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Historic Tour brings back magic of the past at Red Star
Heartbreak and smiles characterised the first pair of events in almost two months.
Old-timer Jannie van Rooyen won two of the three HRSA races in his PAR Volkswagen Scirocco. Picture: Dave Ledbitter.
Close action and spectacle typified Saturday’s Inland Historic Championship events at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas, with the 4.3 kilometre long circuit hosting round two of this year’s title chases in three separate categories.
Saloon cars
Top billing belonged to the Historic Racing South Africa saloon car category.
Rudolf de Vos led the opening race in his bellowing Chevrolet Firenza CanAm, before the V8-powered beast expired in a cloud of smoke on the penultimate lap.
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That left veteran Jannie van Rooyen (PAR Volkswagen Scirocco) to lead home of a plethora of similar Sciroccos headed by Stuart Konig (Northern Bolt), Jono Konig (Northern Bolt), Johan Gouws (Keller Williams Realty) and Fred Konig (Northern Bolt).
Van Rooyen won race two as well, this time pursued by Jono Konig, Andre ten Napel (TNMC Volkswagen Scirocco), Terence Ladner (Hamilton’s Volkswagen Scirocco), Fred Konig and Gouws.
Van Rooyen did not finish race three, leaving Stuart Konig to win from ten Napel, Jono Konig, Fred Konig and Gavin Lundin (Datsun 1200).
Single-seaters
Johannes Gerber (Namib Biltong Van Diemen RF97) won the first Formula Monoposto race and set the day’s quickest lap time at two minutes 02.736 seconds.
He was followed by Renzo Ribiero (Formula Volkswagen), Allen Meyer (Liqui Moly Formula Volkswagen), Neville van den Berg (Formula M), Herman Krige (Speed Formula M) and Damien Archer (Formula Volkswagen).
Gerber won race two as well, chased to the flag by Meyer, van den Berg, Michael Kernick (Tasman 95), Jannie Geyser (Formula Super Vee) and Kennedy Torres (Formula M).
In race three, the ever victorious Gerber led home Meyer, van den Berg, Bevan Williams (Ram Customs Formula GTi), Krige and Kernick (Tasman 95).
Pursuit series
Machiel Oberholzer (Mercedes-Benz 190E) won the opening HRSA Pursuit Challenge race, leading to the line Werner Hartzenberg (Porsche 916), Clive Winterstein (Porsche 356A), Tihan van Rooyen (Porsche 924), Johan Gouws (Volkswagen Scirocco) and Johan Smith (Nissan Skyline).
Hartzenberg won the next time out, followed home by van Rooyen, Oberholzer, Smith and Winterstein.
Up next
The next Inland event of the year will be a Historic round at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, 19 August.
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