Feast of high-octane action revs up racing fanatics

Port Elizabeth’s racing fanatics were treated to a feast of high-octane action as an East London visiting party added spice to the usual local attraction at the fifth round EP regional championship meeting on Saturday.

Bryn High made his intentions clear by putting his Audi S5 between Scribante brothers, – pole man Aldo and Silvio up front in qualifying – while Quinsley Sale’s Nissan 350Z topped Class B ahead of Gordon Nolan’s Polo Turbo and the returning Ian Riddle (BMW).

East London’s Dean Ball took the Class C pole in his BMW ahead of PE driver Marais Ellis’ BMW and Julian Herman (Polo).

Class D saw EL racer Richard Clark put one over local hero Stephan Aucamp’s BMW, while PE’s Daniel Bright beat visiting racer Bevan Choudree’s Polo and another local man Wickus Basson to the Class E pole.

Motorcycle convert Zante Otto (Polo) made a sensational entry into class F after securing pole position over Theo Scholtz (Polo) and East London Marais trio Jeandre, Cherne and Melandre.

Aldo claimed the opening race win over High and Duncan Lethbridge (Audi TT) while Riddle diced Sale en route to Class B honours. Anthony Bridgett took a narrow Class C win over Johan Nel and Marais Ellis, all of them driving BMWs ahead of Border’s Bevan Choudree ending fourth.

Aucamp held Clark off to take Class D and, in Class E, Bright beat Basson, Jeandre Marais (Lotus 7) and Cameron Hall as Scholtz took Class F from Cherne Marais (Golf) and Otto.

Nel beat Ellis and Bridgett to Class C honours as Aucamp held Clark off again in Class D.

Bright beat Basson and Derik Gouws to Class E and Charne beat Otto and Melandre Marais (Monza) to an all-girl Class F podium.

The remaining Class A cars failed early in the final race to see Sale drive his Nissan home to take the race win and the day ahead of Nolan and Ball.

Nel took Class C from Bridgett and Ellis, while Aucamp took Class D spoils.

Gouws took the final Class E win from overall winner Basson, Choudree and Jeandre Marais after Bright hit trouble.

Otto took Class F for a debut overall class win over Scholtz and Riaan van Huysteen (Golf), although Melandre Marais took third for the day.

In Sports & GT action, Gordon Nicholson drove his Nissan GT-R to all three race wins ahead of Border visitor Gary Marais (Nardini), Kean Barnard (Lotus 7) and Border Marais quartet Troy (Nardini), Cherne, Melandre and Jeandre, all three driving Lotus 7s.

Barnard beat Gary, Cherne, Jeandre and Melandre in race 2, with the same result in the final race and overall standings.

Shaun Rudolph took the opening AMSC Coastal Challenge & Historic race win in his Ford Escort ahead of Darryn Vice (Ford Anglia), Rane Berry and Joel Steenekamp (Opel Kadett).

Race 2 saw a repeat of the same top two, this time ahead of Steenekamp, Gordon Bennett and Mark Schulpfort (Alfa Romeo).

Vice took the final from Berry, Bennett and Larry Davies (Kadett), with Vice taking overall honours from Rudolph and Bennett.

On two wheels, Jaco Scholtz (Suzuki 650) beat Ivor Vermaak (Yamaha R6) and historics rider Johan Anker (Yamaha) to Race 1 honours.

Unlimited rider Roberto Jonker (BMW) took Race 2 from Vermaak and Scholtz, before claiming the final race ahead of Elliott and Burrows.

Vermaak took the overall honours from Scholtz and Van der Berg.

The Street & Fine Car handicap races saw Corne Botes (Ballade) take the opening race from Tertius Wium (BMW) and Tom Hugo (350Z) before Rob Venter (Conquest) took Race 2 from Hugo and Botes.

Botes then did the double in the final ahead of Wium, Venter and Hugo, to win from Wium and Hugo.