| A full field of South Africa's fastest and most powerful
racing cars will be out today for the final two races of the 2000
WesBank V8 championship at AA Kyalami. With both class
championships decided after round 18 in Cape Town last month, the
pressure is off the two champions going into these final rounds 19
and 20. Today's meeting also sees the final appearance on the
circuit of one of the staunchest supporters of the WesBank formula
over the years - Andy Dickson, who will hang up his racing gloves
after a racing career spanning almost 35 years. Andy, a proud
grandfather of 5 grandchildren, started racing in 1966 in a Ford
Anglia. He is not lost to racing, however, as he hopes to devote
his time and expertise to SAMCAR next year.
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Veteran Sarel van der Merwe (Sasol Super 100 Mustang), who
last won a championship title in 1994, took the GTi title over 500
hp cars despite strong challenges throughout the season from Ben
Morgenrood (Hillbank Mustang) and Gary Formato (Pennzoil Mustang).
Formato missed a few events while racing in the Sports Car World
championship overseas. In Class GT2 for 400 hp cars, Roelf du
Plessis in the Speedy Calibra defended the title he won last year
successfully with seven wins and six second places.
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Morgenrood, who retired from both races in Cape Town, needs some
luck today if he is to prevent Formato from taking over his second
place on the points table. Formato is just 38 points behind. An
on-form Larry Wilford (Fuchs Titan Mustang), who survived a horrific
fire after a high speed crash in Cape Town, is also able to move ahead
of Formato. So there is tension amongst some of the front-runners.
There are two GT1 drivers who have nothing to lose after a late
start to the season and don't care a hoot about the plans for the
leaders. Riaan Botma (Hydro Seal Camaro) is out to repeat the historic
win he gave the Fords last time out at AA Kyalami in July, and looks
good for a repeat victory, and Tony Scott (Africa Truck and Plant
Sales Mustang) is already on the pace of the leaders after just a few
meetings in his well-prepared Ford.
Terry Wilford (Investment Cars Mustang) is following in the
footsteps of his father, Larry, and will be seen in a very fast GT1
car today.
The GT2 class of 5,7-litre V8 Chevs and Fords has had five
different winners this season and there is always a close fight to the
finish. Champion du Plessis starts as a favourite, of course, but is
always engaged in a dogfight with either second-placed man Derek van
Blerk (Sabat Mustang), Willie Hepburn (Comaro) or Martin van Zummeren
(Border Towing Astra). Another serious competitor, Jurgen zu Bentheim
(Novel Ford Mondeo), unfortunately has retired at this late stage due
to family presssures.
Lying third on the GT2 points is Joe dos Santos (Easi-HR Calibra),
who has got there on pure consistency and always finishing in the
points. Just 2 points behind him is fourth-placed driver Franco di
Matteo (PF Hydraulics MX6 Ford), whose sixth spot in Cape Town got him
within striking distance of dos Santos.
Pierre de Waal (Easi-HR Comaro) is the dark horse after a brilliant
second place in Cape Town that justified all the work he has put into
making his new, good-looking Chev Comaro really go.
Andy Dickson (Telstar), who retires from racing after today's
meeting, and Rob Fulton (Valenti Gear and Diff Telstar) form part
of the Ford challenge while Mackie Adlem (Calibra) and Ian Young (Astra)
complete the line-up.
Next year the WesBank V8 formula will race in a single class in the
interest of increasing the entertainment of this, South Africa's
fastest cicuit racing formula, and also to make it easier for the
spectators to follow. To give race fans a taste of things to come in
2001, the "new-look" WesBank formula will perform for the first time
at the international race meeting to be held at AA Kyalami at the end
of November. |
