03 Jun RACE PREVIEW – POWER SERIES #4 CARs 4JUNE 2022
EXPECT MIDWINTER MAYHEM AT JUNE POWER SERIES
Round 4 of the 2022 Power Series presented by Wingfield Motors at Killarney on Saturday 4 June promises a full day of midwinter mayhem, made even more unpredictable by the Cape’s notoriously fickle winter weather.
Raaziegh Harris is back with his Panic Plumbers Golf Mk1 for the Thermo Fires Clubmans Saloons, ready to sow panic among the drivers of bigger-engined and supposedly faster cars such as Charl Visser’s Nissan 350Z, on-form Shane Smith in the Truckport Logistics BMW E46 and oval track veteran Jesse Huggett in the Philwest/Rico Barlow Racing Jetta Cli.
They’ll face a determined challenge, however, from the likes of Achmat Achmat (Beta Machine & Tools BMW 1 Series), Alex Johnson’s Executive Decisions A4, Mansoor Parker in the very rapid Armien Levy Motorsport BMW E30 and Ederees Achmat (EA Performance BMW E36). Nevertheless, if anyone can spring a surprise on the day, it’s Class B runner Willem Swart in the WFS Motors Jetta CLi, who too a surprise third at the previous round.
In the absence of an entry from Marco Busi, Jurie ‘Umpie’ Swart in the Summit Polo 6 can be expected to set the pace in the Alert Engine Parts GTi Challenge races – but don’t say that to Colin Meder Jr. He’ll take it as an opportunity to show that he and the International Tube Technology Polo can run with the Big Dogs, as will Dillon Joubert (Powder Coating World/TAC Steel/Euroblitz Polo 6), while Class B hotshots Tate Bishop (Angri Racing Jetta) and Ian Kapp (Hydracor Polo 6) are likely to join in the chase as well.
Expect another hot chase in the combined Laude Classic Cars & Bejo Trustees Fine Cars races as class leader Franco Donadio’s Ford Escort fends off determined challenges from Michael Hitchcock (CrossCape Forklift Services Mustang), Charles Arton (Datsun 240Z) and Eric van der Merwe’s Lynx Porsche 944T.
Theo Claassen will be trying to dominate the Bejo Trustees Fine Cars ‘race within a race’ as before in the Yesterday’s Heroes Skyline, but Robert Toscano is back in the Technoparts MX5 to keep him honest, with Rodney Green’s Piri Piri MGB and Natasha Tischendorf’s Volkswagen Jetta CLi also in the mix.
Reigning champion Fabio Tafani comes to the line as favourite for the Pirelli V8 Masters races, but he’ll face stiff competition from local hero Marcel Angel, as well as on-form Sean Moore, Mark Ridgway and regular visitor from Gauteng Rui Campos.
Byron Mitchell (Dolphin Engineering Formula VW) and Dee-Jay Booysen (Dico Racing/Burner Factory Reynard) are literally in a class of their own in the Formula Libre single-seater field, lapping a near-Superbike speeds, but the real cut-and-thrust racing is in the Formula Vee midfield, with eight closely matched drivers in near-identical cars jostling for the same piece of tarmac.
A more gentlemanly affair, however, will be the fifth running of the Ons Huisie 100 for the Spitfire Furniture Sports & GT category over 31 laps immediately before the lunch break. This features the fastest circuit racing car in South Africa – Craig Jarvis’ Ginetta G57, which holds the ultimate lap record at every circuit where it has ever competed, including this one.
A lot can happen in 31 laps, however, as Class A leaders Steve Humble (Opel Mallock Mk14B) and Harp Motorsport team-mate Francis Carruthers (Pilbeam MP84) cross swords with Gary Kieswetter in the Advance Packaging Technology Porsche GT3 Cup, and Nick Adcock’s Aidcall 247/Rico Barlow Racing Ligier JS 53 Evo 2, with Mike Verrier (RBRacing/Aidcall 247 Shelby Canam) keeping a watching brief in case any of the leaders makes a mistake