Stiaan Kriel (N4 Autocraft Polo) got his 2017 Comsol VW Challenge season off to the perfect start when took victory in both class A heats at Zwartkops Raceway on Tuesday, 21 March. The class B wins were shared by Nic Clarke (Pozi Drive Polo) and Lyle Ramsay (Monroe Racing RSA Polo) while Wouter Roos (Nathan’s Motorsport Polo) and Rory Atkinson (Pozi Drive Polo) each claimed a class C victory.
In the morning qualifying sessions, it was former champion James Hurley (The Starter Pack Company Polo) who set the quickest time, beating Kriel to the class A pole by just under two-tenths of a second. Third on the grid was Iain Pepper (Campos Transport Polo) who was making his circuit racing return after a nine-year hiatus with Waldie Meintjes (LTR / Marty’s Body & Spray Polo) alongside him in fourth. Series newcomer Delon Thompson (A and L Materials Handling Polo) and Wayne Crous (Delway Polo) rounded out the top six.
In class B it was Clarke who claimed pole from Ramsay with Adrian Wood (Laserfiche Polo) and Quinton Needham (Polo) filling the second row of the grid. Andre Calitz (AC Group / Full Blast Hydraulics Polo) and Jacques Smith (Hydra Arc Polo) were in fifth and sixth respectively.
Atkinson was the quickest of the class C contingent, 0.3” quicker than Roos. Shaun Crous (Ancro Building Projects Polo) just managed to get the better of Simon Levin (Auto ECU Polo) to claim third while Graham Savage (ATE Polo) and Chris Dale (Dale Automation / Pozi Drive Polo) filled the third row of the grid.
Kriel got a great start in the opening class A race, taking the lead from pole-sitter Hurley. Pepper tucked in behind them with Meintjes keeping a watching brief in fourth. Kriel slowly opened up a gap as Hurley and Pepper became embroiled in a battle for second. They swapped paint and positions in a duel that kept the Heritage Day crowd entertained. After 10 hard-fought laps, it was Pepper that claimed second behind Kriel with Hurley having to settle for third. Meintjes had an uneventful run to fourth with youngster Thompson in fifth. Wayne Master (Performance Masters Polo) took the flag in sixth but a technical infringement saw him excluded and promoted Gavin Ross (Norbrake Polo) to sixth.
Clarke grabbed the lead in the opening class B race and was never challenged on his way to a comfortable win. The action took place just behind him with Ramsay and Wood fighting it out for the other two podium positions. Ramsay had the early advantage, but a lap later Wood was in front. Ramsay found a way through just after half-distance but Wood reclaimed second just a couple of laps later. With less than a car length between the two of them at the start of the final lap it was anybody’s guess who was going win the battle. In the end Ramsay found a way through when Wood experience clutch problems to take second. Wood managed to nurse his car to the finish in third ahead of Needham. Luan Roos (Nathan’s Motorsport Polo), the 2016 class C champion, came home in fifth in his first outing in a class B car with Leon Odendaal (Lesavert / Golden Era Polo) in sixth.
In the opening class C race pole man Atkinson got a terrible start, dropping down to third behind Roos and Crous. Roos was a man on a mission and pulled away at the front of the field while Crous and Atkinson fought over second. Once Atkinson got past Crous he set about closing the gap to Roos but ran out of laps before he got close enough to mount a serious challenge. Roos took the win from Atkinson with Crous in third. Levin was fourth just behind Crous with Dale and Savage in fifth and sixth respectively.
The second class A race again had Kriel grabbing the lead from the start and taking the win. Pepper and Hurley were again separated by not more than a couple of car lengths until about the three-quarter distance mark, when Pepper managed to open a slight gap and held it to the finish to take second. Meintjes was again fourth ahead of Lee Thompson Racing stablemate Crous with Masters completing the top six.
Clarke got a poor start in the second class B heat but had charged his way to the front by the end of the opening lap. He held the lead until the flag but was adjudged to have moved before the lights went out at the start, thereby earning a 30-second penalty which dropped him out of the points scoring positions. Clarke’s error gave the win to Ramsay with Wood and Needham completing the podium. Smith, Deon Holliday Jnr (Centworx Polo) and Luan Roos rounded out the top six.
Atkinson made no mistake at the start of the final class C heat, grabbing the lead from the lights and keeping it until the flag. Crous followed him to the line with first heat winner Roos in third. Levin crossed the line in fourth but was later handed a penalty for a driving infringement which dropped him down to sixth. Dale was promoted to fourth with Savage in fifth.
Two wins gave Kriel the overall win in class A from Pepper and Hurley. Ramsay took class B with Wood and Needham in second and third respectively while class C went the way of Atkinson from Roos and Crous.
The Comsol VW Challenge returns to the track at Red Star Raceway on Saturday, 29 April for round 2 of the 2017 Championship.