The first round of the 2016 racing season for the renewed and refreshed Inland Championship saw the popular INEX Legends Championship kicking things off at the Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday 5 March with an impressive field of 20 cars lining up for the first race of the day.

The traditional ball draw for grid positions would set the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons as always. Anro Stadler (Pro) drew pole position ahead of Anton Repsold (Master), with Johnny De Carvalho (Master) lining up on the second row with Divan Myburgh (Pro).
Masters challengers Justin Robertson and Fred Els would start alongside each other on the third row.
Race 1
The opening round of the year couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season with an action packed first race setting the tone for the season ahead.
Divan Myburgh (Pro) grabbed the lead onto the back straight closely followed by Justin Robertson (Master) and Anro Stadler (Pro). Seef Fourie (Pro) was also making up ground from eighth on the grid as he slotted in behind the leading trio with Llewellyn Myburgh (Pro) all over his rear bumper as well. The battle behind them was just as close with positions being swopped through almost every corner.
Newcomer Johan Jooste (Master) was finding the going tough with a spin or two dropping him further back in the field. Fellow rookie Janeske Botha (Semi-Pro) was still finding her feet as well but was getting quicker with each lap that she completed. There were no such problems for the leaders however as they set a frantic pace at the sharp end of the field.
Llewellyn followed his cousin’s example as he got past Fourie to grab fourth position on lap two. Llewellyn and Fourie then both found their way past Stadler on lap three with young Clinton Bezuidenhout (Young Lion) slotting into an impressive sixth position from the back of the grid. Keagan Wessels (Pro) was hot on Bezuidenhout’s heels with Lonika Maartens (Semi-Pro) right behind them. Llewellyn shot past Robertson a lap later to grab second place but this was short lived when he retired a lap later with engine problems.
Race 1 Results
1. Divan Myburgh – Best lap: 1:14.632
2. Justin Robertson – Best lap: 1:15.289
3. Anro Stadler – Best lap: 1:14.933
4. Seef Fourie – Best lap: 1:15.302
5. Clinton Bezuidenhout – Best lap: 1:15.255
6. Keagan Wessels – Best lap: 1:15.170
Race 2
The second race of the day proved to be even more action packed. Jooste spun out in turn two on the opening lap and beached himself in the kitty litter. This brought out the safety car and a full course yellow. With the rest of the field four abreast through some corners, not everyone saw the yellow flags. As the field came back onto the main straight at the end of the first lap a number of drivers had backed off rather drastically. Johan van de Venter (Master) tried to avoid hitting the car in front of him and then collided with Stadler who was on his inside. Stadler hit the pit wall very hard and ended his race weekend on the spot. Thankfully the little Legends cars are built tough and both drivers escaped serious injury.
When the race was restarted it was Wessels who grabbed an early lead ahead of Shaun Nel (Pro) and Fourie. Morne Stoltz (Pro) slotted in behind the leading trio with Steve Nel (Master) and the rest of the field in hot pursuit. Divan Myburgh was scything his way through the field at a rapid rate of knots and was up to fourth position by the end of the first lap. Fourie then passed Nel through turn four bringing Myburgh along with him.
With the faster cars rapidly making their way through the field, positions were changing through almost every corner. Robertson moved into fourth position by lap three with young Bezuidenhout up to sixth ahead of Llewellyn and Maartens. Divan passed Fourie on the same lap and promptly grabbed the lead from Wessels as well. Fourie followed his example a lap later and took second place through the “Tabletop”. This was short lived however as Fourie retired to the pits with a broken exhaust. Llewellyn retired as well with terminal engine damage this time around.
Divan took another convincing win to claim his second Overall and Pro class victory of the day. Wessels took a comfortable second place with Masters winner Robertson crossing the line in third. Maartens took an excellent fifth place to claim the Semi-Pro class honours yet again. Gearbox issues late in the race dropped young Bezuidenhout further down the field but he was still able to hold on for the Young Lions class win.
Race 2 Results
1. Divan Myburgh – Best lap: 1:14.224
2. Keagan Wessels – Best lap: 1:15.103
3. Justin Robertson – Best lap: 1:15.123
4. Shaun Nel – Best lap: 1:16.250
5. Lonika Maartens – Best lap: 1:15.686
6. Anton Repsold – Best lap: 1:16.065
Race 3
The third and final race of the day provided even more action, even with a slightly smaller field. There was drama on the opening lap after Bezuidenhout’s car decided to drop the liquid contents of its engine through turn two.
Fourie grabbed the lead ahead of Stoltz and Steve Nel (Master). Fred Els (Master) slotted in behind the leading trio with Shaun Nel, Myburgh, Wessels and Maartens in tow. Myburgh was once again driving like a man possessed as he slotted into fourth position before the end of the second lap. Wessels followed suit and got past Nel Junior as well. The pair then relegated Nel Senior to fifth position and set about after the leaders.
Myburgh grabbed second place from Stoltz on lap three with Wessels then relegating Stoltz to fourth a lap later as well. Myburgh quickly closed in on the race leader and passed Fourie with a well-timed move through turn eight at the end of the fourth lap. Robertson was having another good race as well as he got past both Nel’s to claim fifth position behind the leading pack.

Behind him young Maartens was also making her way through the pack. She grabbed sixth position from Nel Junior on lap five with team mate Repsold following her example as well.
With the final lap board looming Robertson made a last gasp attempt at picking up another position. He got past Stoltz through turn two to claim fourth position. Maartens then relegated Stoltz to sixth place when she dived past him through turn four as well.

Divan scored a hat trick as he claimed his third Overall victory on the trot to make it a clean sweep in the Pro class. Fourie saw his luck change for the better as he took a comfortable second place ahead of Wessels. Robertson made it a clean sweep in the Masters class as well, with fifth placed Maartens cleaning up in the Semi-Pro class as well.
Race 3 Results
1. Divan Myburgh – Best lap: 1:14.452
2. Seef Fourie – Best lap: 1:14.738
3. Keagan Wessels – Best lap: 1:14.687
4. Justin Robertson – Best lap: 1:15.128