Summarize

SA Cross Country

SA motorsportsmen star around the world

The past South African rase weekend saw local talent in activity ion in a wide variety of racing on dirt and track, and two and four wheels across the globe, highlighted by a group of top enduro riders heading to Romania for among the hardest races of any kind. Only two of the locals were classified as finishers as Husqvarna Gold rider Matthew Green made the Romaniacs finish line 16th, while Graham Maclachlan ended up eighth among the Iron class entries.

Of the lads not to make the Romaniacs finish in the most atrocious conditions, Dwayne Kleynhans was 22nd and William Oosthuizen 25th among the Gold riders to be time barred, while hopes of a podium were dashed when SA’s 2018 overall winner Wade Young opted to stop after fracturing his foot. Warren Barwell was 59th, Achim Bergmann 61st and Jason Kozinsky 87th in Silver class after they too were time barred, as were Bronze riders Brett Prawde in 74th and Grayton Ilderton 124th.

On overseas racetracks, Darryn Binder rode to tenth in the Czech Moto3 GP, while Steven Odendaal came back from a practice crash and then an incredible save to end 22nd in Moto2 after Brad Binder crashed out of 8th. Across the Channel at the Thruxton British Superbike races, Verwey brothers Kade ended second and Luke 13th in the opening Junior Supersport race and Brent Harran rode to 12th in 600 Superstock. On four wheels, Raoul Hyman ended 23rd and 25th in the Hungarian Formula 3 races, while Saul Hack was 19th and Ewan Taylor 25th in the Budapest Porsche Supercup race.

Back at home meanwhile, Craig Jarvis and Stuart White (Ginetta-Corvette) stormed to a dominant East London BigFoot 700 Mopar SA Endurance win underlined by White's record 1 minute 15.911 lap and a 6-lap victory over GT winners, Paul Hill and Michael Stephen’s Aston Martin. Title leader Nick Adcock and Michael Jensen’s Ligier limped to third from Tony Martin and Mike Mcloughlin’s Backdraft Roadster and Dayne Angel and Jarryd Evans’ tin-top winning Honda Civic Type R.
Also in East London, Richard Schuhard stormed to North Versus South Historic 1-hour Historic and ISP Endurance victory in an upcountry Porsche 911 RSR 1-2-3-4 ahead of Richard de Roos, Richard Pott and Stefan Puschavez. Schuhardt also took double Historic Sports & GT sprint race wins while Peter Jenkins and Colin Ellison’s Chevrons shared the seconds.

Local Capri Perana duo, Darron Gudmanz and Damian Staffen diced to first and second in both Universal Healthcare Historic Saloon races, while Alec (Capri) and Matthew Gudmanz (Mazda) kept it in the family in Class B and C, where Quintin Lessing won Race 2. Locals Shane Fantham (Ford) took Class D and Quintin Bates (Mini) E, while Jozi men Sean Hepburn (Datsun) did the Class F double and Jan Jacobs (Alfa) and Harm Beens Sr. (Escort) shared the Class G wins. EL driver Quintin Bates’ Mini took the first Charlies Superspar Pursuit race before Jozi visitor Kola de Klerk (Nissan 300ZX) won race 2.

Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings (Toyota Hilux) won the SA Cross Country Bronkhorstspruit 400 ahead of Hilux privateers Chris Visser and Danie Stassen, Shameer Variawa and Juan Möhr (Toyota Hilux) and Ernest Robert and Henry Köhne on debut in Red-Lined Motorsport’s latest specification Nissan. Lance Woolridge and Ward Huxtable took Class T for Ford ahead of Gary Bertholdt and Geoff Minnitt (Hilux), David Huddy and Gerhard Schutte (Nissan) won Class S, Clint Gibson and Alaric Smith (Stryker) Specials and Wickus Haasbroek and Jurg Smith (Can-Am) Side-by Sides.

And over at Red Star, Thomas Falkiner beat Mackie Adlem to the first Lotus Challenge win before Falkiner did the double over Johan Nel, but Sean Hewitt beat Jeff Gable and Wesley Maxwell to the endurance race win. Willie Erasmus defeated Jagger and Justin Robertson to the opening Legends win before Jason Loosemoore beat Jagger and Erasmus to race 2 and Erasmus turned the tables on Loosemoore and Justin Robertson in the final. On 2 wheels, Kawasaki duo Sifiso Themba and Ian Thomas beat Lloyd Magill (Honda) to both Bridgestone Challenge wins, while Deon van Vuuren (Mazda) took the classic car win as Datsun trio Brendon Parker and Travis Jensen shared the seconds and Ian Kilburn took both thirds.