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South African motorsportsmen starred in international and regional racing over the past weekend with action as far afield as Italy, Texas, Morroco, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
Morocco Desert Challenge
In international competition, South African crew, Hennie de Klerk and Johann Smalberger powered their SA-built TreasuryOne Motorsport Amarok to their second fourth position in a row.
This was on the second day of the Morocco Desert Challenge on Sunday to move up to third overall among the cars on the 3000km, 8-day race through the Sahara Desert.
Hennie de Klerk - Image: MDC/Corradini
Blancpain GT championship
A little further North, three South Africans starred at Monza’s Blancpain GT championship race in Northern Italy on Sunday as Kelvin van der Linde drove his Audi R8 to seventh alongside Clemens Schmid and Nick Foster. Jordan Pepper shared his Bentley to 12th with Jules Gounon and Steven Kane, and David Perel ended 25th sharing his Ferrari with Rinat Salikhov, and Denis Bulatov.
US MotoGP
The US Moto GP was not so kind to SA’s Binder brothers as Darryn ended 15th in Moto 3, while Brad retired early in the Moto 2 race.
V8 Masters
Closer to home, a packed Killarney regional racing program entertained Cape Town race fans, where Marcel Angel came back to the V8 Masters to win the opening race from Fabio Tafani and Brian Evans. However, Angel’s engine broke in the final to leave Tafani to the win from Sean Moore and Evans while Charl van Sittert took V8 Silver honours.
Ryan McCarthy won the Makita Supercars from Glen Phillips and Martin Bensch as Stuart Spooner and George Williams shared Silver class wins.
Nian du Toit won both Burly Pro GTi Challenge races after pipping Umpie Swart to the post in a wet race 1 and beating Jano van der Westhuizen to race 2. Marco Busi took both Class B wins, fending off C winner Giordano Lupini in race 1, but Brett Roach beat championship leader Lupini to the second race win.
On two wheels, Hayden Jonas pipped Ronald Slamet to both Superbike wins with Brandon Haupt third; Kewyn Snyman won 600s and Byron Bester took Class X, all on Yamahas.
Kawasaki riders Malcom Rapson won Masters, Wayne Arendse took Clubmans A and Nigel Boer B, while Yamaha men Robby Pedrica took Breakfast Run and Shawn U’ren Classic honours. Andrew Liebenberg (Kawasaki) won Powersport 650 and KTM riders Jessen Samaai and Tony Sterianos shared the 300 wins.
Clint Rennard (Golf) and Jesse Huggett (Jetta) shared Mikes Place Clubmans car wins, but Michael le Sueur (Golf) took the day overall.
BMW lads Cody Alberts and Ernest Roos took Classes B and C, Cedric Burger Class D and Volkswagen drivers Brendan Moore, Brent van der Schyff and Charl Opperman classes E, F and X.
Killarney GTI Challenge - Image: Heinrich Sauer
Johan Engelbrecht powered his Porsche to Pirelli Sports & GT honours from Colin Plit and Sandro Biccari’s Junos as Plit, Gavin Gorman (Nardini), Ray Farnham (Birkin) and Eric Salamon (Elf) took the class wins. Dee-Jay Booysen took both Formule Libre single seater wins from Andrew Rackstraw and Class C winner Byron Mitchell.
V8 men Malcolm Uitenbogaardt (Granada) and Erik Mouton (Chev de Villle) shared the Classic wins while Wayne Lotter (Escort) took Class B, Deon Conradie (Conquest) Claas B and Gilberto Nobrega (Jetta) C, Arnold Lambert (Jetta) beat Robert Toscano (MX5) and Jan Koekemoer (RX7) to Fine Cars victory.
Meanwhile in Port Elizabeth, Aldo Scribante beat rookie Bryn High’s similar Audi S5 to the first two EP Modified wins, before two collided in the final, but winner Scribante was put back to ninth behind the stranded High. That left Class B men Deon Slabbert (Polo) to win the day from Steve High (Cruze) and Class C winner Rufus Neethling (BMW). Stephan Aucamp (BMW) won Class D, Daniel Bright (Golf) Class E and Theo Scholtz (Polo) took Class F.
PE legend Arushen Moodley took Unlimited Superbike honours from 600 winner Chris Webster and Paul Roelofse, all of them Yamaha mounted. Paul Jansen (Kawasaki) won the first two smaller bike races, but race 3 winner Chad Bilsbury (Honda) took the the day from Gerrie Koen, Glen Elliott (Suzuki) and Ashton Heidemann (KTM 300).
Shaun Rudolph powered his Escort to three Classic wins from Neil Van Eyk’s similar car, Deon Gouws’ Kadet and Anton Ehlers Class T Escort, while Andrew Greenland's Alfa and Ronald Scott Escort took classes U and V.
Francois Wium (BMW) won the opening Fine Cars race from Duncan Lethbridge (Ford Ranger) before Chris van der Walt took race 2 and Robin Venter the final. Last race winner Kean Barnard (Lotus 7) took the Sports & GT win from race 2 winner Gordon Nicholson (GTR), Patrick Hanly's Lotus 7 and race 1 winner Garth De Villers (Formula VW).
There is good racing this coming Easter weekend, with the SA national Enduro championship heading to Britz in the Northwest Province for the second round Powersol Piesangsberg Enduro where the likes of William Oosthuizen, Brett Swanepoel and Matthew Green are relishing to race their Husqvarnas in a tough and rocky Magaliesberg foothill roads.
Killarney V8 Masters Image: Heinrich Sauer
Port Elizabeth's Celso Scribante Kart Circuit will play host to the second round of the South African National Rotax Max Challenge 20-21 April, where all eyes will be on home superstar Michael Stephen, who leads both the DD2 Masters and Max 175 classes into his home race.
Cape lads, Dino Stermin leads the DD2 race, Simon-Simpson Heath Senior Max, Joseph Oelz Junior Max and Reza Levy the Micro Max title races and KZN kid Troy Snyman and Jozi lad Tshepang Shisinwana head the respective Mini Max and Bambino chases.
Overseas, Bloemfontein lightie Stuart White meantime starts his French Formula 4 championship challenge for Sauber in Nogaro, while Hennie de Kerk and Johann Smalberger’s Morocco Desert Challenge attack races to the finish on Saturday.