What Round 1 2024 Report
Where Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria
When Saturday 2 March 2024
Community Gauteng Regional
Dale takes shock double VW Challenge victory at Zwartkops
Everyone in PABAR VW Challenge has always known Chris Dale as the jolly uncle dicing near the back of the Class A pack. The old men however banished that thought forever, when he came out of the blue to dominate Zwartkops’ season opener from a just as surprising Luigi Ferro in second. Former C champion Ian Walker and Durban lad Shiren Rajpaul shared the B wins, while Michael Zapheriou took a maiden double Class C win.
Chris Dale was probably as surprised as anyone as he showed his intentions for the day by qualifying his Blue Belt Pozidrive entry on pole for the all-Polo 6R Class A race. Also impressed with his progress Luigi Ferro planted his Eco Simply Solar car second ahead of Bevin Masters’ CPS Warehouse machine, an also notable Mike Barbaglia’s PABAR entry, Wayne Masters’ Performance Master car and Norbrake lad Dean Ross.
16-car Class B saw Ian Walker put his Mellow Velo Polo on a maiden Class B pole from Dubcorp driver Shiren Rajpaul, Csol lad Anthony Lessing, AF Fans lass Tyler Robinson, Mo Karodia in his new Fast 5 Polo sedan and Ethan Coetzee’s JRT hatch. Hot 102.7 FM lass Charisse Piazza Musso, Stuart Mack’s Nathan’s 3-pot litre turbo Polo, Platinum Wheels’ Jacques Hayes, and Jesus Saves’ Francois van Zyl closed off the top ten.
Ukwazi lad Adriaan de Beer was next up from Eco Simply’s Tinahe Ncube, Superhatch refugee Francis Aldrich’s VaporWorx entry, MLP driver Martin de Beer, Ross Campbell and JRT lad Milan Emslie. The Class B lot would race alone, with Class C running behind Class A as usual.
Talking Class C, Chris Tait put his GoPro Vivo on an impressive 12-car Class C pole from Insurisk lad Michael Zapheriou, Philip Croeser’s ATE car, Kyle Petersen, Andy Gossman Daisy Business man Allan Pereira and Charl Andersen in his PABAR Vivo. Dino Smit’s Rezcom entry followed from TPAS driver Pillay, Dimitri Zapheriou, Cody Petersen, Mitch Coetzee, and Vishva Govender.
Chris Dale took no hostages as he romped to the Class A win while a mighty battle developed behind as a fast-starting Mike Barbaglia came under pressure from Luigi Ferro and the Masters brothers. Luigi took advantage of Mike slipping wide out of Turn 2 to take second. Another slip allowed Bevin and Wayne Masters through to fourth and fifth from Dean Ross and Barbaglia
The first class B race delivered the regular great racing action as Ian Walker led from lights to flag to his first B win. He had to work for it as he fended Shiren Rajpaul and Mo Karodia’s attentions off. Anthony Lessing did a diligent job to come home fourth from Tyler Robinson, Ethan Coetzee, Stuart Mack, Charisse Piazza Musso, Jacques Hayes, and Tinahe Ncube in tenth. Adriaan de Beer followed from Ross Campbell, after Francois van Zyl, Martin de Beer and Francis Aldrich hit trouble.
16-year-old Christopher Tait took the Class C lead off pole and held it until a couple of laps from the end. That’s when Michael Zapheriou made a demon move to grab the lead in turn 4. Philip Croeser came home third from Andy Gossman, Kyle Petersen, Dino Smit, Dimitri Zapheriou, Tyron Pillay, Charl Andersen, Cody Petersen and Vishva Govender.
Chris Dale had to work harder for his second class A win and the double for the day. Luigi Ferro’s turquoise machine was all over the back of the Union Jack flagged leader, while Wayne and Bevin Masters worked together to pass Mike Barbaglia in turn 6, after Dean Ross hit early trouble.
The second B race was another humdinger. Shiren Rajpaul took the lead and never looked back but he had to work to hold overall B winner Mo Karodia off, with Ian Walker third. Anthony Lessing was fourth again from Jacques Hayes, Stuart Mack, Charisse Piazza Musso and Tyler Robinson, Ethan Coetzee, and Francois van Zyl, Tinahe Ncube followed in eleventh from Ross Campbell, Martin de Beer after Francis Aldrich found more trouble.
Philip Croeser took the early second heat Class C advantage from Michael Zapheriou, who got ahead before Philip retired. That left Christopher Tait to second from Andy Gossman, Mitch Coetzee, Charl Andersen, Dino Smit, Dimitri Zapheriou, Tyron Pillay and Cody Petersen after Kyle Petersen and Vishva Govender joined Croeser at the early shower.
The Gauteng regional championship PABAR VW Challenge returns at the blockbuster 13 April Kyalami Extreme Festival. Running on Dunlop tyres supported by ATS Motorsport Supplies, oiled by Habot Performance Lubricants, and stopped by ATE Brakes, PABAR VW Challenge also salutes partners, Platinum Wheels, Norbrake, Eco Simply Solar, Insurisk insurance brokers, Van der Linde Developments, MDS Consulting Engineers, FSS Logistics and galetti.co.za property.
Issued on behalf of PABAR VW Challenge
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