Inland series thrills Red Star

The Red Star Raceway near Delmas hosted a round of this year’s inland championship on Saturday, with seven separate racing disciplines producing a full and varied programme of four-wheeler competition.

Top billing belonged to two Mobil 1 V8 Supercar races. After setting the morning’s quickest qualifying lap, Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Jaguar) led the opening race from start to finish. He was chased to the flag by Thomas Reib (Mobil 1 Chevrolet Lumina), Terry Wilford (Fuchs Ford Falcon) and Franco di Matteo, whose Deltec Batteries Jaguar staggered across the finish line, stuck in second gear. Race two, started from an inverted grid, saw a determined Adlem blast through the field from the back to win, ahead of Wilford, Reib and Julian Familiaris (Lube Net Chevrolet Corvette).

Johann Smith (SPS Mazda Capella) won the first race for Universal Health pre-1980 historic saloon cars, from Alan Green (Ford Escort) and Rene van Rensburg (Ford Escort). Smith led race two until the Mazda suffered a flat tyre, leaving Stuart Konig (Northern Bolt VW Scirocco) to win from Jannie van Rooyen (VW Scirocco) and Green.

Deon van Vuuren (Hoosier Mazda R100 Rotary) led the opening Midvaal historics race from start to finish, chased to the flag by Andre de Lange (Roofsure Opel Kadett) and Gavin Lunden (SilverGuard Datsun 1200GX). Van Vuuren and De Lange repeated their feat in race two, started from an inverted grid. This time Rene van Rensburg took the final podium place in his Escort.

FAST VEEDUB. Stuart Konig (Northern Bolt Volkswagen Scirocco) won Saturday’s second race for Universal
Health pre-1980 saloon cars. Picture: Paul Bedford

Richard Pott (Porsche 911 RSR) took the first Motul Clubmans race from Dirk Lawrence (JDM Tuning Honda Ballade) and Wayne Lebotschy (VW Golf). With Pott not taking the start, Lawrence won race two, followed by Lebotschy and Wayne Pereira (Grange Golf Mk1).

Defending champion Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Health Birkin) took both the Lotus challenge races from Thomas Falkiner (Adaptive Resource Taylon), with Rudi Barnard (Barney’s Property Birkin) and Robyn Kriel (Universal Health Birkin) sharing the respective third places.

Alan Poulter (Tom Campher Volvo 122S) won the first pre-1966 legend saloon car race, narrowly ahead of Jeffrey Kruger (TAR Alfa Romeo GT) and Francesco Lombardi (Alfa Giulia Sprint). Race two provided unplanned action, when Kruger and Poulter tried to occupy the same piece of tarmac, with Poulter spinning off as a result. Kruger went on to win ahead of Roger Houston (CTR Alfa Romeo Giulia) and a recovered Poulter.

Bert van Aarle (Lotus Elite) won the first Charlies Superspar pursuit handicap race, followed by Wynand du Plessis (Porsche 944) and Clive Winterstein (Porsche 356A). Winterstein won race two from Robert Clark (Citroen GS 1220 Club) and Van Aarle. The opening sports car race went to Pieter Zeelie (Zeelie Auditors Speads), ahead of ATS2000 Birkin drivers Glenton Rebello and Anton Muller. Rebello won the next time out, followed by Zeelie and Muller.

Rounding out the day’s events was a one-hour endurance race for Lotus challenge, sports and historic cars. It was won by Dean Wolson (Wright Sports 2000), leading home Sean Hewitt (Birkin S3) and Pieter van Aardt (Vibro Eco Rocam). The next event at the Red Star Raceway will be a BMW Track Day on Saturday, 21 March.

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