The first round of the 2017 Inland Championship took place at the Midvaal Raceway on Saturday 11 February, with close and competitive racing setting the tone for an exciting year ahead. The tag line of ‘Real People, Real Racing’ rang true with the diverse field of categories catering to everyone’s taste.
Big Boss Auto Super Saloons
The Big Boss Auto Super Saloons category brought out the rolling thunder with two exciting races. Amos Cockerham Junior (Jaguar) grabbed pole position ahead of Devin Robertson (Chev Corvette) and series newcomer Lonika Maartens (Chev Lumina). Cockerham grabbed an early lead with Larry Wilford (Chev Lumina) and Robertson in hot pursuit after Maartens faded with electrical issues. Cockerham held on for the overall and GTA victory with JP Nortje (Tigra Spaceframe) taking GT2. Jody Vianna (Mazda RX8) took the GT3 category win with Karel Stols (Mazda RX7) taking the GT4 honours. Riaan Draper (Fiesta Spaceframe) took GT5.
The second race saw Robertson grab an early lead and never look back. He went on to take a comfortable Overall and GTA class win ahead of Wilford and series debutant Benjamin Morgenrood (Ford Mustang). Manu Athanassiou (Corrado Spaceframe) took the GT2 honours with Viana taking the double in GT3. Paul Saayman (Golf 1) claimed the victory in GT4 with Stewart McLarty (Opel Tigra) taking the GT5 win.
Bridgestone BMW Club Racing Series
The Bridgestone BMW Club Racing Series started the 2017 season with an impressive field for the first race of the year. Poleman Julian Fameliaris (E36 328i Turbo) took the lead ahead of Stefano Martinelli (E36 328i Turbo) and Manny Ribeiro (E46 M3 GTR) in the first race. Fameliaris held on for the overall and class A victory ahead of his two counterparts. Rick Loureiro (E30 3.2 CSL) took a comfortable class B win while the trio of class C newcomers in the form of Len-Henry Gobey (E36 M3), Tyron Dawson (E36 328i) and Antonie Marx (E46 M3) turned the tables on the class regulars to take the top three podium positions. Mike Grobler (E36 M3) took a hard fought win ahead of his son Shane Grobler (E36 328i) in class D.
An inverted grid by class for the second race set the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons. A titanic battle for the lead saw Martinelli fending of Fameliaris for the lead but the plucky youngster grabbed the top position on the last lap to take the Overall and class A victory yet again. Loureiro took the double in class B with Willie Erasmus (E36 M3) coming back from a jump start penalty in the first race to take a convincing win in class C. Jan Eversteyn (E36 328i) got the better of the Grobler family to take the class D win in race two.
INEX Legends Championship
As usual the INEX Legends Championship had three close races with non-stop action all the way. The first heat saw Willie Erasmus (Pro) grab an early lead ahead of Charl Roux (Master) and Altan Bouw (Young Lion). Erasmus held on for a comfortable victory with Roux and Anro Stadler (Pro) rounding out the top three. Stadler grabbed the lead ahead of Jordan Larsson (Semi Pro) and Erasmus in race two with the trio crossing the line to finish in that order after eight laps. An action packed third race saw Larsson take the lead ahead of Erasmus and Stadler. Stadler took second place on lap five with Bouw picking up third after Erasmus dropped back with brake issues. Stadler took the lead with three laps to go and held on for the win ahead of Larsson and Bouw.
Yokohama Modified Production Cars and Silver Cup
The Yokohama Modified Production Cars and Silver Cup event produced two close races as well. Adrian Dalton (VW Golf Turbo) took the lead ahead of George Economides (VW Golf Turbo) and Dirk Lawrence (Honda Ballade) with the trio finishing in that order. Dalton took the Overall and MPC T victory with Lawrence taking MPC A. Wayne Lebotschy (Golf 1) claimed the MPC B honours while Morne Fullard took MPC C. Nico Grobler (Golf 1) was the highest of the Silvercup finishers with Daniel Luwes (Honda Ballade) and Evert Seyffert (Chev Can Am) a bit further back.
Dalton picked up where he left off in the first race and went on to take a flag to flag victory ahead of Economides and Brendon Hall (Honda CRX) in race two, claiming the double in the MPC T class in the process. Hall took the MPC A honours this time around with Kenny Darroch taking MPC B. Fullard held on to take the double in MPC C. The Silvercup honours went to Seyffert with Grobler and Luwes a bit further back.
Midvaal Historics
The Midvaal Historics category saw the oldest cars on the day putting on a great show of close and competitive racing. Poleman Seef Fourie (Datsun 160Y) took an early lead ahead of Brendan Parker (Datsun GX Coupe) and Deon van Vuuren (Ford Escort). Parker picked up the lead on lap seven after Fourie retired to the pits. He held on to take a comfortable Overall and class E victory. Second placed Johan Coetzer (Datsun SSS) took the class F honours with Frank Davis (Ford Escort) taking class G. Johan Swanepoel (Fiat 124 Sport) took the class H laurels. The second race picked up where it left off with Parker grabbing the early lead ahead of Coetzer Junior and Jaques Mostert (Datsun GX Coupe). Fourie was scything his way from the back of the field and took the lead by lap five. This was short lived however when the same gremlins ended his race down the back straight a lap later. Parker went on to take the Overall and class E victories yet again. Van Vuuren took the class F win this time around while Davis and Swanepoel took the double in class G and H respectively.
Formula Monoposto
The Formula Monoposto series saw some great single seater action keeping the fans entertained. Series newcomer Cameron O’Connor (Formula Ford) grabbed pole position ahead of Sean Harrington (Formula GTI) and John Maurien (Ray GTI). O’Connor got caught napping on the line and allowed Harrington to take the lead while Johan Botha (Formula Vee) slipped through for third position. The trio remained in that order to the chequered flag with Harrington taking the Overall and class C win. Second placed O’Connor took the class B honours with Michael Kernick (Formula Ford) taking class D. The second race saw O’Connor make the most of the start as he took the lead and never looked back. He claimed his first Overall and his second class B win for the day. Second placed Harrington took the class C honours with Kernick taking the double in class D.
Lotus Challenge
The Lotus Challenge joined as a guest category on the day with two action packed races filling the programme. Poleman Jeffrey Kruger claimed a comfortable victory in the first race ahead of David Jermy and Jeff Gable. The second race saw Kruger take an even more convincing victory with Jermy and Sean Hewitt rounding out the top three.