EXCITING END TO 2011 BRIDGESTONE PRODUCTION CAR SEASON
The Bridgestone Production Car championship titles went down to the wire at Round 9 of the WesBank Super Series held at Zwartkops Raceway on 26 November. In the end however, Michael Stephen was in top form and claimed the Class A title in his Engen Xtreme Team Audi S4, whilst Gary Formato took Class T honours in his BP / Castrol Ford Focus ST.
Afrox BMW 335i drivers, Anthony Taylor and Melvill Priest, were split by just one tenth of a second as they locked out the front row of the grid. Behind them, Stephen was all business as he pursued his first Bridgestone Production Car title. Richard Pinard (Sasol Subaru WRX STI) looked impressive in fourth place, whilst three hundredths separated Tschops Sipuka (Engen Xtreme Team Audi S4) and Hennie Groenewald (Sasol Subaru WRX STI) on the third row. Johan Fourie (IndyOil Audi S4) had a torrid qualifying session down in seventh place.
Graeme Nathan (IndyOil VW GTI) pipped Michael van Rooyen (Williams Hunt Opel Astra OPC) for pole position, while Reghard Roets (IndyOil VW GTI) and Gennaro Bonafede (Ferodo VW GTI) made it an all Volkswagen second row. Formato appeared to be struggling down in fifth place, sharing row three with Heinz Bose in the Mazda 3 MPS. Iain Pepper (BP / Castrol Ford Focus ST) and Jacques Joubert (CarKing VW GTI) qualified seventh and eighth respectively, with Shaun Duminy (BP / Castrol Ford Focus ST) having to start at the back of the grid following a driving infringement at the previous round of the championship.
It was all lights, camera and action in the first race, with Groenewald making an early move on Sipuka. Priest took the race lead as Taylor slowed and pitted. The race settled down and seemed to have been decided, but Stephen had other ideas when three laps from the end, he passed Priest for the lead. That same lap, Sipuka made a move on Groenewald for third place. Stephen went on to take the race win from Sipuka and Groenewald. Pinard took fourth, after Priest and Fourie both slowed on the penultimate lap, limping home in fifth and sixth respectively.
The Class T action was just as robust, with Formato making short work of passing Bonafede, further ahead, Nathan and van Rooyen were swapping paint for the lead. A lap later, van Rooyen fell into the clutches of Roets and the result saw the Opel go flying off the circuit and narrowly missing Bose’s stricken Mazda which was parked on the side of the track on the warm-up lap. Van Rooyen retired from the remainder of the event with a broken radiator. By lap four, Formato was lying second with a huge tussle developing between Roets, Duminy and Bonafede for third. Bonafede retired on the penultimate lap with a broken engine. Nathan took the race win from Formato and Roets. Duminy was fourth, ahead of Pepper and Joubert.
The top four finishers in each class were inverted for the race two grid, with the exception of Duminy who had to start from the back of Class T.
Stephen was a man on a mission, making up three positions in three laps to take the race lead away from Pinard. Taylor worked his way up to second place before retiring with technical maladies. Stephen took another win, with Pinard having a great race for second. Groenewald took third, ahead of the ailing BMW of Priest. Fourie finished fifth, limping home with an overheating engine and Sipuka retired on lap two with technical maladies.
Fans held their breath when Formato and Roets entered turn one side by side. Formato took the lead and went on to take the race win. Roets gave his position to Nathan, before falling into the clutches of Duminy. After two laps of intense action, the position eventually went to Roets. Joubert crossed the line in fifth.
Roets was later excluded from the race one and two results for a driving standards infringement.
Race three got underway after some much needed repair work.
Priest managed to keep newly crowned champion, Stephen, at bay to lead the field from lights to flag. Taylor got the better of Groenewald to take third, whilst Fourie and Sipuka both seemed to be battling technical issues down in fifth and sixth. Pinard finished a lap down after pitting with a puncture.
Formato lead the entire Class T race, claiming the title in the process. Duminy took second, driving hard to keep Bonafede (who was driving Roets’ GTI) behind him. Pepper took fourth, ahead of Bose and Nathan. Joubert didn’t start the race.
The final race of the season got underway after the top four finishers were inverted.
Groenewald took an early lead, but immediately came under attack from Taylor. Two laps later, Taylor slowed, before eventually retiring from the race. Stephen looked happy to settle for second, but on the penultimate lap, Groenewald slowed, losing two positions. Stephen took the win from Priest and Groenewald. Sipuka was the final driver to take the flag after Pinard retired on the last lap and Fourie on the first.
The final Class T race was an all Ford affair with Duminy and Formato finishing first and second. Bonafede ensured it wasn’t an all Ford podium, taking third place away from Pepper. Nathan crossed the line fifth.
After a season long battle, Stephen clinched the Class A championship from Fourie and Groenewald. Priest secured fourth ahead of Taylor.
Formato took the Class T crown ahead of Nathan, with Bonafede finishing marginally ahead of Duminy. Van Rooyen took fifth.
Ends
Issude by Vaughn Williams, on behlaf of Bridgestone Production Cars, 082 899 5100, vaughn@productioncars.co.za
