Ben Morgenrood Historics steal the Red Star show
The series delivered some super close and entertaining racing.
The Ben Morgenrood Group Historic Racing Series visited Red Star Raceway on Saturday August 27. Both Sprint and Pursuit classes shone on a typically crisp and balmy pre-spring Highveld’s afternoon of Historic Tour racing.
The series delivered some super close and entertaining racing. Stuart Konig got the better of Pro Auto Rubber Scirocco teammate Jannie van Rooyen early on and cleared off to a 1.6 second overall and Class C win.
Class D thrilled the crowd behind them as Andre ten Napel’s TMCC Scirocco got ahead of Gavin Lundin’s Silverguard Datsun 1200 Deluxe to lead after a couple of laps and then held him off to take the class by all of three-tenths of a second. Rene Janse van Rensburg’s Escort was next as Fred Konig’s Scirocco kept a watching brief after Andre de Lange slowed.
The middle classes proved easy as Sean Hepburn took Class E in his yellow AA Datsun 1200 Deluxe after Daniel Lotter’s Killarney Parts Escort hit trouble. Andre Dannhauser’s Auto Rubber Toyota SR5 similarly trotted to the Class F win after Steve Pickering’s Porsche 914 found trouble, but Class G delivered some brilliant action.
Less than a second covered John Simpson’s Evoke Reality Alfa Sprint with its 16-year-old tyres, Stewart McLarty’s newly rebuilt Jack Ford Escort XR3 and Tihan van Rooyen’s Van Rooyen Optics Porsche 924 at the flag, with Harm Beens’ Escort in close pursuit. Stefan Puschavez’ storming drive from the back in his Class C Porsche came to naught when he stopped while tackling the Class D spat.
Konig and Van Rooyen delivered a fine dice-up front in race 2, but it was Stuart who triumphed over Jannie by 0.7 seconds in the end. Puschavez’ charge from the back came good a second time around as he trotted home third. Rene Janse van Rensburg got the better of Andre ten Napel to lead Class D home, but both of them were slapped with track limits penalties. This handed the class win to Gavin Lundin from Van Rensburg and Ten Napel after Konig stopped.
Sean Hepburn once again cruised home to the Class E win after Daniel Lotter hit trouble again, and there were no starters in Class F. Stewart McLarty got the better of John Simpson to take Class G with Van Rooyen and Beens in chase. So, Stuart Konig took day and Class C overall from Van Rooyen, while Lundin took Class D from Van Rensburg and Ten Napel, and Dannhauser was credited with the Class E. Hepburn took Class F and McLarty emerged on top in Class G from Simpson and Van Rooyen.
The Ben Morgenrood Historic Pursuit crew thrilled as ever as their concertina handicap races delivered the usual crescendo with the field closing up approaching the finish line. Fines duo Werner Hartzenberg’s Porsche 916 and Wynand du Plessis Jr’s Toyota MR2 emerged on top of race 1 with Youngtimer duo, Rob Clark’s Honda Ballade and Tiaan Smith’s Nissan Sentra 2.0Sti next. Modified quartet, Althea Pretorius’ Nissan Exa, Willem van Niekerk’s Marauder, Clive Winterstein’s Porsche 356 A and Gerrit Murray’s Alfa GTV followed.
There was a mass breakout as title contenders Wynand du Plessis Sr’s Porsche 944 S2 and Rob van Aarle’s Escort MK1, Youngtimer old man Mike O’Sullivan’s Ballade Michelle Smith’s Skyline and Riaan Roux’s Scirocco were rendered unclassified. Du Plessis Sr made no mistakes in race 2, however, as he led Hartzenberg, Tiaan Smith, Clark, Du Plessis Jr, Michelle Smith, Winterstein and Althea Pretorius home in. Murray joined double breakout quartet, Van Niekerk, Van Aarle, O’Sullivan and Roux in the race 2 sin bin.
Overall, Fines class duo Hartzenberg and Du Plessis Jr took the day from Youngtimers Clark’s Honda and Smit. Winterstein took Modified honours for the day from Pretorius and Van Niekerk. The Ben Morgenrood Historic Racing Series Sprint and Pursuit racers return at Zwartkops’ Historic Festival on September 24. It should be a classic – diarise it now!
Source: MotorsportMedia
Photos: Paul Bedford
