Racers feed the need for speed at Glenwood Speedway

Drivers and spectators alike had their need for speed satiated at the Glenwood Speedway on Saturday April 13 with another day of scintillating racing action.

While most people on the farms around Mbombela and Glenwood began to wind down and lay back in the late afternoon after a hard day’s work, an entirely different scene played out at Glenwood Speedway.

Racing car engines roared to life, pulling spectators upright and onto the edge of their seats. The drivers, young and old, donned their helmets and strapped themselves tightly into their racing harnesses before taking to the track.

As they do so, they line up and take their positions on the grid before the customary formation lap that ends with a rolling start to kick off the racing action. The drivers danced around the slippery and tricky oval track as they wrestled the most power and performance out of their cars at every possible opportunity.

While overtaking chances might seem slim to most, the skilled drivers at the helm of the cars made matters look much easier, going for any gap they could find to gain an edge on their competition.

This made for an enthralling afternoon and evening of racing, going on through sunset into the night as the floodlights lit up the track once night-time fell.

The drivers participated in a total of 12 categories throughout the day, each with their respective winners. In the go-karts, Sharon Barkley was victorious, while Keagon Koorts won the quad bikes category. Next, Janique Barnard won the juniors category, followed by Corné Koekemoer, who won the beginners category.

Dirk Barkley won the Americans class, Gordon Pretorius won the 2.1 litres class, Ansie Smidt was the best of the pink ladies, Charles Wahlstrand won the rear wheel drive class, Adriaan Buser was victorious in the hotrods, Shane Patterson in the stockrods and Quentin Steenkamp in the 1660s. Finally, in the mixed finals, Gordon Pretorious emerged victorious.

The full list of podiums in all categories:

Go-karts:
1. Sharon Barkley
2. Enrico Human
3. Jandré Barnard

Quad bikes:
1. Keagon Koorts
2. Nikita Buser

Juniors:
1. Janique Barnard
2. Luwhan Neethling
3. Micqé Greeff

Beginners:
1. Corné Koekemoer
2. Ansie Smidt
3. Casper Pieterse

Americans:
1. Dirk Barkley
2. Kobus Buser

2.1 litres:
1. Gordon Pretorius
2. Nico Janse van Rensburg
3. Brad Smith

Pink ladies:
1. Ansie Smidt
2. Janique Barnard
3. Bianca Theunissen

Rear wheel drive:
1. Charles Wahlstrand
2. Steven Smidt
3. Dirk Human

Hotrods:
1. Adriaan Buser
2. Jan Barnard

Stockrods:
1. Shane Patterson
2. Elmarie Pretorius
3. Jeremy Greff

1660s:

1. Quentin Steenkamp
2. Neil Greff
3. Werner Human

Mixed finals:
1. Gordon Pretorius
2. Jeremy Greff
3. Corné Koekemoer