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By Andre De Kock

Motorsport Correspondent


Rui left to rue four second mistake

Officially, Saturday's main race at Zwartkops was the Castrol Pre-1966 Le Mans Sports and GT Tourist Trophy.


The 45-minute event, which included a mandatory pit stop, was won by a margin of four seconds.

The winners were Mark and Jonathan du Toit in their TAR Lola T70 Spyder, a few car lengths ahead of the similar Lola T70 Spyder of Rui Campos.

The race started with Jonathan du Toit, Campos, Franco Scribante (Remos Ford GT40) and Ross Lazarus (RAM Ford GT40) involved in a four-car fight.

Five laps in, Scribante’s car developed a misfire and he dropped back.

Then, Rui Campos spun his Lola on the Table Top and he lost about four seconds – a mistake Rui would rue at the end of the race.

Campos charged back and harassed the Du Toit Lola without mercy throughout the event, but he just could not catch the other car, driven by Mark du Toit, after the pit stop.

Du Toit hung on to win, leaving Campos to wonder what would have been, without his momentary lapse of concentration.

Ross Lazarus finished third in his Ford GT40, leading home Colin Clay/Roman de Beer (Daytona Coupe), Michiel Campagne (Chev Corvette), Olivier Dalais Marlboro Crane Ford GT40, Craig Shorter (TIG Holdings Ford GT40) and Warren Lombard (Pepboys Cobra).

The Daytona Coupe of Sarel van der Merwe/Michael Briggs finished ninth after losing all but two of its gears.

  •  Alan Bailey (Brabham BT21) won both the single-seater races from Ben van der Westhuizen (Pioneer Ford Royale) and Chris Clarke (Ford Titan).
  •  Mike Schmidt (Capri Perana) won the opening Marlboro Crane Pre-1977 Saloon Car race.

He finished ahead of Anton Raath (Mazda Rotary Coupe) and Grant Duckham (Ford Escort Cosworth).

Willie Hepburn (Capri Perana) took the second victory ahead of Schmidt and Raath.

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