Traditional local motorsport calendar opener not only had closing racing, but more than a number of yellow flags as well as a massive accident.
A large crowd and brilliant on-track spectacle typified the 25th Passion for Speed events at the Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, to kick off this year’s South African circuit racing activities on a high note.
Legends of the 9-Hour
Top billing for the historic car day comprised two ten-lap heats for Legends of the 9-Hour Pre-1970 Production Cars.
The opening race produced a huge battle between Seef Fourie Jr (Mercury Cougar) and Ben Morgenrood (Morgenrood Auto Ford Mustang), with Fourie half a second ahead at the end.
Across the line next were Paulo Cavalieri (Pablo Clark Racing Ford Galaxie), Mark du Toit (TAR Ford Fairlane) and Jonathan du Toit (TAR Chevrolet Nova).
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Two laps into the second race, the race flag came out after Ford Thunderbolt of Colin Ellison ran wide on the backstraight, before spearing across the track onto the outside tyre barrier.
Although reduced to scrap metal, Ellison walked away with only slight bruises.
After the restart, Morgenrood and Fourie resumed their battle until, with two laps left, the Cougar spun at the final corner as its tyres ran out of grip.
Morgenrood went on to win, ahead of Cavalieri, Mark du Toit, Jonathan du Toit and Kosie Swanepoel (Chevrolet Bel Air).
Pre-2000 Sports Prototypes
The day’s quickest races came from the Pre-2000 Sports Prototype Cars, with race one winner, Rui Campos (Shelby CanAm V8), posting a time of one min 04.11.
In both races, he led home Larry Wilford (Fuchs Lola T70) and Mark du Toit (Lola T70).
Legends of the 9-Hour Endurance
Officially, the day’s main event was a 45-minute Legends of the 9-Hour endurance race for Pre-1968 Sports and GT Cars.
There was heartbreak for the pole sitter, Swede Kennet Persson, when his McLaren 5B stuttered to a halt on the warm-up lap with a broken fuel pump.
The heat saw cars and drivers suffering, with eight retirements from the 26 starters.
Warren Lombard won overall in his Pepboys Automotive Cobra, finishing 3.7 seconds ahead of Marc Miller (Daytona Coupe).
Jason Campos (BMW 328i), John/Chad ten Doeschate (Marauder) and James Temple (Lindenberg Daytona Coupe) filled out the rest of the top five places.
Pre-1968 Little Giants
After a red flag less than two laps into the first race, Zimbabwean Denzil Bhana (Ford Anglia) won the opening Little Giants race from Alan Poulter (Tom Campher Volvo 122) and Marc Miller (Alfa Romeo Giulietta).
The results in the second race was subsequently the same.
Pre-2006 Legend Classic GT
The opening Legends Pre-2006 Classic GT race went to Damian Hammond (Lamborghini Gallardo), leading home Mark du Toit (TAR Ford GT40) and Wayne Roach (Lamborghini Gallardo).
Du Toit won race two, ahead of Roach and Hammond.
BMW M Performance Turbo
The first race of the newly created BMW///Performance Parts Turbo class was red-flagged after the 340i of Ethan Coetzee caught fire and stopped next to the track.
In a race where yellow flags and spins were the order of the day, Kashen Naicker (Megastar M3 GTR) won, ahead of Anton Pommersheim (Eagle Granite M3) and Leon Loubser (Monaco Motors M3).
Pommersheim won the next time out, joined on the podium by Naicker and Loubser.
BMW M Performance N/A
Andre van Vuuren (Curvent M3) won the first BMW M Performance race for normally aspirated cars ahead of Bernard de Gouveia (De Gouveia Accountants M3) and Richard Gerntholtz (NexRep Fitness M3).
Race two went to Olerato Sekuda (RamPage M3), followed by de Gouveia and Troy Cochran (Tyremark Boksburg M3).
Evapco HRSA
The first Evapco HRSA heat for cars in Classes A, B, C, D and E was won by Keegan Campos (Porsche 911 RSR), beating the Black and Gold Solutions Mazda R100 of Werner Kotze and the Evapco Porsche 911 RSR of Andre van der Merwe.
After Kotze suffered brake problems, which resulted in a number of hairy moments, Rudolf de Vos in his Chevrolet Firenza CanAm won race two from Mohsin Mia (Porsche 911 GT3) and George Avvakoumides (Euro Shop Equipment Porsche 911 RSR).
Both the Evapco HRSA races for cars in Classes F, G and H went to Dave Leyshon (Volkswagen Scirocco), followed by Keegan Ward (Driver Safety Alfa Romeo GT Junior) and Ian Richard (Datsun 1200 GX).
Single-seaters
Ryan Ludik (WH Auctioneers Titan Mk5) won the first Historic Single Seater race from Des Hillary (Aztek Procurement Dulon MP158) and Steve Venter (Van Diemen FF).
Race two went to Josh Dovey (Chevron B20), ahead of Ryan Ludik and Paul Richardson (Dulon LD9).
Next
The second round of the Passion for Speed will be held at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas this Saturday.
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