24 August 2024 – Historic / Inland Championship
Legends put up a Grand Show
The big V8’s Production cars of yesteryear – 60 years ago provided motor racing at its best. There are no vintage cars lapping Zwartkops at 72 seconds some breaking the circuit. They are close and are raced by professional racers. You can review the live stream on YouTube to appreciate how Ben Morgenrood in his Mustang, Seef Fourie in the blue Mustang Coupe, Mark du Toit in the Fairlane and his brother Jonathan in the Chev Nova raced side by side, bumper to bumper but somehow never touched and bumped. These big powered cars with limited suspension modifications, compromised brakes, and zero technology, are an unbelievable achievement. It has provided some great motor racing over the past weekend at Zwartkops. The slightly slower Class B cars such as Paige Lindenberg in her Ford Fairlane were pushed by Allen Meyer in the 1957 Chev Bel-Air (Black Widow) and the incredibly fast Volvo 225 driven by Allan Poulter. Paige won but it was no easy win. Close motor racing as it should be.
The under 2 litres (U2) had Marc Miller’s Alfa Romeo Giulia fighting off Carel Pienaar’s Lotus Cortina. Heat one was won by Marc, and heat two was won by Carel. Jonathan Needham won the Trans-Am Class D from Deon Schwabsky.
LITTLE Giants
We may have called them Little Giants but they are racers with big hearts. Kyle Brink won overall in his Mini Cooper, and Ed Botes won Class C in his Mini Cooper but unfortunately other than Terrence Botes (3rd in Class A) were not so fortunate. Carlos Afonso and Donovan Meyer Mini’s both broke their cranks in the same place! Ben van der Westhuizen and Ishmael Baloyi both in GSM Darts of the same era came very close to “rubbing” in turn 2. This is something you do not do in historic racing.
Ben van der Westhuizen won Ishmael Baloyi was second after losing his clutch. It was really good to see Nicolas Christofides in his very beautiful Alfa Romeo GT Junior. It’s a wonderful car. Not to leave out John Ten Doeschate, who came 2nd in Class A in yet another Dart.
International Sports Prototypes Pre 1974/90 (ISP) and Pre 70 Le Mans Sports and GT
Larry Wilford’s green Lola T70 broke a driveshaft in practice but never gave up. Larry fixed the car for the second heat of the day, where he won after Hennie Groenewald’s Chev Camaro’s engine exploded on the second lap of heat two. It was very sad after Carel Pienaar had spent a fortune on the brand-new engine. This relegated the Sports and GTs to the end of the day’s racing program. Despite these setbacks, these racers were spectacular and there was good racing. Jonathan du Toit’s in the Chevron B8, Mark du Toit’s Lola T70 ice creams special, and Marc Miller in the ISP Daytona.
In the Le Mans Sports and GT class it was Warren Lombard’s Cobra which was won from Seef Fourie JNR also in a Cobra and mixed up with Allen Meyer in the black Chevron with James Temple in close attendance. Wonderful to have Djurk Venter return and win in his Shelby Daytona Coupe. These are all magnificent cars.
Next Event
1. 4 & 5 October 2024 The Top of the Hill – Hill Climb
2. 2 November 2024 – Season Final and prototype to Passion for Speed
See you at Zwartkops!
PETER DU TOIT
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