Weekend V8 action coming to Kyalami
This weekend’s Festival of Motoring at Kyalami will host what is probably the largest grid of V8 Supercars to ever race in South Africa at the same time.
ROLLING THUNDER. The weekend’s quickest lap times at Kyalami will certainly be set during one of the races for Mobil 1 V8 Supercars. Picture: Eric Buijs
The occasion will be rounds seven and eight of this year’s Mobil 1 V8 Supercar championship, in conjunction with two races for the Western Cape V8 Masters discipline. Together, the two classes should comprise in the region of 35 entries. About 20 of them will be Gauteng-based Mobil 1 V8 cars, with 450kW engines, massive tyres and wings.
The championship leader is Mackie Adlem in his Adlem Auto Jaguar XKR, with his closest challengers Terry Wilford (Fuchs Ford Falcon), Thomas Reib (Mobil 1 Chevrolet Lumina) and Franco di Matteo (Deltech Jaguar XKR).
Behind them, there should be a Ford versus Chevy versus Jaguar spat, with drivers to watch veterans Ben Morgenrood (Morgenrood Ford Mustang), Roelf du Plessis (LSP Chev Corvette) and Larry Wilford (Fuchs Ford Mustang).
Also able to fight for podium places should be JP Nortje (N4 Autocraft Corvette), Steve Herbst (Prei Instuments Chev Corvette), Julian Fameliaris (Chevrolet Lumina), Romano Sartori (AMC Ford Mustang) and Izak Spies (LSP Ford Mustang). Hoping to surprise the usual leaders will be David Coetzee (ELKSA Ford Falcon), Schalk Compaan (Hurricane Ford Falcon), Corrie Volschenk (Elite Tents Ford Mustang), Ian Young (Associated Ford Falcon), Antonie Marx (Xado Jaguar) and Auke Compaan (Hurricane Jaguar).
The V8 Masters will race alone on Saturday and in the V8 Supercar showcase on Sunday. Limited to drivers over the age of 40 years, the V8 Masters race is identical to South African-built Mustang-like 347kW Ford V8-powered APV347 cars.
HISTORIC SPEED. The weekend will include Historic racing car demonstrations, with the quickest Willie Hepburn’s iconic Opel Rekord V8.
With less power, rubber and aerodynamics than the Supercars, they should race a couple of seconds slower per lap. There will be 16 of them at Kyalami. The V8 Masters will see championship leader Fabio Tafani facing off against Rui Campos (Campos Transport), Paolo Cavallieri, and Marcel Angel (Autohaus Angel).
Others in the mix should include Richard Schreuder (TRS Construction), Mark Ridgeway, Rob Warrington, Brian Evans (Cape Eye Laser), Sean Moore, Harry Taylor, Charl van Stittert (Serr Synergy), Tim Reddell, Mike Brooks, Fanie Theron, Andrew Strike, Alister Brown, Johann van der Venter, Rhoderick Simpson and Alistair Simpson.
The Mobil 1 V8 Supercars and V8 Masters will qualify between 10.25am and 10.45am on Saturday, with their first races at 1.15pm and 2pm respectively. On Sunday, the two categories will join forces, with a combined warm-up session at 7.45am, and a combined race at 12.40pm.
Both Saturday and Sunday will feature Historic race car demonstrations. Tickets for the Kyalami Festival of Motoring can be booked at festivalofmotoring.za.messefrankfurt.com.
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