SOUTH AFRICAN TITLES ON THE LINE AT WESBANK SUPER SERIES FINALE
author: Rory Brown
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Johan Fourie
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Of the 10 championships on offer only three have been settled with the situation lending itself to potential drama at the tight Pretoria West circuit. Those already home and dry are Devin Robertson and Lee Thompson who have taken overall and Masters category honours in the Engen VW Cup series, and Greg Gildenhuys who clinched back to back SA Superbike championships at Zwartkops on November 5.
According to the latest points issued by Motorsport South Africa the closest battle is in Class A in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship. A single point separates former champion Johan Fourie, in the IndyOil Audi S4, and Michael Stephen in the Xtreme Team Audi S4 to set up an explosive finale.
With so many title on the line the action is likely to be fast and furious with a bumper crowd. Gate entry to Zwartkops will be R80 per adult and R40 per student with children under 12 free.
WesBank V8 Supercars
Both the Super GT and GT Class titles will be up for grabs in the WesBank V8 Supercar category.
In the Super GT stakes Jimmy Auby has a 15 point cushion over younger brother Brandon, the reigning champion, with both of them out in ELT International/SKF Ford Falcons. Veteran Franco di Matteo (Varta Batteries Jaguar) still has a mathematical chance of sneaking in the back door but trails the championship leader by 25 points.
After a lean patch Jimmy Auby has won three of the last four races and that 15 point cushion gives him a major advantage. Of course, on a tight circuit anything can happen in the ‘big banger’ class and Auby will be conscious of the fact that he needs to put together two consistent races.
Reigning champion Brandon and di Matteo only have one option – race wins. The reverse grid second heat could again hold the key, with the likes of Ben Morgenrood (IndyOil/BM Auto Ford Falcon) and the Correia brothers, Jaco and Danie, in the Midas Corvettes, also in a position to throw spanners into the works.
The GT Class fight is much closer with reigning champion Des Gutzeit (Dezzi/Cummins Ford Falcon) holding an eight point advantage over Larry Wilford in the Fuchs Ford Falcon. Two meetings ago it looked all over bar the shouting for Gutzeit, but the Port Shepstone based veteran fell on hard times at Killarney and Zwartkops, and Wilford has roared back into contention.
Wilford leads Gutzeit 7-1 in terms of wins, but also has five non finishes to his name. Once again the eight point advantage in favour of Gutzeit could be decisive.
Bridgestone Production Car Championship
The battle between former champion Johan Fourie (IndyOil Audi S4) and Michael Stephen in the Xtreme Team Audi S4, has all the makings of a classic duel.
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Anthony Taylor
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A win with former champion Shaun Watson-Smith in the two hour endurance race at Zwartkops last time out saw Stephen make up a 16 point deficit on Fourie. The endurance race carried double points with Fourie and Kosie Swanepoel finishing third behind Stephen/Watson-Smith and Afrox BMW pair Anthony Taylor and Etienne van der Linde.
The Bridgestone brigade will revert to a four race format with each heat to be run over four laps with reverse grid scenarios also coming into play. The permutations are endless and the only given is that Fourie and Stephen will be under extreme pressure.
The role other drivers play could also be crucial to the championship outcome. Stephen will be relying heavily on team-mate Tschops Sipuka to run interference, but the likes of Taylor and Melvill Priest, in the Afrox BMWs, and Hennie Groenewald in the Sasol Subaru have the ability to muddy the waters.
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Gary Formato
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The Class T battle will also be settled, but here former champion Gary Formato (BP/Castrol Ford Focus) is in a comfort zone. Formato leads arch rival Graeme Nathan (IndyOil/Kaye Eddie VW Golf6) by 20 points, and has a stranglehold on the championship.
A full house of points at Zwartkops last time out lifted Formato ahead of Nathan who has struggled a little since switching to the Golf6 in mid-season. One cannot see the vastly experienced Formato throwing away a healthy lead, and he will have support from Shaun Duminy and Andrea Bate in sister BP/Castrol Ford Focus entries.
Formula VW/Formula Midas
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Jayde Kruger
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The Formula VW and Formula Midas 1600 titles are still undecided but Jayde Kruger (First Freight/Investchem FVW) and Mathew Merton (Matsam Mygale) also find themselves in comfort zones.
Both need a point or two to put the championship out of reach of Robert Wolk, in the Midas/Investchem FVW and James Temple in the GWM Mygale. Behind them, however, there are some interesting battles.
In the FVW series reigning champions Simon Moss, boosted by a double last time out at Zwartkops, is now third in the championship and has a five point advantage over the steady Tasmin Pepper in the PG Glass/Plastomark FVW. In the Midas series only five points separate Werner Scholtz (Scholtz Civils Mygale), Jason Campos (Etana Mygale) and Nicholas van Weely (Anglorand Van Diemen) in the fight for third place.
Engen VW Cup
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Kelvin van der Linde
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The major interest in the VW Cup will centre on which of Kosie Weyers (Xtreme Team VW Polo) and teenager Kelvin van der Linde (Ferodo VW Polo) finishes second in the championship.
Weyers was also a double winner at Zwartkops last time out, and also needs only a couple of points to make sure of the runner-up spot. It has, however, been an impressive debut season for young van der Linde who is obviously future championship material.
The battle to see who finishes second to Lee Thompson (Ferodo VW Polo) in the Masters category for drivers over 27 is also desperately close. Here Brett Roach (Old Mutual VW Polo) leads Graham Donker (Mini/Maxi Panelbeaters VW Polo) by a single point.
SA Superbikes/SA Supersport
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Greg Gildenhuys
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With Gildenhuys having wrapped up the SA Superbike championship, the remaining title on the line is in the SA Supersport category where it is a straight fight between Dave McFadden (Pepper Racing Kawasaki) and Clint Seller from the Bikefin Honda stable.
With a 13 point cushion the odds are slightly in favour of McFadden, but with 50 points up for grabs the Cape rider is far from out of the woods. Once again other riders could have a huge impact on the McFadden/Seller battle.
McFadden will again have former Superbike and Supersport champion Sheridan Morais, on the Emtek Kawasaki, in his corner. Other Kawasaki mounted riders who Mcfadden will be relying on include young Cam Petersen (Sponsor Kawasaki), Dean Vos (FFF Racing Kawasaki) and Nicholas Kershaw on the Race Rental Kawasaki.
For his part Seller will be relying on help, and lots of it, from stablemates Lance Isaacs and Brent Harran. High stakes and a bevy of talented riders make for two intriguing heats.
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