TWO WINS FOR GROENEWALD IN HIS NEW CHEV LUMINA IN WESBANK V8 RACING
26 November 2007
 


by
Roger McCleery

2007 WesBank V8 Champion, Hennie Groenewald (SP Racing /Timken Chev), gave his 2008 Chev Lumina two wins in its first two debut races at Kyalami on Saturday that ended the year’s racing. 

In Race 1, Groenewald went to the front from pole position, where he stayed to the end, to serve notice that Chev power and a Lumina will be needed to win WesBank V8 racing next year.   His team-mate in the Timken team and rookie of the year, Robert Briggs, in his Jaguar was just two seconds behind with 2005 champion, Grant van Schalkwyk (Hi-Q Jaguar) 3rd .   Then came Jimmy Auby (Masana Petroleum Jag) just behind him.    Joining those was Willie Hepburn (Motorsport Logistics Corvette), Richard Pinard (Team Permatex Timken Jaguar), Gordon Connolly (Dezzi/Cowan Signs Jaguar), Jade Gutzeit (Dezzi/Trysome Mustang), Franco di Matteo (Deltec Batteries Jaguar) and Deon Auby (Jonnesway Tools Lumina), and Wade van Zummeren (Teazers Mustang) had a hard fought battle that was resolved in that order. 

Zane Pearce (Hi-Q Jaguar) on another comeback race, beached his car, which brought out the safety car for a couple of laps. 

Race 2 went the way of Groenewald and Briggs as far as 1st and 2nd place was concerned, coming as they did from 5th and 6th position on the inverted starting grid.   Terry Wilford (Fuchs Titan Mustang) led from pole position with Willie Hepburn thereabouts.   Van Schalkwyk lost a wheel on lap 3 and retired to leave Jimmy Auby in a safe 3rd, ahead of Mackie Adlem (Kyalami Fuchs Titan Mustang.) 

Clare Vale in the ex-Franz Pretorius Mustang, had a great debut on a rain lashed Kyalami, grabbing 16th spot in the first race and 14th in the second with some excellent lap times.   

RESULTS

Race 1
 

  1. Groenewald    2. Briggs    3. van Schalkwyk    4. Auby    5. Pinard.

Race 2

1.   Groenewald    2. Briggs.   3. Auby    4. Adlem   5. Hepburn   6.    J. Correia (Omega Motorspares Corvette)