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Three rounds won. Three to go. Midway through the inaugural Sasol GTC Africa championship, the Engen Xtreme Team can look back with some satisfaction. Their drivers currently occupy first and third in the standings, with championship leader Michael Stephen totally dominating the track over the first three rounds.
Stephen currently enjoys a 183-point lead over second placed Genaro Bonafede of the Sasol GTC Racing team, with Engen Xtreme Team driver Simon Moss a place further back. But while there has been much to savour for team principal Terry Moss and his two Engen Audi A3 GTC driving charges, their sights are set fully forward ahead of Round Four at the upgraded Kyalami circuit in Johannesburg on Sunday, 23 October. While all the attention has been on Stephen’s almost sheer dominance of the season so far (he has won all but one race of the eight that have already taken place), Moss has been quietly edging his way into the reckoning. The blonde 24-year-old has appeared on the podium three times in two events, twice in second-place. He currently occupies third place in the championship, with essentially two completed race meetings since his first round at Zwartkops was plagued with technical problems. “My results have been getting better all the time,” says Moss. “Fastest practice laps, fastest race laps, grid starts from the front row and podium finishes. “It is all going in the right direction and I’m working for better results with each race. I can’t wait for Kyalami and the challenge that represents.” For Stephen, Kyalami marks another opportunity to exert his dominance of the track and edge closer to his first GTC title. “The GTC season has been a crowded one, getting the cars ready in time and then managing a six-round season with little time between events,” says Stephen. “From the outset we arrived prepared and ready to win. We’ve proved that at each round and our goal for the season is to be the team to beat.” Competition on one of South Africa’s most popular motorsport circuits is going to be as intense as ever amongst the racers in Round Four of the Sasol GTC Africa championship. Motorsport fans can expect the Engen Xtreme Team to be on hand ready to deliver another exhilarating and action-packed day of racing at Kyalami. |
