had the bit between the teeth and after muscling his way past Di Matteo, then set after the Wilford duo who had swapped positions at the head of the field.
After passing the Shelby of Alan Eve (Pilot Pens) who was doing a sterling job holding his own among the V8 Supercars, Morgenrood then soon relieved Larry Wilford of second place and lined up Terry squarely in his sights.
As the pair came up to turn five at the Table Top, Morgenrood out braked the younger Wilford in a forceful move which saw the two cars touch. Terry had no option but to let the Indy Oil Mustang through.
Behind the first three, Willie Hepburn (Corvette) put in a scintillating drive from the back of the field, after he had failed to start heat one with a broken diff.
Fourth place was just reward in the treacherous conditions.
Steve Smith (Mustang) was fifth, with Adlem sixth and Sartori seventh.
Clare Vale in the immaculately prepared RAM Mustang was next up after a race long dice with Eve, Campos and Reib in the Shelbys.
Heat one winner Di Matteo retired with mechanical trouble.
