Racing brothers beat the bends
DAINFERN - The Van der Linde brothers of Dainfern have achieved racing success in Germany and South Africa over the same weekend.
Kelvin (18) and Sheldon van der Linde (15) recorded yet another historic milestone over the weekend of 30 August when they both took the lead in their respective circuit racing championships in Germany and South Africa.
Kelvin, the reigning international Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup champion, 2012 South African VW Polo Cup champion and South African motor sportsman of the year, and his German team-mate, René Rast finished sixth and second in the two one-hour races that made up the sixth round of the ADAC GT Masters Championship at the Nürburgring in Germany.
They now lead the international championship for GT3 sports cars in their Prosperia C. Abt Audi R8 by three points with two rounds and four races remaining. Their next round is at the Sachsenring in Germany on 21 and 22 September.
Sheldon, in his first season of senior national championship circuit racing after a distinguished career in karting that garnered him two national championships, finished second in both races that made up the sixth round of the South African Engen VW Polo Cup Championship at Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday.
He now leads the one-make championship for Polos that his brother won in 2012 at the age of 16, and which he aims to better at the age of 15 in his Ferodo-backed car. He enjoys a six-point lead over two other drivers with two rounds and four races remaining. His next round is at Killarney in Cape Town on 27 September.
The boys grew up in a family steeped in motor racing and are third generation South African champions. Their grandfather, Hennie was a multiple national saloon car champion in the ’80s, while father Shaun and uncle Etienne are both national circuit racing champions in single seaters. Shaun is also a multiple former production car champion while Etienne won the European and German Formula Opel single seater championships in 1998.
