HISTORIC EXCELLENCE

Saturday proved an excellent day for racing at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas, where the two Historic Racing South Africa classes delivered entertaining action throughout and all but crowned its overall champions as Sean Hepburn enjoyed a great day in the combined Universal Healthcare Pre-80 Historic Saloons and Sports & GT races and Werner Hartzenberg delivered two fine results in the Charlies SuperSpar HRSA Pursuit series.

 

Johann Smith (SPS Mazda Capella) beat quickest Sports & GT man Richard de Roos (Porsche 911 RSR), Jannie van Rooyen (Scirocco), Porsche Sports & GT pair Fred Konig and Stefan Puschavez and Alan Green (Meissner Escort) to pole position in the combined Universal Healthcare Pre-80 Historic Saloons and Sports & GT race.

 

Smith made off up front in the first race, leaving the rest to entertain behind as de Roos fought it out with van Rooyen and Konig, while Green had an adventurous race to come home fifth ahead of Johan Barnard (Industrial & Mining Capri), Stuart Konig (Scirocco) and Puschavez. Rene van Rensburg (SV Tech Escort) took a comfortable Class F win from Ken Price, Andre Ten Napel (TNMC Medical Scirocco) and Daniel Lotter. 

 

Sean Hepburn (HiQ Midrand Datsun 1200) meanwhile cemented his overall and Class F title advantages with a class win over Hubi von Moltke (Mercedes-Benz),  the returning Djurk Venter (Lindenberg Escort) and Jan Jacobs (Olifantsfontein Alfa Junior) beat Harry Lombard (A-B Brick /PSA Beetle) and Harm Beens Sr. (H3 Generator Escort) to Class G honours.

 

Race 2 was a far more entertaining affair as de Roos took an early lead before holding dicing duo van Rooyen and Smith off to win with Fred Konig, Barnard and Stuart Konig next up. Van Rensburg took Class E from ten Napel and Daniel Lotter, while Puschavez took his class win while Hepburn took another step closer to that overall title by beating von Moltke and Venter in Class F, while Jan Jacobs did the Class G double over Lombard and Peter Ross (Twisted Whiskers Alfa GT).

 

So Richard de Roos took the day overall from Class D top two Jannie van Rooyen and Johann Smith, Andre ten Napel  won Class E, Sean Hepburn Class F and Jan Jacobs Class G.

 

Charlie’s SuperSpar HRCR Pursuit Series Trophy class quartet, Werner Hartzenberg (Aircooled Wonders Porsche 928S), Kola de Klerk (Nissan 300ZX), Sean Hepburn (Datsun) and Dennis Mcbeath (Mpiti) kept within their handicap brackets to take race 2 after the first four cars home, Brad Schafer (Porsche 944), Bert van Aarle (Lotus Elite), Michelle Smith (SPS Skyline), Althea Pretorius (Carinvest Porsche 924) and Rob van Aarle (Ace Auto Salvage Escort) were all unclassified after beating their handicap break-out times.

 

Hartzenberg all but tied up his championship with his win, coming from 3 minutes 17 seconds behind on handicap as he held off de Klerk, who stormed from the back and 4 minutes 14 seconds behind, by half a second. Fines class top two Frans Venter (Nissan 280ZX) and Henk de Klerk (Honda Civic) ended up fifth and sixth ahead of Harm Beens Jr. (H3 Generator Escort), Riaan Roux (Addfin Scirocco), Mercedes duo Nadine von Moltke and Richard Tudor-Owen (Flower-Pac/Gey), MG men Rickus Botha and William Kelly and Rob Clark (Containerforce Citroen Palas).

 

Sean Hepburn aced his handicap to come from 12th and a lap and a half behind, to move ahead on the last lap and take a ten-second race 2 win from Riaan Roux, Hartzenberg, Venter Bert van Aarle and Althea Pretorius after second and fifth men on the road, Dennis Mcbeath and Kola de Klerk broke out. Henk de Klerk ended seventh from von Moltke, Schafer,  Botha, Rob van Aarle, Michelle Smith, Richard Tudor-Owen after Clark, Beens Jr, and Kelly also broke out.

 

So overall winner and Pre-80 title leader Sean Hepburn beat 2019 Charlies SuperSpar HRSA Pursuit champion Hartzenberg, Roux, von Moltke and de Klerk to Trophy honours on the day, while third man overall Frans Venter beat Henk de Klerk, Richard Tudor-Owen, Bert van Aarle and Brad Schafer to Fine Cars class glory.

 

The Historic Racing South Africa lads end their season with a return to Red Star for their season finale Saturday 16 November.