It’s all eyes on Bonafede in East London
South Africa’s premier Sasol Global Touring Car Championship heads to the Border Region town of East London this weekend 20 May for its annual date at the legendary Grand Prix Circuit. The series is keen to deliver another scintillating round following a cracking previous race at Kyalami.
“We had a brilliant race at Kyalami last time out,” Sasol GTC Series Director Gary Formato explained. “There was dramatic action throughout the field and we had two different race winners in Gennaro and Michael, while Mathew sneaked the overall win for the day and GTC2 provided thrills throughout.
“Our reverse grid race also added great interest delivering some doorhandle to doorhandle thrills and we trust that East London should produce more great racing. “If the last races there are anything to go by, the Sasol GTC Championship is in for a great weekend at the Border.”
Last Time Out.
Sasol GTC thrilled a sizable crowd with fantastic racing at the previous round at Kyalami racetrack last time out, where form man Gennaro Bonafede’s Sasol BMW and reigning champion Michael Stephen’s Engen Audi shared the race wins and the consistent Mathew Hodges’ Volkswagen sneaked the overall victory for the day partly thanks to a novel reverse-grid start in the second race.
Kyalami saw pole man Stephen (Engen Xtreme Audi A3 GTC) initially led Bonafede (Sasol BMW GTC) and Hodges (Volkswagen Jetta GTC) before the Audi suffered a misfire to fall prey to the pursuing field and leave Bonafede to win from Simon Moss (Engen Xtreme Audi A3 GTC) and Johan Fourie (EPS Couriers BMW GTC), with Hodges, Rowe and Wolk leading the hobbled Stephen to the chequered flag in sixth.
Despite racing without all his Audi’s faculties working, Stephen soon overcame reverse grid second race pole man Michael van Rooyen’s EPS BMW to take the lead on lap two, before driving away from an epic race behind. Sasol BMW number two Robert Wolk initially held onto second while Bonafede scythed through the field, passing Hodges, Fourie and Rowe on successive laps among the squabbling mid pack.
The race developed dramatically toward the finish when Rowe stopped, Fourie ended up in the wall after a wheel failure; Wolk had a dramatic spin with Moss spinning in avoidance and Bonafede slid out of second too, to leave Stephen to finally get his championship charge on track as he led Hodges, Moss and Bonafede home.
Kyalami’s GTC2 races were also entertaining. Volkswagen Motorsport Golf GTI hotshot Keagan Masters took a strong first race win from teammate Mandla Mdakane, who held TB Racing Golf GTI driver Trever Bland off for second. Charl Smalberger (iCorp VW Parts Golf GTI) initially led Mini duo Chris Shorter and Bradley Liebenberg off the reversed second race, but Mdakane fought back to win from Smallberger and Masters, who came from the back to pip Bland for third.
Sasol GTC Championship Points
GTC
1. Gennaro Bonafede (Sasol BMW GTC) – 192
2. Simon Moss (Engen Audi A3 GTC) – 151
3. Johan Fourie ( EPS BMW GTC) – 85
4. Mathew Hodges (VW Motorsport Jetta GTC) – 79
5. Michael Stephen (Engen Audi A3 GTC) – 71
6. Daniel Rowe (VW Motorsport Jetta GTC) – 24
7. Robert Wolk (Sasol BMW GTC) – 18
8. Michael van Rooyen (RSC BMW GTC) – 18
GTC2
1. Keagan Masters (VW Motorsport Golf GTI) – 200
2. Trevor Bland (TB Racing VW Golf GTI) – 134
3. Charl Smalberger (iCorp/VW Parts Golf GTI) – 103
4. Mandla Mdkane (VW Motorsport Golf GTI ) – 94
5. Christopher Shorter (Champion Mini JCW) – 48
6. Bradley Liebenberg (Ferodo Mini JCW) – 27
7. Iain Stevenson (Comsol VW Golf GTI) – 4
8. Devon Piazza-Musso (Kalex VW Golf GTI) – 0