by
Roger McCleery

Thunder will be heard over Port Elizabeth on Saturday (7^th March) when a big field of 6 litre WesBank V8 Super Cars line up for Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2009 WesBank Super Series South African Championship at the Aldo Scribante Circuit. 

Going for his 4^th WesBank title in a row will be record breaking and multiple South African Motor Racing Champion, Hennie Groenewald (Team Timken Holden).   Whether racing off a normal starting grid in the first race, or at the  back of the reversed grid they use for the race 2, Groenewald has shown that with 14 wins in 20 races in 2008, he is able to win from anywhere. 

Able to match Groenewald’s pace are the two Auby brothers. Marc (Jonnesway Tools Jaguar), 2^nd overall in the championship last year, and his 16-year-old brother and driving sensation, Brandon (Masana Petroleum Jaguar) who suffered a few gearbox problems but still won on the trickiest circuit of all at Zwartkops last season.  Father Deon (Meta Forge Holden) makes it 3 Auby’s in the line-up.  No mean peddler himself he watches his boys from just behind them. 

Another motor racing family are the two brothers Jaco and Danie Correia from Welkom in their Omega Motor Spares Corvettes.   In a brand new SP Racing big muscle Corvette is elder boet Jaco, whilst Danie takes over the Corvette that Jaco raced last year.   If they find the form that ended their 2008 season, they are both in for a successful year.

Youngsters who follow the tradition of South African competitors that can handle big powerful cars with 450 kW are former champion Terry Wilford (Fuchs Titan Mustang), the son of veteran WesBank V8 racer and now Chairman of the V8’s, Larry Wilford, and Wade van Zummeren (Border Towing Mustang) from East London who is an impressive driver with no respect for the other more established competitors. 

Also from East London – a city that has produced some rare motor racing talent – comes the returning Darren Gudmanz (Crazy J’s Corvette) in a car looked after by the retired Willy Hepburn.   He has not lost the message of racing as opposed to driving fast. 

RIchard Pinard (Team Timken Jaguar) who only started motor racing in 2001 in VW Polo cars, has already posted two wins since switching to WesBank V8 racing.   He did this in 2008 and could easily increase these wins in Port Elizabeth where he had his first big victory. 

Franco di Matteo (Optima Batteries Jaguar) specialises in big capacity V8 engine cars, and has pulled in some good results in National and Regional racing.    He is hoping for a better season than last year when he picked up four DNF’s (Did Not Finish). 

Some experienced WesBank V8 veterans who are returning are drivers like former champion, Roelf du Plessis (RJ Panel Beaters Lumina), Johnny Eekhout (Johnspeed Cobra Corvette), an oval track champion of note in the 90’s.    In his  29^th year of motor sport, he is hoping to do the entire WesBank season in his new Chevy. 

Des Gutzeit (Dezzi/Trysome Mustang), father of Roof of Africa motorcycle winner, Jade, has taken to V8 racing over the last year with a vengeance. 

Claire Vale (Gatorback/ Ram Mustang), the only lady driver to attempt racing a 6-litre V8 engine, has surprised everybody with her speed and skill and has won a load of points.   She hopes to increase this score in leaps and bounds in 2009. 

Steve Smith (Cool Catz Racing Jaguar), out of racing for two years, is hoping to be in the line-up, as is Neil Harmse (African Builders Omega) from Oval Track Racing and Randfontein – a town that has produced many top racing drivers. 

The drivers can’t wait to get back onto a racing circuit after the 3½ month closed season to provide once again the fastest saloon car racing in South Africa.