Sharonlea racer Michael Kernick was back at Zwartkops Raceway after racing overseas a few weeks ago.
He returned for the fourth round of the Historic Single Seater Association (HSSA) Championship, in the 1965 Capital Mk1 Formula Vee, while his father, Alan, raced in the 1988 Tasman Formula Vee. He also raced the Trans Africa Racing 1968 Chevy Camaro in the big V8 race, the Legends of the 9-hour production car V8 class, against legends like Ben Morganrood.

Read more: Sharonlea-based racer shines at KZN raceway

In the Camaro qualifying round, Kernick planned to get used to the car and set himself in good standing for the race, but on lap two the throttle cable broke, putting hime out of qualifying.

In the HSSA qualifying, he managed to get pole. His father, however, didn’t have a great session, ending up only eighth in class. “I was happy with my session, especially after I thought I buggered it up.”

The team managed to get the Camaro on the track for race 1, only for it to suffer a fuelling issue. “I did what I could and managed to finish the race. I enjoyed the race, but was keen to fix the trouble for race two. The amazing team at Trans Africa Racing did just that. They got right in, found an issue, and it was fixed really quickly.”

Also read: Sharonlea racers dominate the Historic Single Seater Championship

In race 2, Kernick opted to just enjoy the car, rather than chasing position. He said that the car felt better, and he was feeling good, ready to have a good race. “It is still such an amazing car to drive, and a lot of fun. I loved every minute and really enjoyed the new experience and challenge of learning how to drive another car. It was so special. Thank you to Trans Africa Racing.”

For the HSSA race 1, Kernick had a good start in the Capital MK1. He managed to lead the class and hold off Tony Beecher in second place. “I managed to hold him off to get a close win.” There were issues with Alan’s car, but after fixing it he managed to get fifth place.

In race 2, after a fight for first place, the race was stopped as oil was dropped on the track. Kernick was announced the winner of the class, after a great battle with Tony, with Alan finishing fifth in class. “It was an awesome day, and that Camaro is awesome to drive. Thank you to everyone who made it possible. It was a privilege to race such an amazing car.”

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