Team Red Racing dominates 2020 season
Motorsport only returned to South Africa’s racetracks in August after the pandemic forced the teams out of competition for the first half of the year.
Nobody can deny the fact that the Universal Motorsport team are the kings of South African motorsport after they were crowned the 2020 Team of the Year for their dominant performance in a severely disrupted season.
“It is an exceptional achievement for Universal Motorsport. Not only did we secure the Team of the Year award, we also boast champion position as well as a second place in the Oettinger Polo Cup series. It has been an extraordinary year for our team despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic,” said Dr Johan Pretorius, the team leader of Universal Motorsport and CEO of Universal Healthcare.
ALSO READ:
Oval racing makes a welcome return
Young, up-and-coming star Dario Busi secured the championship over the weekend during the fourth and final round of the series at Port Elizabeth’s Aldo Scribante racetrack. Busi, who went to PE with a 22-point lead, finished fourth in the second of the two Polo Cup races of the day, but that was enough for the young Capetonian to clinch the title.
His teammate, Clinton Bezuidenhout, ended the season second on the championship table.
An emotional Busi, who was the Rookie of the Year in 2019, was over the moon with his title.
“It’s just a dream come true to be in a team like this. They’re so professional. I can’t wait to celebrate with the people whom I owe it to. I was a rookie last year and I couldn’t have dreamed of winning it this year,” he said.
“It’s very rare to win both first and second place in a national championship, but then, this season is one for the history books,” said Pretorius.
“Universal Motorsport is the title sponsor for the 2020 Volkswagen Polo Cup championship through the Oettinger brand, so the team were anxious to perform well. Covid-19 made this a difficult series, but they continued to work hard on their fitness and were using race simulators during the hard lockdown, so they lost none of their edge.”
Motorsport only returned to South Africa’s racetracks in August after the pandemic forced the teams out of competition for the first half of the year.
Racing conditions were difficult with empty stands and social distancing adhered to throughout all the events.
After two earlier rounds at Pretoria’s Zwartkops Raceway and one round at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas, the series returned to the Eastern Cape on October 30.
For the adapted racing schedule, Motorsport South Africa (MSA) required that a series had to have at least four race meetings to qualify as a national championship.
ALSO READ:
Age is but a number on the racetrack
The Aldo Scribante-leg of the series ensured MSA’s requirements were met for the Oettinger Polo Cup championship and that Busi could secure his first Polo Cup title.
Universal’s JP van der Walt walked away with the laurels for Most Improved Driver for 2020 – an indication that the team could be competitive for many future seasons.
Racing star Jeffrey Kruger has one more round to go for the team in the GTC SupaCup Championship final set to take to the tarmac this coming weekend at the Zwartkops Raceway in Centurion.
“I am extremely proud of our champion racers. It’s been a tough but exciting year for Universal Motorsport. Team Red Racing is going to be the team to beat in the 2021 season,” Pretorius concluded.
