Almost 50 Comsol VW Challenge drivers will make their way to the recently revamped Kyalami circuit in Midrand for the penultimate round of the 2016 championship. With just four races left in the season, the fight for points is now getting serious.
Just two rounds ago Tasmin Pepper (Campos Transport / Alpine Motors Polo) had a nine-point lead at the head of the class A championship table, but mechanical misfortunes have seen her drop down to third. Waldie Meintjes (LTR / Marty’s Body & Spray Polo) has been in great form recently, finishing on the podium at every race in the last four rounds – four of those on the top step – to open up a seven-point lead over closest rival Rory Atkinson (Comsol Polo).
The 2016 class A champion will certainly come from this trio but that doesn’t mean that they will have things all their own way at Kyalami. Iain Stevenson (Comsol Polo) was robbed of a good result in the first race in Cape Town by mechanical failure but bounced back in the second to take fourth place. He now occupies fifth place on the log between James Hurley (The Starter Pack Company Polo) and Devon Piazza Musso (Alliance Polo).
At the last event in Cape Town Darren Nathan (Sextrader Polo) and Nic Clarke (Central Technical Services Polo) showed how close the fight between the two of them is, Clarke winning the second race by just one-thousandth of a second. They are separated by 12 points at the top of the class B and overall championships with Nathan holding the upper hand at the moment.
After a good outing at Killaney Adrian Wood (Laserfische Polo) has managed to gain a slight advantage in the battle for third in class B. He now leads Mile Stewart (RCS Security Services Polo) by 21 points with Brad Hall (Hellermann Tyton Racing Polo) and Francois van Zyl (Jesus Saves Polo) not far behind.
Luan Roos (Nathan’s Motorsport Polo) had a weekend to forget in Cape Town but still has a 5-point lead at the top of the class C standings. Graham Savage (Goldwagen JHB CBD and Wynberg Golf) seems to have rediscovered some of the form that saw him leading the way in the early part of the season. His two second places at Killarney have moved him back into second with Shaun Crous (Ancro Building Projects Polo), who scored no points at Killarny after a huge practice crash, still in third.
Elke van Vledder (Golf) has managed to edge ahead of Wouter Roos (Nathan’s Motorsport Polo) to take fourth while Stuart Mack (Goldwagen JHB CBD and Wynberg Golf) rounds out the top six. Lyle Ramsay (Monroe Polo) took both race wins in the Cape and, while he is out of contention for class honours as he only re-joined the championship two events ago, he will be looking to add to his tally of wins.
Friday, 21 October will see the drivers getting to grips with the new Kyalami circuit in a number of practice sessions before qualifying gets underway at 14h15. The two 8-lap races take place at 14h20 and 17h00 on Saturday, 22 October.