Lying 2^nd overall and with sponsorship now sorted out in the Hi-Q Team, van Schalkwyk would love nothing better than to win in his old hometown.   Having missed four races and two meetings, he comes back to find not only Groenewald as his main competitor, but a span of other youngsters with their eyes on taking him on.   They are now lying just six points behind him in the championship. 

With reigning champ and 2007 championship leader, Hennie Groenewald (Timken SP Racing Jaguar) failing to win any of the last four races held at Killarney and Zwartkops, the youngsters Robert Briggs (Timken Jag) in his debut year in WesBank racing, and Mackie Adlem (Kyalami Fuchs Titan Mustang), still the fastest man to lap a South African circuit, are waiting to pounce again and take the chequered flag first.   So there is major competition at the front of this field. 

Former South African single seater GTI champion, Gordon Connelly (Dezzi/Cowan Signs Jaguar), is also on the brink of a deserved win, particularly in the second race, when the starting grid is reversed.   Connelly has done amazing things on a comparatively low budget, compared to some of the big teams. 

There are four family teams in WesBank V8 racing.   First is the Gutzeit pair with Roof of Africa Motorcycle winner, Jade (Trysome/Dezzi Jaguar) the son, also in line to win a race, and his father Des (in a similar car) who is starting to score points in his first year of WesBank V8’s. 

The next is the Auby trio – father and two sons.   Father Deon will pedal his son Jimmy’s Tyco/Jonnesway Jaguar whilst his son is away racing for the Lebanese A1 Grand Prix Team around the world.   Elder brother Marc, who has also been away at the A1 Grand Prix testing in England, will be back in the line-up in his Masana Petroleum Jaguar and holding on to his points for the day. 

Two brothers Jaco, the elder, and Danie Correia, fly the flag for Welkom in the Omega Motor Spares Corvettes.   Now recovered from a series of heavy crashes, either with other cars or taking each other out, they will return to be a force to be reckoned with. 

Another family team sharing their Fuchs Titan Mustang this year are Larry Wilford and his son, Terry, who won the WesBank GT2 Championship last year.   Larry will compete this time, on a circuit in which his Mustang excels. 

Richard Pinard (Team Permatex Jaguar) is one of three drivers to have finished every race so far this season (the others are Hennie Groenewald and Gordon Connelly.)   He is always high up in the results at the finish.

Willie Hepburn (Motorsport Logistics Corvette) at 65, with a strong 3^rd spot at Zwartkops, shows he can still compete with the best.   Franco di Matteo (Deltec Batteries Jaguar) also a veteran, did not finish at Zwartkops but chalked up a 2^nd spot earlier in the year at Kyalami.    

Zane Pearce (Hi-Q Jaguar), the man behind the Hi-Q Team, can still improve on his position despite not finishing in seven of the fourteen races.   Steve Smith (Cool Cat Carriers Jaguar) on his day can live near the front of the field and loves this coastal circuit. 

Making a come-back after a ten-month lay-off is East London’s impressive youngster, Wade van Zummeren, who races for his father’s Border Towing Company.   Now competing in the ex Gary Formato Mustang with Ford power - a more modern car than his previous Chevrolet Camaro - Wade could spring a few surprises. 

Johnny Eekhout (Johnspeed Cobra Astra) has one of the best looking cars in the field and means to be in P.E. as well.