Tschops Sipuka takes one for the All Power Audi team

All Power Audi/Moss Racing driver Tschops Sipuka had a hand in Simon Moss extending his lead at the top of the 2019 GTC Championships in Cape Town on Saturday.

Sipuka, who has a long history with racing and the Moss racing clan, took one for the team after he gave up his car to teammate Moss and thereby help him extend his lead to 12 points at the top of the standings.

Speaking about the gesture, Sipuka said it was something that needed to be done if the team were to continue on their quest to be top of the pile come the end of the season.

“A decision had to be made and it’s all based on the championship, so I hope that if I was in his shoes, he would have done the same for me.

“Nonetheless, when you can see the whole team’s success hinges on you, you are prepared to take a back seat and let others take the glory for the moment. We get on really well as a team, but as mentally difficult as it was to hand over the keys, I had to, for the sake of something bigger,” he said.

Earlier, the All Power Audi team looked in good nick as Moss clocked the fastest time while Sipuka was fifth fastest in the first practice on Friday. It was in practice two where things went pear-shaped for the Port Elizabeth based team as Moss suffered some gearing issues, while Sipuka’s engine failure saw his day come to a premature end as the engine would need replacing.

Returning to the track the following morning, and running on minimal sleep, the All Power Audi team were again caught off guard as Simon’s vehicle would not fire. Sipuka was the only one to make it out in time for a qualifying lap, thanks in part to his fresh power unit.

Despite furiously trying to resolve the technical issue on Simon’s vehicle, it was all in vain.

Sipuka, being the gracious sportsman he is, offered his vehicle to Simon, in a bid to save his championship aspirations, an offer he humbly accepted, despite not having a qualifying time.

Starting at the back of the grid, Moss had an excellent drive as he ended race one in third position, after some well-controlled driving by the GTC championship leader.

In between the races, technicians were still trying to locate and resolve the issue at fault on his vehicle, without any success, `

In the second race, Moss again put on a solid ride to claim victory and keeps him firmly rooted as one of the 2019 title contenders.

Meanwhile, Uitenhage based Volkswagen Motorsport continued their fine run of form as they clung onto the manufacturers' championship standings.

It was a good day out for the team as Daniel Rowe fought hard for his victory in race one, while his teammate Keegan Masters, after suffering some boost issues, slowly made his way around the 3.2km Killarney Raceway to record a finish and start race two on pole, thanks to the reverse grid.

Race two saw Rowe bow out after a misfire shortly after the start, thus preventing him from going for a second victory of the day, while his compatriot, who fought tooth and nail with Simon Moss at the front, had to settle for a second place in the end, narrowly missing out on his first overall race victory.

The next round of the GTC championships heads to Aldo Scribante Racetrack on the 14 and 15 June, where both the All Power Audi and Volkswagen Motorsport teams will be looking to put on a strong showing.

Head of Volkswagen Motorsport, Mike Rowe was very satisfied with his team’s performance. “Everyone in the team including all the technicians and race drivers showed their mettle this weekend. As a result, we got some victories and valuable championship points, and we still top the standings for manufacturers.