12 May RACE PREVIEW – POWER SERIES #3 CARs 14 MAY 2022
DAVID VS GOLIATH AT KILLARNEY’S POWER SERIES
The headline Thermo Fires Clubmans Saloons category at Round 3 of the 2022 Power Series presented by Wingfield Motors on Saturday 14 May promises a fascinating David vs Goliath battle at the front of the field as Shane du Toit’s giant-killing Skilpadvlei Wine Farm Golf MK1, which narrowly won both races last time out, faces a strong challenge from Mansoor Parker in the Armien Levy Motorsport/Jive BMW E30.
Steven Heydenrych (Auto/FAT Racing Jetta Mk3) has been promoted to Class B on the strength of two superb runs in April and could well figure on the overall leaderboard again, as will newly on-form Shane Smith in the Truckport Logistics BMW E46.
But if you’re looking for a dark horse, keep an eye on Raaziegh Harris, back with a new Panic Plumbers Golf Mk1. If it’s as quick as the old one, the panic will be among his rivals, especially Du Toit; their potential clash is already a talking point in the cybergarage!
There’s another three-way battle looming in the combined Laude Classic Cars & Bejo Trustees Fine Cars races, as rotary legend Dave Kopke and his equally notorious Mazda R100 tackle class leader Franco Donadio’s previously all-conquering Ford Escort, with Charles Arton and his indecently quick Datsun 240Z ready to pounce if either gets it wrong.
Expect Theo Claassens’ Yesterday’s Heroes Skyline and the BMW E36 of Gunther Appelgryn to make the running in the Bejo Trustees Fine Cars category – but the dark horse here is a lady: Natasha Tischendorf (Volkswagen Jetta CLi) rattled her rivals’ cages last time out on her return after a long lay-off due to injury with a well-deserved third overall and could well spring a surprise today.
Arch-rivals Jurie ‘Umpie’ Swart in the Summit Polo 6 and Marco Busi (Automan Polo) take up where they left off in the Alert Engine Parts GTi Challenge in April – but watch out for that man Raaziegh Harris in the Panic Plumbers Polo. He’s a man on a mission and if anybody can spoil the party for the Swart and Busi, it’s him.
Don’t say that to Charl Visser, however; he took two close thirds last time out in the Charl Engineering Polo and will be planning to mix it with the leaders again today. Expect fireworks.
In the absence of an entry from Marcel Angel, reigning champion Fabio Tafani must start as favourite in the V8 Masters one-make category, which welcomes a new series sponsor in Pirelli Tyres today. Nevertheless, he’ll face stern challenges from ‘crasher of note’ Sean Moore, Richard Schreuder and Carl Nel.
The extra spice in the Spitfire Furniture Sports & GT Car mixture is that the two top contenders are not only team-mates but one of them, master tuner Steve Humble is also responsible for preparing both his own Harp Motorsport/Ravenol Opel Mallock Mk14B and Francis Carruthers’ Pilbeam MP84. Without Gary Kieswetter’s Advanced Packaging Technology Porsche GT3 Cup to inject some sanity into proceedings, anything could happen and probably will, the more so due to the presence of a complete unknown – Richard de Roos, in a Porsche RSR.