The Red Star Raceway was the setting for the final round of the 2016 Inland Championship this past weekend with non-stop action highlighting another brilliant race day.The INEX Legends series kicked off proceedings with an action packed first race. Lonika Maartens (Semi-Pro) grabbed an early lead ahead of Seef Fourie (Pro) and Clinton Bezuidenhout (Young Lion). Bezuidenhout grabbed second place coming off the back straight on lap four and then proceeded to take the lead on the penultimate lap of the race. He held on for the win with Fourie claiming second from Maartens on the last lap of the race.
The second race saw Fourie grab an early lead ahead of Justin Robertson (Master) and Shaun Nel (Pro). Bezuidenhout came through from the mid pack to take second on lap two with Nel relegating Robertson to fourth. Bezuidenhout took the lead on the penultimate lap of the race and only just held on for the win ahead of Fourie and Nel.
The third and final race continued the non-stop action early on. Bezuidenhout ran out of brakes at the end of the main straight and had a high speed off, narrowly avoiding the tyre barriers. Anro Stadler (Semi-Pro) took the lead with Fourie, Robertson and Nel in tow. Fourie took the lead on lap three when Stadler retired with suspension issues. Fourie held on for the win with Maartens fighting through to claim second ahead of Robertson.
Poleman Julian Fameliaris (E36 328i Turbo) held the lead at the start of the first race for the Bridgestone BMW Car Club series. Desmond Bloem (E36 M3 Turbo) slotted into second with Rick Loureiro (E30 3.2 CSL) and Stefano Martinelli (E36 328i Turbo) in hot pursuit. Dino Fameliaris (E36 M3 Turbo) came through from further back in the field to take third position on lap four. The race was red flagged on the penultimate lap of the race leaving Julian as the winner ahead of Bloem and Dino. Martinelli took the class B honours with Shane Grobler (E36 328i) taking a popular class C victory. Andy Smith (E36 318is Turbo) took the class D honours.
The reverse grid by class for the second race saw Bloem take the lead ahead of Dino and Martinelli after Julian dropped out with mechanical issues. Bloem went on to take a comfortable win ahead of Dino and class B victor Martinelli. Lorenzo Gualtieri (E36 328i) ended his season on a high with a win in class C while Edwin Dreyer (E46 M3) took the honours in class D.
Poleman Devin Robertson (Chev Corvette) took the lead of the first Big Boss Auto Super Saloons race with Ben Morgenrood (Ford Mustang) and Mackie Adlem (Jaguar) hot on his heels. Robertson looked set for victory but when he ran wide through turn one on lap six he dropped back to third position. His luck changed when a backmarker spun through the Esses coming onto the main straight allowing him to slip past the opposition and back into the lead. Robertson held on for the Overall and GTA class win with Adlem taking second place ahead of Morgenrood. Willie Hepburn (Opel Rekord) took the GT2 honours with Brendan Maartens (Mazda RX8) doing the same in GT3. WB van Niekerk (Opel Tigra) claimed the GT4 honours with Jeff Langeveldt (Honda CRX) taking GT5. The second race saw Robertson break away into an early lead and never look back. He went on to claim his second Overall and GTA class win of the day ahead of Larry Wilford (Ford Falcon) and Morgenrood. Hepburn took the double in GT2 with van Niekerk doing the same in GT3. Karel Stols (Mazda RX7) took the GT4 honours with Rian van Niekerk (Opel Tigra) taking GT5
Poleman Brendan Hall (Honda CRX) took the lead at the start of the first Yokohama MPC race with Jeff Langeveldt (Honda CRX) and Keagan Pottas (Honda CRX Turbo) hot on his heels. Jose Sardinha (Honda CRX Turbo) and Dirk Lawrence (Honda Ballade) were hot on their heels in an all Honda battle for the lead. Langeveldt grabbed the lead on lap two and never looked back. He went on to take a comfortable Overall and class A victory ahead of class T winner Pottas. Hall crossed the line ahead of the rest of the pack in third. Adrian Dalton (VW Golf 1 Turbo) took class B with Kalyn Miller (Ford Ikon) taking class C. Stewart McLarty (Opel Tigra) claimed the SRB win. Emmanual Athanassiou (Spaceframe Corrado) took the class A Silvercup honours; with Riaan Draper taking the class B Silvercup win. Veritie Anne Joubert (Honda Ballade) claimed the class C Silvercup victory with David Louw (Spaceframe Ford Fiesta) taking class D. The second race saw Pottas take an early lead ahead of Langeveldt and Hall. Langeveldt grabbed the lead on lap two only to lose it to Hall a lap later. Hall went on to take a convincing overall and class A win ahead of Pottas with Lawrence crossing the line in third. Pottas took the win in class T with Dalton taking the double in class B. Kenny Darroch (Golf 1) took the class C honours this time around. Fritz Kleynhans (Shelby Can-Am) took the SRA honours with McLarty taking the SRB win again. Athanassiou took the double in Silvercup class A, with Draper doing the same in Silvercup class B. Joubert did the same in Silvercup class C with Louw making it a clean sweep in Silvercup class D
Producing the biggest field on the day was the Midvaal Historics and Trofeo Challenge class. Poleman Seef Fourie Senior (Datsun 140Y) held on to the lead at the start only to spin out through turn five and drop way back. Brendan Parker (Datsun GX Coupe) picked up the lead with Tony Sharp (Alfa Romeo Guilietta) and Wentzel Nortman (Toyota Corolla) in hot pursuit. Parker went on to take an unchallenged Overall and class E victory with Nortman claiming second place ahead of Trofeo Challenge victor Sharp. Shawn Smidt (Datsun 160Y) took the class D honours with Jacques Mostert (Datsun GX Coupe) and Koos Louw (Mercedes Benz 280E) taking classes F and G respectively. Parker grabbed the lead in the second race followed by Sharp, Smidt and Nortman. Nortman was on a charge as he grabbed second place before the end of the first lap. Parker went on to claim his second Overall and class E win of the day with Nortman keeping class D victor Smidt at bay for second place. Mostert took the double in class F with Louw doing the same in class G. Sharp held on to take the double in the Trofeo Challenge class as well.
Poleman Louis van der Merwe (Formula GTI) took the lead at the start of the first Formula Monoposto race and never looked back. He took an unchallenged Overall and Formula Libre class A victory ahead of Formula M class B winner Didier Diedericks (Formula M). Leon Scholtz (Formula Vee) claimed the Formula Libre class C honours with Michael Kernick (Formula Ford) taking Formula Libre class D. Steven Levin (Formula Vee) was the lone Formula Libre class E man. Austin Zungu (Formula M) took the Formula M class A laurels. The second race picked up where it left off with van der Merwe taking a flag to flag Overall and Formula Libre class A victory ahead of Formula M class B winner Diedericks. Duncan Bosch (Formula M) came through strongly to take third Overall ahead of Formula Libre class C winner Scholtz. Kernick took the double in Formula Libre class D while Steven Levin (Formula Vee) did the same in class E. Zungu followed their example by taking the double in Formula M class A while Antwan Geldenhuys (Formula M) took the win in Formula M class C.
The Historic Single Seater category saw Des Hillary (Ford Dulon MP15B) take the first heat win ahead of Paul Richardson (Ford Dulon LD9) and Chris Clark (Titan MK 6). Clark turned the tables on the pair in the second race to take the win ahead of Hillary and Richardson.
Poleman Bevan Williams (Anderson Rotax Superkart) comfortably won both 250 Superkart races ahead of Richie Napier (PVP Superkart). Edward Cotterell (Superkart) took third place on both occasions.