Historic Tour’s engines on

The 2018 Historic Tour will end on a high note at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria, on Saturday, with four overseas entries plus the cream of South Africa’s historic race cars and drivers on the entry list.

Topping the day’s events will be two races for SKF Pre-1966 Legend Saloon Cars, the category which will host four visiting drivers from the Netherlands.

They are Michiel Campagne (Smokey Yunick Chevelle), Armand Adriaans (Chev Biscayne), Harmen van Putten (Plymouth Fury), and Frans van Maarschalkerwaart (Studebaker Golden Hawke).

The visitors will face some of South Africa’s top historic car drivers, led by Jeffrey Kruger (TAR Plymouth Barracuda), Hennie Groenewald (Mercury Comet), Lee Thompson (Ford Fairlane GT), Peter Lindenberg (Ford Mustang), Jonathan du Toit (Chev Nova), and Paige Lindenberg (Ford Fairlane).

The Under Two-Litre class will see front runners like Trevor Tuck (Alfa Romeo Giulia), Rob Gearing (BMW 2000 Ti), Alan Poulter (Volvo 122S), Roger Houston (Alfa Romeo Giulia), and Chad ten Doeschate (Alfa Romeo GT Junior).

Running at the back of the field, the Little Giants category will see drivers like Ishmael Baloyi (GSM Dart Alfa), Mark van Rooyen (Sunbeam Alpine), Chris Carlisle-Kitz (Ford Anglia), Stephen Britz (MGB), Keith van Heerden (Jaguar), Les McLeod (MGB), and Mel Spurr (Ford Consul 315) at the sharp end.

The races for Pre-1974 International Sports Prototypes will see victory favourites Jonathan du Toit (Chevron B29), Peter Jenkins (Porsche 911 RSR), George Avvakoumides (Porsche 911), Lee Thompson (Lola T70 Spyder), Chad ten Doeschate (Shelby Cobra), Peter Bailey (Porsche 74 RSR), Wynand van der Merwe (Porsche RSR), and Phillip Pantazis (Datsun IMSA 260Z).

The Pre-1980 Historic Saloon Car category will boast an entry of 31 drivers, with expected top contenders expected to include Colin Ellison (Ford Thunderbolt), Mario Rossi (Alfa Romeo GTV6), Johann Smith (Mazda Capella ), Gerhard Henning (VW Scirocco), Ken Price (Datsun GX Coupe), Dawie Olivier (Datsun 240Z), and Rene van Rensburg (Ford Escort).

The Midvaal Historics races should see front runners like Deon van Vuuren (Mazda R100 Rotary), Travis Jensen (Datsun 1200GX), Martin Venter (VW Jetta), Johan Venter (VW Jetta), Mario Rossi (Alfa GTV6), Jaco Roux (VW Scirocco), Andries Draper (Ford Escort), Johan Coetzer (Datsun 1200GX), and Johan Swanepoel (Alfa Berlina).

The day’s only handicap races will be those for Charlies Super Spar Historic Pursuit Series cars. With the outcome virtually impossible to predict, podium chasers could include Richard Tudor-Owen (Merc-Benz 190E), Rob van Aarle (Ford Escort), Mike Thompson (Ford Capri GT), Kobus Brits (Datsun SSS), Clive Winterstein (Porsche 356A), Kola de Klerk (Nissan 300), and Rob Clark (Citroen GS1220 Club).

The Lotus Challenge races will see contenders like Andrew Kynaston (Birkin 7), Byron Olivier (Birkin 7), Clive Wilmot (Birkin 7), David Jermy (Lotus Taylon), Sean Hewitt (Birkin S3), Anton Guse (Birkin 7) and Johan Nel (Birkin 7) fighting for trophies.

Topping the Inland Series will be races for Morul Super Saloon Cars, with Willie Hepburn’s Opel Rekord V8 doubtlessly the car to beat.

Chasing him will be Keegan Pottas (Honda Civic Turbo), Marius Jacobs (Opel Tigra), Doug Fear (Backdraft Cobra), Ian Ehlers (VW Polo), Dirk Lawrence Honda Ballade), Riaan Draper (VW Golf), George Economides (VW Golf Turbo), Bjorn Gebert (Alfa GTV6) and Richard Berner Space Frame Tigra). Richard Upton, Willie Erasmus Jason Loosemore, Justin Robertson and Giles Moore should be the drivers to beat in the Inex Legends races.

The races for National Sports Cars should see top runners Paul Sullivan (Nash MV3), Org Geldenhuis (Nash), Fritz Kleynhans (Porsche 911), Klippies Krige (Lotus 7), James Forbes (ADR MCE3), Anton Muller (Birkin 7) in action.

Info

• The Zwartkops gates open at 6am, with qualifying sessions in the early morning.
• Racing starts at 9.45am ɳ Admission costs R120 per adult and R90 per student, while children under the age of 12 years go in at no cost.
• Racing apart, there will be live entertainment, a kiddies corner, a beer garden, and a flea market.
• Every person is invited to visit the pits on foot at any time, with the circuit’s Mini Moke road trains running between the pit gate and the various spectator areas all day.

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