Large crowd and brilliant on-track spectacle typified the 25th Passion for Speed
A large crowd and brilliant on-track spectacle typified the 25th Passion for Speed events at the Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, to kick off this year’s South African circuit racing activities on a high note.
Top billing for the historic car day comprised two ten-lap heats for Legends of the 9-Hour Pre-1970 Production Cars. The opening race produced a huge dice between Seef Fourie Junior (Ford Cougar) and Ben Morgenrood (Morgenrood Ford Mustang), with Fourie half a second ahead at the end. They were followed by Paulo Cavalieri (Pablo Clark Ford Galaxie), Mark du Toit (TAR Ford Fairlane) and Jonathan du Toit (TAR Chev Nova).
Race two was red-flagged after one lap when the Spanjaard Ford Thunderbolt of Colin Ellison ran wide in the back straight, skidded over the interior grass at some 170 km/h and slammed into the rubber and steel infield barriers. The car was reduced to scrap metal, but Allison scrambled out with just minor bruising.
After the restart Morgenrood and Seef Junior resumed their battle until, with two laps left, Fourie’s car spun on its tortured rubber. Morgenrood went on to win, ahead of Cavalieri, Mark du Toit, Jonathan du Toit and Kosie Swanepoel (Chev Bell Air Widowmaker).
The day’s quickest races came from the Pre-74 Sports Prototype Cars, with Rui Campos (Shelby CanAm Chev V8) posting a lap time of 64,11 seconds en route to a narrow victory over Larry Wilford (Fuchs Lola T70), and Mark du Toit (Lola T70). Campos pulled out all the stops and won the next race by a comfortable margin, with Wilford second, just two-tenths of a second ahead of Du Toit.
Officially, the day’s main event was a 45-minute Legends of the 9-Hour endurance race for Pre-1968 Sports and GT Cars. There was heartbreak for the pole sitter, Swede Kennet Persson, when his McLaren 5B stuttered to a halt on the warmup lap with a broken fuel pump.
Unable to make the race start, he became a reluctant spectator. The heat saw cars and drivers suffering, with eight retirements from the 26 starters. Warren Lombard won overall in his Pepboys Automotive Ford Cobra, finishing 3,7 seconds ahead of Marc Miller (Ford Daytona Coupe).
Jason Campos (BMW), John/Chad ten Doeschate (Marauder Mk3) and James Temple (Lindenberg Ford Daytona Coupe) filled out the rest of the top five places.
The first race for Pre-1968 Little Giants went to Zimbabwean Denzil Bhana (Ford Anglia), leading home Alan Poulter (Tom Campher Volvo 122) and Marc Miller (Alfa Giulietta).
The three drivers duplicated the results in their second heat.
The opening Legends Pre-66 Classic GT race went to Damian Hammond (Lamborghini Gallardo), leading home Mark du Toit (TAR Ford GT1) and Wayne Roach (Lamborghini Gallardo).
Du Toit won race two, ahead of Roach and Hammond.
The first race for BMW///Performance Parts Turbo Cars was red-flagged when the BMW E30 340i Turbo of Ethan Coetzee caught fire and stopped next to the track. At the time Kashen Naicker (Megastar BMW M3 GT Turbo) led, ahead of Anton Pommersheim (Eagle Granite BMW E46 M3 Turbo) and Leon Loubser (Monaco Motors BMW M3 Turbo).
Pommersheim won the next time out, joined on the podium by Naicker and Loubser.
Andre’ van Vuuren (Curvent BMW E36 M3) won the first BMW///Performance Parts race for naturally aspirated cars from Bernard de Gouveia (De Gouveia Accountants BMW BMW E46 M3) and Richard Gerntholtz (NexRep Fitness BMW E30 M3).
Race two went to Olerato Sekuda (RamPage BMW E36 M3), followed by Bernard de Gouveia and Troy Cochran (Tyremark Boksburg BMW E36 M3).
The first Evapco HRSA heat for cars in Classes A, B, C, D and E was won by Keegan Campos (Porsche 911 RSR), just beating the flame-spouting Black and Gold Solutions Mazda R100 Rotary of Werner Kotze and the Evapco Porsche 911 RSR of Andre’ van der Merwe.
After Kotze suffered brake problems, race two went to Rudolf de Vos in his Chev CanAm, leading home Mohsin Mia (Porsche 996 GTI) and George Avvakoumides (Euro Shop Equipment Porshe 911 RSR).
The opening Legends Pre 66 Classic GT race went to Damian Hammond (Lamborghini Gallardo), leading home Mark du Toit (TAR Ford GT1) and Wayne Roach (Lamborghini Gallardo). Du Toit won race two, ahead of Roach and Hammond.
Both the Evapco HRSA races for cars in Classes F, G and H went to Dave Leyshon (VW Scirocco), followed by Keegan Ward (Driver Safety Alfa GT Junior) and Ian Richard (My Gatsak Datsu 1200 GX).
Ryan Ludik (WH Auctioneers Titan Mk5) won the first SA Historic Single Seater race from Des Hillary (Aztek Procurement Dulon MP158) and Steve Venter (Van Diemen FF). Race two went to Josh Dovey (Chevron B20), ahead of Ryan Ludik and Paul Richardson (Dulon LD9).
The second round of the 2025 Passion for Speed will be held at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas this Saturday.
Andre’ de Kock
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