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Endurance series ending 2024 on a high with Kyalami 9-Hour
Not part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge for the first time since 2019, the first domestic running of the 9-Hour still promises to be a highlight of 2023.
The Into Africa Lamborghini Huracan GT3 entry of Xolile Letlaka, Stuart White and Mikaeel Pitamber should be the car to beat in Saturday’s 9-Hour. Picture: SAES
South Africa’s 2023 circuit racing activities will end on a high note this weekend, when the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit hosts the country’s annual national nine-hour race for sports cars.
The race will conclude the year’s Endurance National Championship, the Endurance Index of Performance Championship and the South African GT National Championship.
With double points up for grabs, the Endurance title chase will offer a five-way fight for overall honours.
The field
Just seven points separate the Into Africa Lamborghini Huracan GT3 entry of Xolile Letlaka, Stuart White and Mikaeel Pitamber and the Stradale Mercedes-AMG GT3 entry of Charl Arangies, Arnold Neveling and Kwanda Mokoena.
Third in the title chase will be Mike McLaughlin and Steve Clark in their Chevrolet powered Backdraft Roadster.
Rounding out the possible championship winners will be Hein Lategan and Keagan Masters, joined by Verissimo Tavares in their BBR Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, plus Byron Mitchell, Peter van der Spuy and Nian du Toit in their play.co.za Juno Nissan GT-R.
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Able to interfere with their plans will be Nick Adcock, Michael Jensen, Jonathan Thomas and Leyton Fourie in their Ford Mustang V8-powered Adjust4Sleep/Rico Barlow Nova Proto NP02.
Rounding out the Class A entries will be the Mozambique-based Sphere Toyota Altezza V8 of Sergio Alvares, Paul del Re, Pedro Garcia and Rufino Fontes.
Other front runners should include the Giannoccaro family of Ricky, Gianni and Giacomo, joined in their G&H Transport Lamborghini Gallardo by Anthony Blunden.
The tin-top brigade will be led by the Volkswagen Motorsport SupaCup trio of Daniel Rowe, Jonathan Mogotsi and newly crowned Polo Cup Champion Charl Visser.
They will aim at the saloon car and Index of Performance victories. So will the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR86 entries in the hands of motoring journalists Setshaba Mashigo, Chad Luckoff, The Citizen’s Mark Jones and Dennis Droppa, plus Mario de Sousa, Anand Pather, Toyota South Africa Motors’ Senior Vice-President for Sales and Marketing, Leon Theron, and Brendon Staniforth.
Others to watch must include the Kalex VW Polo SupaCup of Karah Hill, Jurie Swart and Keegan Campos, the Graphix Supply World Polo SupaCup of David and Robert Franco, plus Jason Loosemore, Fabienne Lanz, Regard van Zyl and Mario Rossi (Target Corporate Karting Volkswagen Golf).
Class E for Backdraft Roadsters should produce a huge fight for the year’s overall Index of Performance title, currently led by Jean-Paul Briner and CJ Blackman (Tradecor). In the Class E title race, the top five are separated by seven points.
Defending champions Harm and Barend Pretorius (Pesty Racing) are a solitary point ahead of Briner, while six points further back is Crisjan and Ben Morgenrood in their Morgenrood Group entry.
Others to watch will include Philip Meyer, Mark Harvey and Dean Wolson (PPLE/Adapt), and the factory Backdrafts of Trevor Graham/Karshan Naidoo and Gian Gabbiani, plus Manuel Grundy and Gianni Huber.
Nine cars have entered the One-Hour Dash Championship, headed by the Chevrolet V8-powered Ginetta G57 LMP2 entries of Craig Jarvis and Simon Murray.
Another sports-prototype is the Xena Chemicals Ligier-Honda JS49 which will debut in the hands of Andrew Horne this weekend.
Michael Stephen (Ultimate Outlaws Audi R8 GT3 Evo) leads the One-Hour Dash Championship by eight points from veteran Roelf du Plessis (McLaren MP4-12C).
Francis Carruthers is bringing his Pilbeam-Nissan from Cape Town to take on the big sportscars while Gianni Giannoccaro is fielding his G&H Transport Nissan GT-R.
The weekend’s GT National Championship races will be run over an hour on Friday, plus the first 60 minutes of Saturday’s Nine-Hour event.
Chasing Stephen will be Aldo Scribante (Scribante Concrete Lamborghini Huracan), Silvio Scribante (Cemza Cement Lamborghini Huracan), Stuart White (Into Africa Aston Martin Vantage), Mikaeel Pitamber (Into Africa McLaren MP4-12C ) and Roelf du Plessis (Into Africa McLaren MP4-12C ).
Price and times
Admission to Kyalami will cost R50 per person on Friday entry and R100 per person on Saturday.
Spectators are welcome to bring their gazebos, braais and refreshments and park against the fence to watch the action.
For more information contact Eric Buijs at eric@saeseries.com.
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