The penultimate round of the 2012 Pro Tour Road Show held at the Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria on Saturday 13 October will definitely go down in the Goldwagen Challenge history books. Two new champions were crowned and the remaining three titles still to be claimed are now closer than ever heading into the final event of the season due to be held in November.
Race 1
Class B
Pole man Rory Atkinson (Flight Hand Cleaner / Falcon Trailers Polo) got the better of championship rival Darren Nathan (Sex Trader Polo) off the line and streaked away into the lead at the start.
Atkinson was in a class of his own all weekend...
As the leading duo broke away at the front, Ryan Tholet (Prend Properties Polo GTI), Iain Stevenson (Comsol Polo) and Tyrell Govindsamy (Petroplast Golf 1) were left to fight it out for the minor positions. Elna Croeser (Guilio Sabbatini Auto Stylists Golf 1) was on a charge as she picked off Govidsamy through turn four on the third lap and then passed Stevenson through turn eight four laps later. Unfortunately her efforts would count for nothing when mechanical gremlins forced her to retire to the infield exiting turn four two laps later. Atkinson romped home to victory ahead of Nathan with Tholet holding the rest of the field at bay to secure third position.
Class D
James Hurley (H&R / Koni Golf 1) was back on form to claim a convincing pole position ahead of young Lyle Ramsay (Drift Performance Products Golf 1). Ramsay got the hole shot at the start to take the lead. A fantastic cat and mouse battle then ensued with Ramsay, Hurley and Devon Piazza Musso (Restonic SA Golf 1) all leading the race at some point during the next eleven laps! It was Ramsay who eventually broke away towards the end of the race to take a hard fought victory for his new sponsors. Hurley crossed the line behind the youngster with Piazza Musso having to settle for third.
The battle for the lead in Class D could not have been closer...
Class A
Derick Smalberger (ABT Digital TV / Sabertek Polo Classic) surprised all to claim pole position ahead of Waldie Meintjes (Performance Masters / Marty’s Panelbeaters Polo). It was Meintjes who took the lead at the start however leaving the rest of the field to jostle for position. A rather robust altercation between Keagan Blanckensee (Venditor / Pogir Group Golf 4) and Barry Groenewald (ABT Digital TV Polo Classic) through turn four on the opening lap saw the youngster retire to the pits with a broken engine mounting. Groenewald would rejoin at the back of the field however. Carlos Nobre (Digit Polo Hatch) was also on a charge as he scythed his way through the field from the back of the grid. He slipped into third position by the end of the first lap! With the first lap fiasco spreading the field early on, Meintjes romped home to a comfortable victory, with Nobre beating Smalberger to the line to claim an impressive second position.
Pole man Smalberger was in good form…
Class C
Andre Needham (Ultra Vision Golf 1) led the field through turn one from pole position. Wouter Roos (Performance Laboratories Polo Classic) was hot on his heels with the husband and wife pairing of Henry (Mr Batman Golf 2) and Elke van Vledder (Mrs Batman Golf 1) in tow. The battle behind them was just as close with no less than five cars all fighting for the same piece of tarmac. Roos was driving like a man possessed and applied the pressure to Needham throughout the race. Needham held on for a narrow victory ahead of a determined Roos. Henry was made to work just as hard as he was chased all the way to the line by his determined wife to claim a hard fought third position.
Needham was placed under big pressure by Roos...
Race 2
Class B
Atkinson picked up where he left off in the first race to blast off into an immediate lead ahead of Nathan through the first turn. Stevenson then clashed with Tholet and Govindsamy behind the leaders, putting a premature end to all three of their races before the second corner! After the safety car period to clear the carnage it was Atkinson who once again shot off into the lead.
Croeser recovered from mechanical woes to claim third overall...
Nathan’s challenge came to an end on the seventh lap when the water pump on his car failed, forcing him into immediate retirement. Atkinson once again cruised home to another easy victory ahead of Croeser, while her team mate Stuart Mack (Guilio Sabbatini Auto Stylists Golf 1) crossed the line to take a well deserved third position.
Class D
Hurley took the lead at the start with Jacques Smith (PRD / Key 360 / SSG Consulting Golf 1) catching everyone else asleep off the line as he slotted into second position. Hurley then repeated the feat at the restart of the race two laps later as well. Ramsay slotted into second position behind the leader with Piazza Musso relegating Smith to fourth shortly thereafter. Hurley took the chequered flag for an easy win with Ramsay charging hard to claim second. Piazza Musso would have to settle for another respectable third position.
Hurley’s results saw him finally clinch the 2012 Goldwagen Challenge Class D crown – an incredible achievement considering that it is only his second season of competitive motorsport!
A star is born – 2012 Class D Champion - Hurley
Class A
Meintjes had another faultless start to lead the field through the first corner. Nobre maintained second position with Smalberger and guest driver Jason Finney (Flight Hand Cleaner / Sabertek Golf 1) in tow. Jody Robertson (Guilio Sabbatini Auto Stylists Polo) was also having a good run from the back of the field as he claimed fourth position from Finney on the sixth lap. Meintjes didn’t have it all his own way this time around and was kept honest by Nobre throughout the race. But he held on to take another well deserved victory ahead of the experienced veteran. Smalberger was only just able to hold a hard charging Robertson at bay to claim third position.
Meintjes’ brace of wins saw him clinch the 2012 Goldwagen Challenge Class A title - a worthy victor indeed!
Meintjes drove with calculated precision to claim top honours in Class A...
Class C
Disaster struck for Henry van Vledder before the second race even began. His steering wheel broke off in his hands, forcing him to retire the car to the pits!
Needham had no such problems as he got off to another faultless start when the lights went off. Roos slotted into second position behind him with Elke van Vledder ahead of the rest of the field in third. A determined Roos once again set out after the race leader. Giles Darroch (Bulldog Racing Golf 1) also had a good start from sixth position on the grid and slotted in behind van Vledder. Once again Needham was forced to work up a sweat as he had to vigorously defend the lead throughout the fifteen lap race to hold onto a narrow victory ahead of an unrelenting Roos. Mrs Batman was made to work just as hard as Darroch applied the pressure in the closing stages of the race. She kept a cool head however and held on for a well deserved third position.
Elke van Vledder picked up some more silverware for the Bat Cave…
Report by: Greg Reilly
Pictures courtesy of: Steve Wicks
NORBRAKE