Adverse weather did not distract at Saturday’s Inland Historic Championship

Adverse weather did little to distract competitors at Saturday’s Inland Historic Championship event around the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria. Enthusiasts who braved the conditions were well rewarded with spectacular dicing, some brilliant driving performances and various unexpected winners.

Topping the show were two races for Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-1966 Production Cars.

Their official qualifying session was held in pouring rain, and weather master Hennie Groenewald proceeded to plant his Kameeldoring Ford Escort RS2000 on pole position, in front of 11 V8-engined cars.

In race one, held in the dry, he was caught by three of the vastly more powerful cars, and then forced to retire two laps from the end due to electronic maladies. The race went to Seef Fourie Junior (Ford Cougar), ahead of old-timer Ben Morgenrood (Morgenrood Ford Mustang), James Temple (Lindenberg Capri Perana), Mark du Toit (Ford Fairlane) and Warren Lombard (Chev Camaro).

Fourie, Morgenrood and Temple filled the podium again in race two, with a mighty drive yielding fourth overall for Groenewald in the little Escort. Warren Lombard (Chev Camaro) and Jonathan Needham (Ford Fairlane took the fifth and sixth places respectively.

Mark du Toit (Lola T70) won the first Pre-2000 Prototypes race from Lee Thompson (Opel Astra V8), Andre’ van der Merwe (Evapco Porsche RSR) and Seef Fourie (Chev CanAm).

Thompson won the next time out, followed by Du Toit, James Temple (Lindenberg Ford Daytona Coupe) and Seef Fourie Junior (Little Chevvie).

The opening Silvercup 2,0 heat went to Marius Jacobs (AAA Recovery Opel Tigra), leading home Marius du Plessis (Forklift Spares Nissan Primera), Paul van Niekerk (Dub Developments Golf Mk1) and Faudo Sidique (Honda Civic).

Du Plessis won race two from Sidique, Van Niekerk and Tony Szabo (Honda Civic).

Andre’ van der Merwe (Evapco Porsche RSR) took the first Evapco HRSA race ahead of Andre’ ten Napel (TNMC VW Scirocco), Clive Wilmot (Kameeldoring Ford Escort RS2000) and Johan Gouws (Keller Williams Scirocco).

Race two, in the wet, saw Gouws win ahead of Ten Napel, Wilmot and John McLachlan (Hamilton’s Datsun 1200GX).

Jonathan Needham (Cortina Perana) won the first Marlboro Crane Hire Under Two-litre race from Djurk Venter (Lindenberg Ford Escort), Marc Miller (RentMySolar Alfa Giulia) Francesco Lombardi (Alfa Giulia) and Roger Houston (Alfa Romeo Giulia).

Race two went to Needham, Lombardi, Deon Schwabsky (Vexalab Ford Escort) and Ben van der Westhuizen (Toyota Celica). Behind them Nicolas Christofides (Alfa GT Junior) took the Little Giants category ahead of Kyle Brink (Mini Cooper), Robbie Frank (Lotus 23B) and Ishmael Baloyi (Dart Alfa).

Brink won the second heat ahead of Christofides, Baloyi and Donavan Meier (DTM Mini Clubman).

Glenton Rebello (ATS2000 Birken 7), took the opening Clubmans race from Rodney Kruis (Real Pro Honda Ballade) Wayne Lebotschy (Shield Golf Mk1) and Tjaart Visser (Race Technique Golf Mk1).

Rebello won race two as well, again followed by Kruis, Dirk Lawrence (JDM Tuning Honda Ballade) and Lebotschy.

Nick Hodgson (Singular Systems Locost) won the first Lotus Challenge race ahead of David Jermy (Blue Bubbles Taylon), JP Nortje (N4 Autocraft Birkin) and Sean Hewitt (Birkin).

Jermy won race two, followed by Hewitt, Jeff Gable (Blue Bubbles Birkin) and Josef Kotze (Top Products Birkin).

Race three went to Nortje, leading home Jermy, Hewitt and Gable.

The incredibly rapid Namib Biltong KTM Formula M of JM Gerber took the opening Monoposto race from Adrian Morrow (Chaplins Eye Formula M), Louis van der Merwe (Liabri Swift 92) and Damien Archer (McNeil Plastics Ray).

Driving superbly in the wet, Gerber won race two as well, followed by Archer, Jannie Geyser (Vision FVee) and Hylton Morrow (Chaplins Eye Formula M).

The first Historic Single Seater race went to Ryan Budd (Budlite Ford Ray), leading home Paul Richardson (Aztek Dulon), Alan Kernick (Tempest FF) and Des Hillary (Dulon FF).

Budd and Richardson took the first two places again in race two, with Hillary and Kernick swapping third and fourth positions, respectively.

The first Liqui Moly INEX Legends race went to Gavin Botha (Pta Noord Toyota Legend), followed by Sebastian Venkov (Legend), Devin Robertson (Big Boss Auto Legend) and Cyril Jacobs Junior (Auto Perfect Legend).

Botha won race two as well, ahead of Robertson, Cyril Jacobs (Auto Perfect Legend) and Christiaan Padayachee (Midas Gem Legend).

Robertson took his turn as winner in race three, followed by Jacobs Junior, Riccardo Tebbut (Legend) and Padayachee.

The next event at the Zwartkops Raceway will be the Zwartkops 200 endurance race for 111 Sports and Saloon Cars on Saturday, 17 May.

Andre’ de Kock

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