Pretoria – This weekend sees Clare go to the Zwartkops circuit near Pretoria looking to change the season’s fortunes around. This season has seen Clare post quicker times at every circuit she’s been to but bad luck has wreaked havoc in her races and she hasn’t seen the results she deserves. This weekend she hopes to improve once more and push her Gatorback RAM Mustang up the grid and achieve that elusive podium finish.

Clare will be joined trackside by the cast of the forthcoming “Susanna van Biljon” movie that will be premiering later this month. Actors present will include Leandie du Randt, Werner Coetser, David Rees, Adrian Alper and Eagan Williamson.

Clare Vale on the Zwartkops race, “Although we’ve made huge progress with improving our car this year, this progress hasn’t been reflected in our points. More than our share of bad luck resulting in non-finishes has left us near the bottom of the current points standings. The Gatorback RAM team is determined to turn things around and will be going all out to get a good result at Zwartkops!”

The WesBank V8 Supercars travel to “ The Big Z” on the 11th of September for the SASOL Race Day, Round 6 of this year’s WesBank Super Series.

After dominating the last round at Phakisa with pole position and two race wins, Brandon Auby (ELT International/SKF Bearings  Jaguar) enjoys a comfortable 29 point lead in the Super GT Class.  Jaco Correia (Liqui Moly Corvette) lies second on the table, but the Welkom star is still feeling the after effects of his horrific crash in Heat 2 of Round 5, and has entered the Zwartkops round pending medical permission.   Deon Auby (ELT International/SKF Bearings Jaguar) lies third on the Championship table, a single point behind Jaco,  and after two solid and trouble free third places in the Free State, looks set to slot in behind Brandon in the title race, with just four rounds to go.

Franco di Matteo (Varta Batteries Jaguar) also has designs on improving his position in the Championship, and should be a front runner at Zwartkops.  Jaco’s younger brother Danie Correia (Liqui Moly Corvette) will hope to thwart their efforts, as he tries to protect his sibling’s position during his return to full fitness.  After his first win at Kyalami in May, and a strong showing in front of his home crowd at the last round, Danie will fancy his chances at the tight and twisty Pretoria West venue.

Ben Morgenrood (Ben Morgenrood Auto Jaguar) showed he has lost none of his aggression and ability by leading throughout Heat 2 at Phakisa, until the safety car was called out following Jaco’s crash. That allowed Brandon to close in and win the last lap sprint for the chequered flag, but the Randfontein veteran could still snatch a win before season’s end and Zwartkops might just be the place in which to do it, given the inverted grid format used for Heat 2.  East London’s Wade van Zummeren (Border Towing Mustang) is next up on the Championship leader board, and the youngster may just surprise some of the more fancied runners ahead of him.  

Clare Vale (Gatorback/Ram Mustang) will trade punches with the  rest of the pack again and may dent some egos, while Harry Mayer (Cherry Active Lumina) would no doubt like to celebrate his first full year in the WesBank V8 Supercars with a fine performance.  Terry Wilford (Fuchs Titan Mustang) has had his fair share of mechanical woes, which coupled with the odd off track excursion have accounted for his poor championship position, but his speed and pace should still make him a threat.  Rookie Vicki Kemp (Comptech/STC Jaguar) rounds off the Super GT Class field, and on her first visit to Zwartkops will keep an eye on the rest of the pack and apply her experience thus far to staying out of trouble.

In the GT Class, any one of four drivers could take the spoils at Zwartkops.  After some serious, no holds barred competition at every round thus far, Des Gutzeit ( Dezzi Heavy Equipment Mustang) tops the standings with 42 points.  Gutzeit won Heat 1 at Phakisa, but then crawled across the line in 2nd place in Heat 2 with a shredded left rear tyre.  The win in Heat 2 went to Darron Gudmanz(Indigo Boats Corvette) and the East Londoner now lies just two points behind Gutzeit in the standings.   Roelf du Plessis (RJ Panelbeaters Mustang) is third, a single point behind, but he owes his drop in the standings to a non start at Phakisa in Heat 1 and a non finish in a borrowed machine in Heat 2.  Barring any more mechanical trouble, Roelfie should be fun to watch at Zwartkops, as he tries to reclaim top spot in the title chase. The last member of this dominant quartet is Larry Wilford ( Mustang) who has led almost everywhere, but has been robbed by gremlins that have crept into the works.  Given a trouble free run, these four will have the” Big Z” faithful fans on their feet, such has been the level of competition between them. Not far behind them should be Romano Sartori ( AMC Jaguar), and Patrick Seddon (Opel Omega), the latter returning after missing the Phakisa round.  Ray Wilford (Fuchs Titan Corvette) has had a frustrating season largely because of poor reliability too, but he knows Zwartkops well, and has often shone in lower formulae there, so a good result would be a boost for the remainder of the season.  Steve Herbst (Corvette) made his return to WesBank V8 Supercars at Phakisa, following a medically enforced lay off, but should nevertheless be in the thick of the action as it unfolds ahead of him.

Johannesburg – Clare Vale announced today the official launch of her new website. www.clarevale.com will now be the official site for all official Clare Vale racing related news. The site has been under construction for a while now and the team is happy to finally have an official presence on the internet. Clare Vale has a twitter account and a Facebook group and fan page, and the Gatorback RAM team will be keeping all these sites up to date with the latest news and pictures.

Clare Vale on the website, “The team would really like to make our site as interactive as possible. Please log on and register – we’re looking forward to hearing your comments and input!”

Welkom – Saturday the 14^th of August saw the First Lady of V8’s Clare Vale travel to the Phakisa circuit. Perfect weather greeted the WesBank V8 Supercars in Welkom although conditions were extremely dusty. With such a long break since the last race at Kyalami the drivers and teams were raring to go.

Qualifying saw Clare post a time over a second quicker than she’s been at the Phakisa circuit. This saw her start the first race 10^th on the grid. After a good solid few laps unfortunate gear box issues forced Clare to pit and retire from the first race. This meant that Clare started the second race in 10^th again. The race saw Clare running very well in 7^th when a safety car came out for the big accident with Jaco Correia. The safety car stayed out until the final lap which developed into a massive sprint. With cold tyres and a dirty track Clare lost grip and ended up spinning and finishing a disappointing 10^th.

Clare on the race weekend, “Once again, the Gatorback RAM team’s dismal points haul doesn’t reflect the progress we’ve made. The Mustang’s terminal understeer has been eliminated and we’ve made many other improvements which help save the tyres during a race. Our consistent good lap times show that it won’t be long before the team’s hard work is rewarded with a great result!“

This weekend sees Clare Vale travel to the Phakisa circuit on Saturday the 14^th of August for the 5th Round of this year’s WesBank V8 Supercar Championship. After the long break in the calendar over the World Cup Clare is itching to get behind the wheel and back to competing on track in her Gatorback RAM Mustang.

After a positive start to the season Clare will be looking at the second half of the season to add points to her tally. During the break the team has taken time to work on the Mustang and this weekend promises a very competitive car. With August being Women’s Month Clare will be aiming to make it her month and her race weekend.

Monday saw Clare Vale in her capacity as the Vice President of WIM (MSA’s Women in Motorsport Panel) involved in running their annual Women’s Day Event at Zwartkops raceway near Pretoria. The object of the event was to highlight Women in Motorsport and show ladies how accessible Motorsport is for them. The highly successful event attracted hundreds women.

Clare on the upcoming Phakisa race, “With such a long break since our last race, the Gatorback RAM team has done an enormous amount of work on the car and we’re confident that we’ll have a very good car this weekend. If we can get that elusive top three finish, it will be a great way to celebrate Women’s Month!”

Port Elizabeth – A beautiful sunny and windless Port Elizabeth greeted the Gatorback RAM team over the weekend. Rain during the week meant the Mustang went out on a very green track on Friday. Results were positive although understeer began to creep in. Saturday morning saw Clare qualify 8^th on a very competitive 1.02.5 – over a second and a half quicker than she’s ever been at the Aldo Scribante circuit.

First race saw her finish 7^th with some consistent and calculated driving around the understeer problem. Her pace in the first race meant she started the second race from pole in the inverted grid. In an intense, incident filled second race, Clare managed to hold her place at the front of the pack in the initial part of the race. She showed her mettle as she made her car wide, ending 6^th as her tyres faded.

Clare on the race weekend: “Our Port Elizabeth weekend was one to remember, as we spent a full day at the Gatorback RAM factory, meeting the staff and getting to know our sponsor’s Eastern Cape team. We were happy to put on an exciting show for them on Saturday, with the Mustang starting from pole in heat 2. Although I battled with the dreaded understeer again, I kept the Mustang at the front and had great fun fending off the rest of the field for as long as possible. I have no doubt the team will soon find a solution to our handling issues, and allow me to get that elusive podium finish.”

Kyalami on June the 5th will see the 4^th Round of the Championship and with an improved car Clare will be looking to make the step up into the front end of the field.

Sponsor’s Home Race For Clare Vale

Port Elizabeth – May Day sees Clare Vale taking her Gatorback RAM Mustang to the Aldo Scribante circuit in Port Elizabeth. This race weekend holds special significance as she will be at her sponsors, Gatorback RAM’s home circuit. They have a factory in Uitenhague, and the team will be visiting the factory to meet the staff in the week before the race.

Clare has had a solid start to the year but will be looking at the Port Elizabeth race day to lift her season to the next level. She won her first WesBank V8 Supercar trophy at Aldo Scribante in 2008 and this weekend she will be aiming to add to that trophy collection.

Clare on the race in PE: “The whole team is looking forward to the PE event, and they have been working flat out to give me a really strong car. We’re excited and looking forward to meeting the Gatorback RAM staff and putting on a great show for them on Saturday.“

TIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS DEVELOPING IN WESBANK SUPER SERIES

Some tight battles and patterns for the rest of the season are starting to develop after two rounds of the WesBank Super Series.

With round three of the national series, scheduled for Phakisa on April 10, postponed until August because of track repairs, WesBank Super Series competitors have a lengthy break until the next round at Aldo Scribante on May 1. The Kyalami and Killarney rounds run so far have, however, produced some interesting championship battles and definite trends are developing that set the scene for some exciting battles over the rest of the year.

After a dodgy start to the season at Kyalami pre-season WesBank V8 Supercar favourite Brandon Auby (ELT International Jaguar) bounced back with two wins at Killarney to go the top of the Super GT Class championship table. By contrast double Kyalami winner Jaco Correia, in the Liqui Moly Corvette, had a miserable Killarney outing and the single point garnered in the Cape leaves him six points behind teenager Auby.

Auby’s father Deon, in the Elt International Holden, had a solid Cape outing and moved into third in the championship. The elder Auby is four points behind Correia and leads Franco di Matteo (Varta Batteries Jaguar) by a single point with Wade van Zummeren (Border Towing Mustang) a further three points in arrears.

In the GT Class veterans Roelf du Plessis (RJ Panelbeaters Lumina) and Des Gutzeit (Dezzi Mustang) share the championship lead with 23 points apiece. Patrick Seddon (Lumina) is second, eight points behind the leaders, with Darron Gudmanz (Indigo Boats) another point adrift.

On the Bridgestone Production Car front the Afrox BMW pair of Anthony Taylor and Melvill Priest set the pace in Class A, with a precocious young teenager upsetting the establishment in Class T. After a dominant Kyalami performance where he won two of the three heats in the new race format, Taylor was overshadowed by Priest in the Cape.

Taylor still leads the championship – but with a reduced majority. Priest is now 10 points behind Taylor with Michael Stephen, in the Xtreme Team Audi A4, and former champion Leeroy Poulter (Tubular Nissan 350Z) the closest challengers. Stephen is four points behind Priest and has a two point advantage over Poulter.

Reigning champion Johan Fourie (IndyOil Audi A4), after a disappointing Kyalami outing, forced his way into the top five with a feature race win at Killarney. He still trails Taylor by 24 points and has some work to do.

Down in Class T teenager Gennaro Bonafede (Ferodo Golf GTi) has shown scant regard for his elders and has upstaged the reigning champion and a former champion who are old sparring partners, to take a five point lead in the series. Moving up from the Engen VW Cup category Bonafede, son of former SA rally champion Vito, has been a revelation and a win first time out and consistency have seen him light a fuse under Graeme Nathan and Gary Formato.

Former champion Nathan (IndyOil) has a healthy 21 point lead over reigning champion Formato (Nando’s Ford Racing Focus) with the trio looking likely to dominate the class over the rest of the season. Fighting off two seasoned campaigners is going to be a test of character for Bonafede.

Over the years one has gotten used to close championship fights in the Engen VW Cup and the trend is continuing. Reigning champion Mathew Hodges (PGF Glass VW Polo) has a slender two point lead over Capetonian Kosie Wyers in the Xtreme Team VW Polo.

A race two win at Killarney saw Alberton teenager Devid Robertson (Ferodo VW Polo) move into third place to get his season back on track. Consistency has taken Robyn Kruger (VW Polo) into fourth place with the rose among the Engen VW Cup thorns leading Darren Nathan (SexTrader VW Polo) and Bryan Morgan (Timken VW Polo) by a single point.

A battle that looks as though it could also go to the wire has developed in the Formula VW championship with Wesleigh Orr (Bravo Holding FVW) and teenager Simon Moss (Southern/Sun/Dixon Batteries FVW) tied at the top of the table. Orr, a former Rotax Max kart world champion and Moss, son of former SA champion Terry, are experienced beyond their years and a fascinating rivalry is emerging.

Tasmin Pepper, another teenager whose father is a former SA champion, is keeping Orr and Moss honest and is 12 points behind the pair. Two other teenagers, Caleb Williams (Bravo Holdings FVW), who is the reigning Rotax Max world champion, and another karter in Chad van Beurden (FVW) also look to have tremendous potential.

Where the Interfile SA Superbike championship is concerned a veteran Capetonian with a new lease on life is leading the way. Lance Isaacs (Bikefin Honda) has taken three wins from four races to open up an 18 point lead over reigning champion Sheridan Morais on the Emtek Racing Aprilia.

Morais has taken the other win and with the Aprilia still undergoing development the champion is by no means out of the picture at this early stage. Consistency has taken Greg Gildenhuys (Autohaus Towing Honda) into third place and he is a potential race winner.

After a lengthy lay-off with a long term injury Dane Heller (Bikefin Honda) also threw his hat into the ring with two second places in Cape Town. That lifted Hellyer into fourth place in the championship ahead of team-mate Chris Leeson with both riders former SA Supersport champions.

On the Supersport front Ronan Quarmby (Interfile/Gallardo Yamaha) holds a 15 point leader over Killarney double winner Dylan Whyte on the JW Aluminium Yamaha. Quarmby was first across the line in Cape Town but was docked a place for his part in an incident that saw Jaques Peskens (Bikefin Honda) and Steven Odendaal (MS Aircon Suzuki) crash out of the race.

Dean Vos (Kawasaki), the Northern Regions champion, salvaged point on his first ever trip to the Cape to hang onto third place and trails Whyte by 10 points. Robert Portman (Emtek Racing Triumph), one of the few riders in the championship out of his teens, is in fourth place with Brent Harran (Bikefin Honda), the youngest rider in the series, rounding out the top five.

The weekend saw the WesBank V8 Supercar Series travel to the Killarney Race circuit near Table View in Cape Town. Clare Vale arrived confident about building on her solid season opener at Kyalami and the weekend started well. Clare set a time almost two seconds better than she had ever done at the circuit, good enough for 8^th on the grid. Unexpected rain just before the first heat meant that the V8s started in quite damp conditions, Clare raced consistently in tricky conditions and came in a creditable 8^th place.

Heat 2 saw a perfect Cape Town afternoon with the sun baking the track dry. Starting from 9^th Clare was running well when a back marker disregarded the Blue Flags shown to him and spun in front of her. Clare had nowhere to go and spun as well, resulting in her losing precious time and track position. Still she put in some stellar laps and finished a strong 7^th. If not for the spin Clare had an excellent chance of finishing 4^th if not on the podium.

Clare on the race weekend, “Although the end result was a little disappointing, the Gatorback RAM team made excellent progress this weekend. We made some radical changes to the car and finally eliminated the understeer that has dogged us for two seasons. As usual we had great support in the Cape and we can’t wait to return to Killarney in October.”

Looking forward to the next round of the WesBank Super Series at the Phakisa circuit in Welkom on the 10^th of April, Clare will be aiming to build on the progress made in Cape Town and push for that elusive podium finish.

Cape Town, Saturday – Local hero Lance Isaacs was the toast of the town after a stunning double triumph at round two of the WesBank Super Series at Killarney today.

The 32-year-old Capetonian won both heats of the Interfile SA Superbike Championship event. Joint leader of the championship with reigning champion Sheridan Morais going into the Killarney outing, Isaacs now has a clear early lead in the title race.

“The youngsters have no respect for their elders,” quipped Isaacs after twice having to beat off challenges from Bikefin Honda team-mate Dane Hellyer who is 10 years his junior. Back in action after a long term injury, two seconds were a major boost for Hellyer who is a former SA Supersport champion.

Not far behind the Isaacs show were father and son Deon and Brandon Auby. Teenager Brandon twice led home his dad as the pair dominated both WesBank V8 Supercar heats.

Isaacs has taken on a new lease of life and now has three wins from four races this season. The other win went to Morais in the opening WSS round at Kyalami last month, but this time around Morais (Emtek Racing Aprilia) was outgunned by the two Honda riders.

Morais had to be content with a brace of third places but with the Aprilia still in a development stage Morais won’t be too unhappy.

Behind the champion Greg Gildenhuys (Autohaus Honda) and Chris Leeson, on a third Bikefin Honda, picked up fourths and fifths in both heats.

Isaacs was always in control of race one, but it was a different story in heat two. After a tremendous race the local man sneaked home by about half a wheel with the official gap 29 hundredths of a second.

KwaZulu-Natal rider Dylan Whyte also took a double in the Interfile SA Supersport event, but there was a touch of good fortune about his first heat win. On the last lap Jaques Peskens (Bikefin Honda) and teenager Steven Odendaal (MS Aircon Suzuki) crashed on the entrance to the pit straight and race winner Ronan Quarmby (Interfile Yamaha) was penalised a place for his part in the incident.

That gave Whyte the win ahead of Quarmby with Robert Portman (Emtek Triumph) completing the podium places. The second race saw Whyte see off a strong challenge from Portman with Quarmby third while Bjorn Estment (NFB Financial Services Yamaha) and David McFadden (Honda) rounded out the top five.

The Auby family show romped to a one/two in the Super GT Class in the opening WesBank V8 Supercar heat. With Jaco Correia (Liqui Moly Corvette), who won both races at Kyalami, stranded in the pits with a gearbox problem, the Aubys strolled away from Franco di Matteo (Varta Batteries Jaguar).

Brandon took the win ahead of dad with di Matteo leading home Wade van Zummeren (Border Towing Mustang) and veteran Ben Morgenrood (BM Auto Jaguar) who were fourth and fifth. In the GT Class the win went to another veteran, Roelf du Plessis (RJ Panelbeaters Lumina) who came in ahead of another veteran in Des Gutzeit (Dezzi/Trysome Mustang) and Ray Wilford in the Fuchs Mustang.

The customary reverse grid start pumped some life into heat two. It was no problem, however, for the Aubys who clinically carved their way through the field to again take first and second.

Behind them there was a good battle between Jaco Correia, van Zummeren and Larry Wilford in the Fuchs Opel Omega. It was Wilford who finally ended up on the podium ahead of van Zummeren and Correia who crossed the line with rubber shredding off the front left wheel.

There was a maiden national series win for Gutzeit in the GT Class. A workmanlike drive saw him come in ahead of Patrick Seddon (Lumina) and du Plessis.

The three Bridgestone Production Car races produced three different winners in Class A. Melvill Priest (Afrox BMW) and Marco da Cunha (Tubular Nissan 350Z) took the two back to back six lap sprint races, before reigning champion Johan Fourie (IndyOil Audi) struck another blow for local heroes in the 10 lap feature heat.

Priest and early championship leader Anthony Taylor, in the second Afrox Beemer, were first and second in the first race with Michael Stephen third in an Xtreme Team Audi. Stephen was then penalised for passing under a yellow flag and dropped behind Fourie and Leeroy Poulter in the second Tubular Nissan 350Z.

A partially inverted grid for race two saw the underrated da Cunha

take a deserved win ahead of Stephen, Poulter and the two Afrox cars. A change of engines between heats two and three then worked wonders for Fourie.

After a dodgy Kyalami outing the local star got his season back on track by simply romping away with the feature race. He was chased home by Priest, Poulter, Taylor and Stephen in a race that settled into an early pattern.

Class T also produced three different winners and a major surprise. Reigning champion Gary Formato (Nando’s Ford Racing Focus) took the first heat ahead of youngster Gennaro Bonafede (Ferodo VW Golf GTi) and Shaun Duminy in a second factory Focus..
The inverted grid helped newcomer Niyaaz Modack (VW Golf GTi) take a surprise win ahead of Bonafede and Shaun Duminy in the second heat. Order was then restored when former champion Graeme Nathan (IndyOil VW Golf GTi), who missed race two after a rush of blood put him out of action in the opening heat, dominated the feature race.

After repairs to a damaged steering, legacy of his heat one mishap, Nathan simply disappeared into the distance. The impressive Bonafede, who has thrown a spanner in the Class T works this season, picked up his third second place of the day after a little early resistance from Formato who was third.

Another local driver, Kosie Weyers (Xtreme Team VW Polo), and Alberton teenager Devin Robertson (Ferodo Golf GTi) shared Engen VW Polo Cup wins. Weyers took race one ahead of Bryan Morgan (Timken VW Polo), reigning champion Mathew Hodges (PG Glass VW Polo), Robertson and Brennon Green in the IndyOil Vaalmac VW Polo.

Young Robertson ran away with race two to underline his championship potential. Weyers completed a good day with another second place ahead of Hodges who has also thrown his hat into the championship ring at an early stage of the season.

The Formula Volkswagen spoils were also shared. Wesleigh Orr (Bravo Holdings FVW) led the opening heat from start to finish to come in ahead of teenagers Simon Moss (Southern Sun/Dixon Batteries FVW), Tasmin Pepper (PG Glass/Plastomark FVW), Caleb Williams (Team Signkor FVW) and Chad van Beurden.

A racing incident saw Orr spin out on the first lap in race two and when he got going again he was stone last. The former Rotax Max kart world champion then drove the socks off the Bravo Holdings car to finish third behind Moss and Pepper with van Beurden and Williams rounding out the top five.

Results:

Interfile SA Supersport: Race 1 – 1 D Whyte (Yamaha); 2 R Quarmby (Yamaha); 3 R Portman (Triumph). Race 2 – 1 D Whyte (Yamaha); 2  R Portman (Triumph); 3 R Quarmby (Yamaha).

Interfile SA Superbike: Race 1 – 1 L Isaacs (Honda); 2 D Hellyer (Honda); 3 S Morais (Aprilia). Race 2  – 1 L Isaacs (Honda); 2 D Hellyer (Honda); 3 S Morais (Aprilia).

WesBank V8 Supercars: Race 1 – B Auby (Jaguar); 2 D Auby (Holden) 3 F di Matteo (Jaguar). Race  2 – 1 B Auby (Jaguar); 2 D Auby (Holden); 3 L Wilford (Opel Omega). GT Class: Race 1 – R du Plessis (Lumina SS). Race  2 – D Gutzeit (Mustang).

Bridgestone Production Cars: Race 1 – 1 M Priest (BMW); 2 A Taylor (BMW); 3 J Fourie (Audi). Race 2 – 1 M da Cunha (Nissan 350Z); 2 M Stephen (Audi); 3 L Poulter (Nissan 350Z). Race  3 – 1 J Fourie (Audi); 2 M Priest (BMW); 3 L Poulter (Nissan 350Z). Class T:  Race 1 – G Formato (Ford Focus). Race  2 – 1 N Modack (VW Golf GTi); Race 3 – 1 G Nathan (VW Golf GTi).

Engen VW Cup: Race 1 – 1 K Weyers (VW Polo); 2 B Morgan (VW Polo); 3 M Hodges (VW Polo). Race  2 – 1 D Robertson (VW Polo); 2 K Weyers (VW Polo); 3 M Hodges (VW Polo).

Formula Volkswagen: Race 1 – 1 W Orr (FVW); 2 S Moss (FVW); 3 T Pepper (FVW). Race 2 – 1 S Moss (FVW); 2 T Pepper (FVW); 3 W Orr (FVW).