Moss wasted little time as he cleared off up front when the first race started. He was followed by Michael van Rooyen's Toyota, with Robert Wolk, Keagan Masters, Johan Fourie, Daniel Rowe, Daniel Duminy and GTC debutant Tschops Sipuka in close attendance.
Wolk soon found a way past van Rooyen. Further back, Duminy stopped before rejoining and Sipuka retired as Masters reeled van Rooyen in for second.
The Volkswagen duly caught and passed the Toyota, leaving van Rooyen exposed to Rowe and Fourie, who also found a way past on a component shedding fourth lap.
That left Masters chasing Wolk down for second, a feat he achieved with three laps to go, before Rowe also caught the BMW to make it a Volkswagen 2-3 behind the flying Moss, with Wolk fourth ahead of Fourie, who somehow managed to stay in that position throughout the race Duminy joined Sipuka in retirement on lap 8.
The reverse-grid second race was entertaining as always as young Duminy led away and kept it there for a lap before being passed by Van Rooyen’s Toyota, Duminy’s BMW later ground to a halt to let Wolk up to second for a couple of laps
Moss enjoyed a demon second lap after starting at the back and passed Wolk for second by lap four as Rowe and Masters’ Volkswagens followed the Audi up through the field.
Fourie had slipped back in the early laps, but consolidated and was soon harrying Wolk, but all eyes were on the race up front as the flying Moss Audi hauled Van Rooyen in to move ahead on lap eight and take the double win and end a perfect start to the 2019 Global Touring Car season.
Moss beat van Rooyen by 1.3 seconds in the end with Rowe, Masters and Fourie some way behind but well ahead of the struggling Wolk and Sipuka.
Terry said: “From here, we can only build and we will be doing more testing, giving Tschops a lot more seat time, which he deserves, we going to rally around him, give him the confidence like we did when he won the championships previously and I am very excited for what the future holds,”
Simon Moss off to dream start in Sasol GTC Championship
Day of misery on return to track for debutante Tschops Sipuka
Image: Facebook/Terry Moss Racing/Audi Team
“One of the best performances in a Global Touring Championships car” was how Terry Moss described watching his son, Simon’s races as he started the Terry Moss Audi Racing team’s 2019 season with an overall victory at the Dezzi Raceway on Saturday.
Moss was in blistering form as he claimed double race wins to ensure the overall winner of the day, thanks to some expert driving on the Dezzi track in KwaZulu Natal amid some early morning showers.
Being in the top bracket of drivers in the practice sessions, Moss qualified at the front of the grid for race one, giving excited fans a taste of what was to come in the two races that followed.
“It was always going to be conservative approach from Tschops, however, Simon took the bit between his teeth, being the fastest in the practice sessions, qualifying and taking pole position for race one,” Terry said.
Moss wasted little time as he cleared off up front when the first race started. He was followed by Michael van Rooyen's Toyota, with Robert Wolk, Keagan Masters, Johan Fourie, Daniel Rowe, Daniel Duminy and GTC debutant Tschops Sipuka in close attendance.
Wolk soon found a way past van Rooyen. Further back, Duminy stopped before rejoining and Sipuka retired as Masters reeled van Rooyen in for second.
The Volkswagen duly caught and passed the Toyota, leaving van Rooyen exposed to Rowe and Fourie, who also found a way past on a component shedding fourth lap.
That left Masters chasing Wolk down for second, a feat he achieved with three laps to go, before Rowe also caught the BMW to make it a Volkswagen 2-3 behind the flying Moss, with Wolk fourth ahead of Fourie, who somehow managed to stay in that position throughout the race Duminy joined Sipuka in retirement on lap 8.
The reverse-grid second race was entertaining as always as young Duminy led away and kept it there for a lap before being passed by Van Rooyen’s Toyota, Duminy’s BMW later ground to a halt to let Wolk up to second for a couple of laps
Moss enjoyed a demon second lap after starting at the back and passed Wolk for second by lap four as Rowe and Masters’ Volkswagens followed the Audi up through the field.
Fourie had slipped back in the early laps, but consolidated and was soon harrying Wolk, but all eyes were on the race up front as the flying Moss Audi hauled Van Rooyen in to move ahead on lap eight and take the double win and end a perfect start to the 2019 Global Touring Car season.
Moss beat van Rooyen by 1.3 seconds in the end with Rowe, Masters and Fourie some way behind but well ahead of the struggling Wolk and Sipuka.
Terry said: “From here, we can only build and we will be doing more testing, giving Tschops a lot more seat time, which he deserves, we going to rally around him, give him the confidence like we did when he won the championships previously and I am very excited for what the future holds,”
Meanwhile, Volkswagen Motorsport’s Masters and Rowe finished second and third overall and ensured the team scooped the manufacturer's award at the opening round of the Extreme Festival.
"Between all our drivers, we've laid the perfect foundation for the rest of the season. Going forward, the aim will be to win as many races as possible and ultimately to win both the manufacturers as well as driver's titles. We certainly have the crew, car and drivers to do just that," said Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport. - Additional reporting by Motorsport Media
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