08 Dec RACE PREVIEW – HISTORY COMES ALIVE AT THE CAPE MOTORSPORT FESTIVAL

HISTORY COMES ALIVE AT THE CAPE MOTORSPORT FESTIVAL

With more than 70 entries in four iconic categories, nearly all of them built before 1986, history really does come alive at the 2021 Cape Motorsport Festival presented by the City of Cape Town and G+A Motorsport. Many of these cars are over 50 years old and not a few are older than their drivers but the racing is as fast and furious (to borrow a phrase from younger motorsport fans!) as any of the more recent categories.

To many, the most relatable category is the Classic & Fine Cars, with so many entries that the field has been split into two divisions based on their lap times.

Group A includes the big bangers, led by motorsport legend Willie Hepburn in the iconic V8 Opel Rekord that fans still talk about more than thirty years later, Colin Ellison’s gynormous Ford Fairlane V8, Erik Moutons Cheve de Ville, the Chev CanAm of Rudolf de Vos and the Mustangs of Oliver Broome and Ferdi Mouton.

They’ll face the old-school autocrats of Killarney – Franco Donadio and his Ford Escort Mk1, Trevor Momberg’s V6 Capri and Eric van der Merwe’s Lynx Porsche 944 Turbo – in two races that promise big action all the way, the first on Friday afternoon and the second on Saturday morning,.

The cars in Group B may not be as fast, but they are more evenly matched and the racing is likely to be even closer, with Theo Claassen (Nissan GTX) and Stephen Manuel (Nissan Skyline) setting the pace. Keeping them honest will be Ryan Sanders’ Lambert Racing Jetta and the Autozone Fox of Hilton Africa.

The Laude Sports & GT category welcomes a number of distinguished visitors, among them Gregory, Lord Thornton in a Scuderia Ellison Chevron B19, Josh Broome in his Mustang and Rudolf de Vos’ CanAm – but the man to watch is still Harp Motorsport’s Steve Humble and his 45-year-old Opel-powered Mallock MK14B. In addition, there’s eye candy for classic-spotters in the shape of a Chevron B8 and a Ford GT40 in the hands of James Beaumont. The same applies to the Formula Libre category, where Byron Mitchell and the Dolphin Engineering Formula VW Forza are literally in a class of their own – but the action will, as usual, be in the midfield. Nevertheless, you won’t be    able to miss Gavin McLellan’s beautiful Lola T86 50 – it may not be the fastest car in the field but nothing else can touch it for sheer presence and spine-tingling soundtrack.