Bradley Liebenberg (12 – Ferodo) was the big winner at Aldo Scribante Raceway on Saturday. With a first place finish overall after the three races, Liebenberg was the Engen Volkswagen Cup racer to lead the field home at this, round three of the 2016 national championship.
Liebenberg was the first competitor across the line at the end of race one, he took fourth place in race two – which featured a reverse grid for the top six finishers meaning he moved up two spaces from his starting position – and was second in the last race of the day. With Scribante in his rearview mirror, Liebenberg has now jumped two places in the overall championship standings, up to sixth from eighth place.
This is a welcome return to form after a big accident in Cape Town at the previous round. With his new Volkswagen Polo TSI on form, it looks as though he has put his bad luck behind him.
Keagan Masters (18 – Champion) arrived in Port Elizabeth the championship leader – and left the city still in that commanding position with the first three rounds completed for the year. Masters’ lead is now 10 points on Chris Shorter (33 – Payen/Hollard/Turn1) after three podium finishes at Scribante – a second place and two thirds.
Shorter finished third at the PE round, behind Liebenberg and Masters – appearing on the podium after both race one (second place) and three (race winner). In race two, Shorter finished in sixth place, after the reverse grid saw him start fifth.
For Trevor Bland (M2 – Universal Health Care/Phoenix) round three was not a happy hunting ground for points. He broke a wheel bearing in qualifying and contact near the start of race two resulted in a broken coolant bottle which prevented him from finishing the race. Race three saw him come back to claim seventh, the same finishing position he achieved in race one. Second overall after Cape Town, Bland has dropped to third overall after PE and also third in the Masters category – behind category leader Juan Gerber (M8 – Glasfit/Ctrack/XCT) and Shaun La Reserveé (M3 – Alpine Motors / Compendium Insurance).
La Reserveé finished sixth in the first race which put him first on the grid in race two. With the pole position start, La Reserveé repeated his Cape Town performance by leading the field from start to the finish flag, claiming the race victory in the process. With a fourth spot finish in race three, this was enough to finish fourth overall for the day – moving into fourth spot in the championship and second in the Masters category.
An old face made a return to Engen Volkswagen Cup competition at the PE round with Graeme Nathan (GM21 – Nutritech / Motul). Nathan stood in for Ethan van Heerden at the PE round as Van Heerden is currently writing exams. For Nathan an appearance in the Polo series didn’t see him listed as a Master, but rather as a Grand Master. It has been several seasons since he has competed in this national championship, which he won in 2001, but still managed to finish amongst the top 10 for the day. He will be seen in action again later this year when he contests the new GTC series in the Volkswagen Jetta.
The Engen Volkswagen Cup field will compete in East London next, when the fourth round of the championship season takes place there on Saturday, July 9.
RACE ONE
- Bradley Liebenberg (12 – Ferodo)
- Chris Shorter (33 – Payen/Hollard/Turn1)
- Keagan Masters (18 – Champion)
RACE TWO
- Shaun La Reservee (M3 – Alpine Motors / Compendium Insurance)
- Keagan Masters (18 – Champion)
- Juan Gerber (M8 – Glasfit/Ctrack/XCT)
RACE THREE
- Chris Shorter (33 – Payen/Hollard/Turn1)
- Bradley Liebenberg (12 – Ferodo)
- Keagan Masters (18 – Champion)
OVERALL
- Bradley Liebenberg (12 – Ferodo)
- Keagan Masters (18 – Champion)
- Chris Shorter (33 – Payen/Hollard/Turn1)
MASTERS OVERALL
- Shaun La Reservee (M3 – Alpine Motors / Compendium Insurance)
- Juan Gerber (M8 – Glasfit/Ctrack/XCT)
- Gary van Heerden (M4 – Nutritech/Motul)
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
- Keagan Masters (18 – Champion) – 101
- Chris Shorter (33 – Payen/Hollard/Turn1) – 91
- Trevor Bland (M2 – Universal Health Care/Phoenix) – 68
- Shaun La Reservee (M3 – Alpine Motors / Compendium Insurance) – 63
- Juan Gerber (M8 – Glasfit/Ctrack/XCT) – 61