Tasmin Pepper (Campos Transport / Alpine Motors Polo) scored a full-house of championship points in the fourth round of the Comsol VW Challenge at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, 21 May 2016. The Edenvale based driver qualified on pole position and went on to take two comfortable class A race wins.
Darren Nathan (Sex Trader Polo) and Nic Clarke (Central Technical Services Polo) shared the class B wins while Luan Roos (Nathan’s Motorsport Polo) took two relatively easy wins in class C.
Pepper indicated her intentions during the qualifying session, setting the benchmark time early in the session. Rory Atkinson (Comsol Polo) was next up with Waldie Meintjes (LTR / Marty’s Body & Spray Polo) and James Hurley (The Starter Pack Company Polo) sharing the second row of the grid. Series new comer Stiaan Kriel (Imperial Select Polo), who turned his first laps of the Zwartkops circuit during practice on Friday, set the fifth fastest time with Iain Stevenson (Comsol Polo) rounding out the top six on the class A grid.
On class B Nathan and Clarke have been fighting it out all season. Nathan took the early advantage, taking pole position from the defending champion by just under 0.3 seconds. Francois can Zyl (Jesus Saves Polo) was next up, fractionally quicker than Adrian Wood (Laserfiche Polo). Youngster Michael Harris (SA Lube Polo) just got the better of Brad Hall (Hellermann Tyton Racing Polo) and lined up at the head of the third row of the grid.
In class C it was the father and son Roos pair at the front of the field in their Nathan’s Motorsport Polos. This time youth prevailed with Luan quicker than Wouter. Third place was occupied by Elke van Vledder (Golf) with John Johnstone (Circle Solar Solutions Polo) alongside her. Shaun Crous (Ancro Building Projects Polo) and Graham Savage (Goldwagen JHB CBD and Wynberg Golf) filled the third row of the grid.
In the opening class A race Pepper took the lead from the start and slowly pulled away from the chasing pack, going on to win by 2.5 seconds. While Atkinson didn’t have the pace to challenge Pepper, he was able to pull away from Meintjes and had an untroubled run to second. Kriel and Stevenson spent much of the race running almost nose to tail with Kriel just managing to stay in front to take fourth on his first outing. Hurley had to be content with sixth.
Clarke led the opening lap of the class B race but Nathan got through on the next tour. He managed to keep the defending champion behind him for the remained of the race, winning by almost a second. Behind them van Zyl and Hall were involved in a race-long fight that went the way of van Zyl by just over a car length. Andre Calitz (AC Group Polo) and Seon Holiday Snr (Centworx Polo) rounded out the top six.
The class C cars ran in their own race. A collision between Philip Croeser (ATE Polo) and Grant Bal (Spar Polo), which ended the race day for both of them, brought out the safety car in the early stages, effectively turning the race into a five-lap sprint. Luan Roos had a comfortable win with Wouter crossing the line in second. A 30-second penalty for a start line infringement dropped Wouter down to 11th and promoted Johnstone and van Vledder, who had a race long duel, to the podium. Sam Dale (Dale Automation Polo) had the best result of his Comsol VW Challenge Racing career, coming home in fourth ahead of Crous and Adrian Bal (Spar Polo).
In race 2 it was more of the same for Pepper at the head of the class A field. She led from the lights and went on to take another easy win, this time by over 4 seconds. Behind her Kriel, who had a great start, was experiencing huge pressure from Atkinson and Meintjes in the battle for second. Kriel led the fight until the half-way mark when Atkinson found a way through. Meintjes went past and the same time and they went on to finish in that order. Stevenson and Devon Piazza Musso (Piazza Motorsport Polo), who was making his first appearance of the season, finished fifth and sixth respectively.
Clarke and Nathan treated the Zwartkops crown to the race of the day in the second class B heat. They were never separated by more than a couple of car lengths and often spent almost an entire lap running side by side. There has to be a winner and it was Clarke who was in front when it mattered, taking the flag 0.15 seconds ahead of Nathan. Behind them Hall and van Zyl resumed their race 1 battle. This time Hall emerged in front, taking the final podium position. Mile Stewart (RCS Security Services Polo) came home in fifth ahead of Wood.
Luan Roos again had a very comfortable win in the second class C race. He finished over 8 seconds ahead of Wouter Roos who had to fight his way through the field after being down in seventh at the end of the opening lap. Third went to van Vledder ahead of Crous, Savage and Johnstone.
The VW Challenge competitors go back to Zwartkops Raceway on 16 June 2016 when the fifth round of the championship takes place.