The Wesbank V8 Supercars visited
the Phakisa Freeway in Welkom on Saturday, and as expected,
delivered two exciting races that kept a large crowd
entertained. In heat 1 championship leader Hennie Groenewald
(Timken Holden) led home the Auby trio of sons Mark (ELT
International Jag) Brandon (Masana Petroleum Jag) and father
Deon who drove the Jonnesway Holden this time. Robert Briggs
(Timken Jag) slid down the order when running behing
Groenewald, because of a faulty gearbox and finished eighth.
Willie Hepburn (MLS Corvette) was fifth, ahead of Richard
Pinard. .
Whereas heat 1 was a high speed orderly affair, heat 2
started under the customary partially reversed grid, and the
field couldn't get past turn 1 without incident. A mid pack
coming together between a few cars resulted in a mass pile
up, putting Willie Hepburn and newcomer Bjorn Roos out on
the spot, and leaving the track blocked, which inevitably
brought out the red flag. After a break of some minutes,
while the walking wounded returned to the pits, among them
Jaco Correia (Liqui Molly Corvette) Marc Auby and Richard
Pinard (Timken Jag) whose car was patched up on the grid,
the field got away again with Darren Gudmanz (Crazy J's
Corvette) leading the way, and Groenewald having to make his
way from mid pack. Team mate Robert Briggs' wretched luck
continued when he spun into retirement at the hairpin, while
Jaco Correia slammed hard into Roelf du Plessis' Venter
Motors Holden after a misunderstanding coming onto the pit
straight, putting both out on the spot. Richard Pinnard
meanwhile had put himself into contention, after a good dice
with Larry Wilford (Fuchs Titan Mustang) whom he passed for
the lead, with Groenewald chasing them
both at a rate of knots. After the current champion
had also passed Wilford it looked like the inevitable would
follow, but Pinard held on for the win, with Wilford third
and Danie Correia fourth. The next round of Wesbank V8
Supercars takes place at Zwartkops on the 6th of September
Results Heat 1 1 H.Groenewald 1:35.828 2 M Auby
1:36.307 3 B.Auby 1:36.930 4 D.Auby 1:37.565 5 W.Hepburn
1:37.274
Results Heat 2 1 R.Pinard 1:38.706 2 H.Groenewald
1:38.277 3 L.Wilford 1:39.447 4 D.Correia 1:39.891 |
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