Johan Fourie in the Alcohol Killer BMW 335i has extended his lead in the Bridgestone Production Car championship, scoring the motorsport equivalent of a perfect 10 at Phakisa Freeway near Welkom on August 2.In class T there were very different finishing orders in the two races, the 12-lap feature highlighted by a very robust confrontation between Golf GTI racer Graeme Nathan and newcomer Mandla Mdakane in the MINI – respectively the most experienced and lest experienced drivers in the class…
Fourie kicked off with a scorcher of a lap to set the fastest time in the qualifying session for round five of the series, his time of 1min43.352 seconds almost three-quarters of a second quicker than his team mate, Gavin Cronje. Gennaro Bonafede in the Sasolracing S4 was the best of the Audis, with his team mate – Hennie Groenewald – alongside in fourth. Groenewald had a frustrating Friday setting up a newly re-bodied car to his liking, and was still not completely happy with the handling.
The third row was occupied by the two Engen Xtreme Audi S4s.
Reigning champion and new dad Michael Stephen was ahead of Simon Moss, still coming to terms with a new car/circuit combination.
In class T Nathan just edged out Lee Thompson (Castrol MINI) and Gary Formato (Ford Focus ST) for pole, a result which suggests the control of the class’ performance parameters is working very well – a quarter of a second separated the three on a 4,2 kilometre circuit. Michael van Rooyen in the Williams Hunt Chevrolet Cruze made it four brands on the first two rows of the grid.
Class A
When the lights went out to get proceedings underway (from a rolling start) Fourie disappeared into the distance, leaving Cronje to fend off a very determined Bonafede. It was to no avail in the end with Cronje making it a BMW one-two. The no-holds-barred dice between the two chargers was a highlight of the race, with Groenewald coming into the picture and turning it into an Audi procession, with Stephen and Moss also closing in towards the end.
In the second race, run over a 12 lap distance with the starting order determined by the reverse of the championship standings, Groenewald looked to have come good. He defended his pole position vigorously with a tight line into the first turn, after which he rapidly extended his lead – at one point to six seconds – whilst Moss held off the BMW pair. Moss managed to undo all his hard work with a lurid and high-speed off road excursion at the end of the main straight, which let not only the BMWs through, but everyone else too.
At three-quarter distance the eternally unlucky Groenewald slowed with fuel pressure problems, gifting BMW another one-two and Fourie another maximum points haul. Groenewald’s lack of luck and Moss’ mistake promoted Stephen to third place in the feature race, and for him a return to form at Zwartkops on August 30 is now critical.
Class T
Graeme Nathan’s class T pole position for the sprint race became second position soon after the start, as Gary Formato snuck past the VW Genuine Parts Golf GTI and into the lead on the opening lap, and made a beeline for the chequered flag. A gap to third place had opened up during the usual first lap fracas, and with the cars so evenly matched Lee Thompson (Castrol MINI) had a lonely race en route to the final podium position.
Behind him Shaun Duminy in the second Focus ST continued to experience the braking issues that frustrated him on Friday, but managed to hold off the Tyremart Golf GTI of Charl Smalberger nonetheless, the youngster driving with growing confidence. Next up was the second Castrol MINI of Mdakane, doing well in only his second race meeting at the Free State and also his second proper outing in the turbocharged car.
Tail end Charlie was Michael van Rooyen, whose Williams Hunt Chevrolet dropped to the back of the field after an off track excursion at the start of lap two, and was unable to get back into contention due to a minor misfire.
A post-race check found that Duminy’s Focus was overboosting, and he was excluded from the results.
Race two had all the makings of a thriller, and so it proved to be. Mdakane was on pole and made a clean getaway, while a train of cars formed up behind Smalberger, who started second. Thompson took his chances to rapidly work his way through the field and then made an easy pass on his team mate for the lead.
Mdakane defended his position aggressively from Formato and then even more so from Nathan. The two carried on where they left off in East London a few weeks back, trading blows and positions all the way around the Free State circuit, with the youngster clearly not intimidated by his vastly more experienced rival.
The matter was only resolved on the last corner of the last lap, the two entering the pit straight side by side, with Nathan on the inside. More paint was exchanged, and in the sprint to the line Nathan nosed ahead by a car length to take the final podium.
The Parc Ferme atmosphere was icy, and while angry looks were exchanged, that was where it ended. Which is probably just as well, as Nathan stands head and shoulders above the diminutive Mdakane…
When the dust had settled (and there was plenty of it in the Free State air) Fourie hadn’t had quite the perfect day, and it was Groenewald who was credited with the bonus point for fastest lap in the feature race – cold comfort when it should’ve been a morale-boosting win. The outcome sees the BMW pilot extend his lead over Stephen to 20 points, while in class T the trio of cars chasing Nathan has bunched up with Formato now in second place and Van Rooyen demoted to third.