First “trip down memory lane” race this April drew a capacity crowd and delivered top-class racing.
Nostalgia ruled in many shapes, speeds and sizes at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, when the venue hosted a round of this year’s Historic Inland Championship.
A huge entry in 12 disciplines entertained a large crowd in sunny conditions the entire day, to remind all why they love this crazy sport in the first place.
Top billing belonged to the Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-1966 Production Car category, where vereran Ben Morgenrood took his venerable Morgenrood Ford Mustang to a smooth victory in the opening race.
He was chased to the line by Seef Fourie Junior (TAR Ford Mustang), Jonathan du Toit (Chev Nova), Mark du Toit (Ford Fairlane) and Paige Lindenberg (Lindenberg Ford Fairlane).
Morgenrood won race two as well, this time followed by Jonathan du Toit, Fourie, Mark du Toit and Paige Lindenberg.
The best drive of the day belonged to Hennie Groenewald, who took his Kameeldoring Chev Camaro to victory in the first race for Pre-1974 Sports Racing Prototypes.
He finished narrowly ahead of Jonathan du Toit (TAR Chevron B8), Mark du Toit (Lola T70), Warren Lombard (Pepboys Ford Cobra) and Marc Miller (Daytona Coupe).
Groenewald also set the day’s overall quickest lap time on one minute, 4,28 seconds.
His brilliant charge was ended early in heat two, when the Camaro’s engine blew up in a spectacular ball of smoke, causing the race to be red-flagged.
Meanwhile, both Mark du Toit’s Lola and Jonathan du Toit’s Chevron succumbed to technical maladies.
After the restart at the end of the day, Larry Wilford, who did not start race one led from start to finish with his Fuchs Lola T70, leading home Warren Lombard (Pepboys Ford Cobra), Seef Fourie (Ford Cobra), Allen Meyer (Chevron B8) and Marc Miller (Daytona Coupe).
Pieter (Zeelie Auditors Speads) won the first On Track Clubmans race ahead of Ishmael Peck (Nations Lotus 7), Adriaan le Roux (Mercury Engineering Caterham 7), Dirk Lawrence (JDM Tuning Honda Ballade) and Johan van Heerden (JVH Performance Golf).
Zeelie led race two until the final lap when his car’s engine cut out. That left Le Roux to win from Peck, Lawrence and Rodney Kruis (Real Pro Auto Ballade).
Nicky Dicks (Curvent Porsche 993) won the opening Evapco HRSA race from Andre’ van der Merwe (Evapco Porsche RSR), Hennie Groenewald (Kameeldoring Ford Escort), Stuart Konig (Northern Bolt VW Scirocco) and Andre’ ten Napel (TNMC Medical VW Scirocco).
Dicks dropped out of race two, leaving Van der Merwe to win ahead of Groenewald, Stuart Konig, Jonathan Konig (Northern Bolt Scirocco) and Nigel Townshend (Ford Escort).
Marius Jacobs (AAA Recovery Tigra Nissan Turbo) won both the SPS Silvercup 2.0 races, followed on both occasions by Giulio Airaga (Desco Electronic Tigra Mazda) and Karel Stols (Rotrix Mazda 7 Turbo).
The first Historic Single Seater race was won by Paul Gerber (Rosso Sport Ray), ahead of Patrick Dunseith (Merlyn Formula Ford) and Paul Richardson Dulon Formula Ford).
Gerber won race two as well, this time ahead of Ben van der Westhuizen (Pioneer Plastics Royale) and Richardson.
Renzo Ribeiro (Metal Used Formula GTI) and JM Gerber Namib Biltong Formula M) swapped the first and second places in their respective two Formula Libre heats, with Louis van der Merwe (Liabri-Qtees Formula GTI) third on both occasions.
Rudi Barnard (Barneys Taylon) won the opening Lotus Challenge race from JP Nortje (N4 Autocraft Birkin) and David Jermy (Taylon).
Race two went to Jermy, ahead of Barnard and Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Tylon).
Richard van Heerde (Browndecks Legend) won the first Liqui Moly Inex Legend race from Jayden Goosen Pta Noord Legen d) and Gavin Botha (Pta Noord Legend).
Van Heerde won race two as well, this time followed by Goosen and Torben Roos (Kabuki Legend).
Meredith Willis (Ford Escort) won the first HRSA Pursuit race ahead of Josef Kotze (Porsche RSR) and Wynand du Plessis (Porsche 944).
Next race
The next event at the Zwartkops Raceway will be a round of the Regional Extreme Festival on Saturday, 14 September.
ALSO READ: Inland Historic tour brings the past back properly at Zwartkops
