Zwartkops ready for action-packed 24th Passion For Speed
The Zwartkops International World Of Motoring will play host to the start of the 2025 South African circuit racing calendar this coming weekend (31 January – 1 February) with the first event of the double-header 24th Passion For Speed.
After a two-month summer break, competitors are as eager to return to the starting line as Gauteng’s motorsport enthusiasts are to see them battle it out. A host of series will compete at both events on the tour, of which the second will be held at Red Star Raceway next weekend (7 – 8 February).
The 45-minute SA Tourist Trophy celebrates the golden age of Sports and GT Racing and the classic races like the Le Mans 24 Hour, Sebring 12 Hour, and Kyalami 9 Hour that formed part of it. This era was cut short by the 1973 oil crisis, which hit the world and quadrupled oil prices.
Several previous winners are on the entry list for the race, during which competitors must complete a three-minute pit stop. Warren Lombard (Pepboys Automotive Cobra) and Jonathan and Mark du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Ford GT40) have all stood on top of the winner’s rostrum but won’t have things their own way in their quest for another victory.
Last year, Josh and Jake Dovey had to settle for second place in their Ginetta G4R behind the du Toit brothers and will be looking to make the step up to the top of the podium this year. They will compete with James Temple (Lindenberg Racing Daytona Coupe), Seef Fourie in a similar Trans Africa Racing Daytona, and Peter Bailey (Bailey Cars Ford GT40). The Kameeldoring Motorsport Chev Camaro, piloted by Carel Pienaar and Hennie Groenewald, can never be discounted.
Slightly newer but still with a fascinating history, a selection of original cars that contested South Africa’s national saloon car championships will also be on the grid. Kosie Swanepoel will be at the wheel of the Toyota Celica driven by his father and Garth Le Reservee in the 1974/75 Springbok Series. Chris Davison and Stuart Mack will share the driving duties in Davison’s Opel Superboss with Jason Campos at the wheel of a BMW 328i.
The Pre’66/68 Little Giants feature several cars that are of uniquely South African origin amongst the Alfas, Minis, Fords and at least one Volvo. Vic Campher will be at the wheel of the Tom Campher Volvo Cars Johannesburg Volvo P1800, with Terrence Botes and Kyle Brink just two of the many Mini drivers that will be out on track. Nikita Nell and Elke van Vledder will form part of the Alfa contingent. Chad Ten Doeschate and Ismael Baloyi will be in GSM Darts with John Ten Doeschate in a GSM Flamingo.
In the U2 class, Marc Miller (RentMySolar Alfa Giulia) will be looking to outperform Roger Houston and Francesco Lombardi in their similar cars.
Picking a winner in the Legends of the 9 Hour Pre ’74 ISP and Trans-Am field is almost impossible. Larry Wilford (FUCHS Lubricants Lolo T70), Neil Lobb (Lola T70), Mark du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Lola T70), Hennie Groenewald (Kameeldoring Motorsport Chev Camaro) and Michiel Campagne in the monster McLaren M8F all have the horsepower to pull away from the pack on the straights. Still, more nimble cars will be quicker through the twisty bits.
Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Chevron B8), Colin Ellison (Spanjaard Chevron B19), Rui Campos (Shelby Can-Am) and Antonie Marx (Tiga-Mazda Rotary) will all be trying to stop the big bangers from running away at the front.
Italian visitor Nicky Pasterelli (NGK Pablo Clark Racing Ford Galaxie) will be looking to lead the way in the ZA class of the pre ’66 Production Cars races. He will have to hold off a full field of V8 machinery if he wants to take the winner’s trophy back to Italy. Another international visitor, Jaap van der Ende from the Netherlands, will be in a Chev Camaro, with Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Chev Nova), Mark du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Ford Fairlane), Colin Ellison (Spanjaard Ford Thunderbolt) Ben Morgenrood (Ben Morgenrood Ford Mustang) and Jonathan Needham (Needham Racing Ford Mustang) all likely to be close to the front of the field. Hennie Groenewald will try to prevent a V8 win with his Kameeldoring Motorsport Escort RS2000.
In the ZB class, Lindenberg Racing is well represented. Paige Lindenberg will be at the wheel of her Ford Fairlane, Djurk Venter will take to the track in his Escort, and James Temple will be in the Ford Capri Perana. Joining them in the fight for class honours will be Alan Poulter (Tom Campher Volvo Cars JHB Volvo 122s), Carel Pienaar (Kameeldoring Motorsport Lotus Cortina) and Dutch visitor Harmen van Putten (Ford Mustang Shelby).
Ian Schofield (Investchem March 77B) should lead the way in the Historic Single Seaters. His closest rival is likely to be Josh Dovey in his Chevron B20 F3. Behind the leading duo, the Class B fight will feature Andrew Horne (Royale RP31), late entry Dean Venter (Talon), and Paul Gerber (Rosso Sport Auto Ray 83). Ben van der Westhuizen (Pioneer Plastics Royale RP21) will likely head the Class C field.
Air-cooled Formula Vee cars made their first South African appearance 60 years ago. A couple of unique historic vehicles will be out on track at Zwartkops. Michael Kernick will drive the oldest Formula Vee, which is still running competitively in the country. His Capital Mk1 had its first outing in 1965. In 1973, Judy Witter became the first woman to win a national single-seater championship in South Africa. The car she won that championship in will be driven by Paige Lindenberg this weekend. This is the first time a woman has driven the vehicle competitively since Witter secured her championship.
Colin Clay (Lotus 23) should have the beating of the rest of the field in Class E for single-seater sports cars, while the 1946 MG, the oldest car on track, will be driven by Rodney Green in Class F.
With a field of over 60 cars, the HRSA Racing series has been split into two. Classes A to E will run in one race. There, 2024 Class B champion Andre van der Merwe (Evapco Porsche 911 RSR) should be the man to beat. However, Hennie Groenewald (Kameeldoring Motorsport Lotus Cortina) could mount a serious challenge for overall victory. Behind them, George Avvakoumides (Euro Shop Equipment Porsche 911 RSR), Andre ten Napel (TNMC Medical Devices VW Sirocco), Oliver Broome (East Coast Classics Chev SS), and Phillip Pantazis (Datson 260Z) should be fighting it out for Class C honours.
Jono Konig (Northern Bolt & Tool VW Sirocco) secured the 2024 Class D championship. He will want to get the defence of his title off to the best possible start but will have to overcome the Datsuns of Gavin Lunden (The Lube Guys 1200GX) and Travis Jensen in a similar Hamilton’s supported car. Sean Hepburn (The AA Datsun 1200GX) is hard to beat in Class E, but Michael Lundin (The Lube Guys Datsun 1200GX) and Grant Cremer (Datsun 1200GX) will be doing their best to do precisely that.
Classes F, G and H will combine with the Pursuit Challenge for their races. Ian Odendaal (AIM Precision Engineering Ford Escort), Craig Harris (Audiobility Datsun 1200GX) and George Esselein (VW Sirocco) are likely to be close to the head of the Class F filed based on their 2024 performances, but over a dozen other competitors will be looking for the class win. Mike Bishop (Gasoline Denim Co Renault Gordini) wants to take another Class G crown, while Hendrik van Zyl (Evoke Realty Ford Anglia) should take Class H honours.
The Pursuit Challenge, run on a handicap basis, will feature Wynand du Plessis Snr (DBM Architects Porsche 944), Stewart McLarty (Ford Escort XR3), Gerrit Murray (Alfa Romeo GTV), and Hedley Whitehead (Mini Clubman GTS) amongst others.
Also joining the programme for the Zwartkops International World Of Motoring event will be two series that form part of the Extreme Festival’s regional roster.
The first of these is the BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series. Now in its sixth consecutive year of being invited to join the programme. The series that regularly saw the biggest number of entrants since 2022 will also see the addition of a sixth class in the 2025 season and with that new Breakout Times.
Leon Loubser (Monaco Motors BMW E92 335i) will look to make it three consecutive Class A titles, but the 2025 season opener will see him having to fend off Bob Neill (Delmon mining BMW M3 E92 Turbo). Renier Smith (Fast Development BMW E36 M3 Turbo), the defending Class B and Series champion, will compete against regular rivals Andreas Meier (CEC BMW E36 STC) and Nek Makris (BMW E46 335i). Reinhardt Miller (Amtec Racing Fuels BMW E36 325i Turbo), who won Class C in 2024, will face fierce competition from, amongst others, Rob Gearing (BMW E30 335iS), who took the honours at last year’s Passion For Speed outing, and Gary Martins (Grease Monkey Motor Garage BMW F87 M2 50d), who moves back from Class B.
The packed programme will commence at 08:00 with the day’s first races.
Classes D, E, and the new Class F will compete separately. The adjusted Breakout Times resulted in a host of changes to the line-up. Frontrunners should include George Economides (Wealth Avenue BMW E36 330i). Troy Cochran (Arrow Automotive BMW E36 M3) is one of the Class C drivers who will line up in Class D. So too have the likes of Claudio Jardim (Mixbox Automotive BMW E36 330i) and Eddie Rodrigues (EDDIE7RACING BMW E46 330i) dropped back to Class E. A host of newcomers will also join the ranks at the event, including Karabo Malemela).
The DOE Formula Vee Partnered With CIM Lubricants Series, will make its first Passion For Speed Appearance. 2025 is a landmark year for South Africa’s longest-running circuit-racing series, marking 60 years of Formula Vee racing in South Africa. This single-seater series has produced a host of South African champions who also went on to conquer other series.
Some drivers will share drives in the two races this weekend. Trevor Carmody, from the United States of America, will partner with Theodore Vermaak in his DOE Quality Parts Forza.Well-known competitors Lee Thompson and Kyle Lawrence will also partner with Vaugn Hills (Mangaza Racing VMAX) and Helder Gouveia (Hidro Clean Maxima), respectively. Tjaden Tromp (Pretoria Noord Toyota Forza), who in 2024 became the youngest driver in the series, will be one of the young drivers to look out for.
Like previous editions, the event will again aim to provide maximum entertainment for all spectators. A highlight will be the demonstration run of the two former Formula 1 cars, the Minardi M189 and Jordan 192. Spectators who purchase their tickets online will also be in contention to become passengers around the circuit in the Mercedes-Benz AMG Ultimate Hotlap Challenge.
Weekend tickets for the Zwartkops International World Of Motoring Passion For Speed can be purchased ahead of the event from Computicket. When buying online, tickets are available at R220 per adult and R140 per student. Tickets will also be available at the entrance gate at R230 and R150 for adults and students, respectively. Friday-only tickets can also be purchased at the entrance gate at R130 per adult and R120 per student.
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