What CompCare Polo Cup 2023 Round 4 Report
Where Aldo Scribante, Gqeberha EP
When Saturday 17 June 2023
Community South Africa National
Charl Visser scores a Gqeberha CompCare Polo Cup grand slam
Charl Michael Visser kept his CompCare Polo Cup title aspirations on track with a dominant grand slam at Gqeberha’s Also Scribante Extreme Festival on Saturday. Visser topped qualifying before winning both the 8-lap sprint race and a crash-shortened 30 minute endurance race, taking the fastest lap in each heat too..
Charl qualified his Universal Motorsport Team Red entry on pole position ahead of Anthony Pretorius’ Bucketlist car, Nathan Motorsport lad Dawie van der Merwe ,Jason Loosemore’s Security Fencing and Alarms Team Red Polo, Nathan Victor’s Summit Racing entry and Giordano Lupini in his Tork Craft car.
Visser went on to claim a dominant Superpole from Pretorius, Victor and Loosemore. Title rivals van der Merwe and Lupini were held up in traffic on their fastest qualifying laps and both had to use their final Push to Pass to fight back into Superpole, leaving them without that advantage for that ultimate lap. Lupini pipped van der Merwe for fifth.
Behind them, Ethan Coetzee’s JRT Racing Experience Polo, Squadra Corse lad Reaobaka Komane, Tyler Robinson, who again impressed in qualifying aboard her AF Fans Team Red Polo, Farhaan Basha’s QV Motorsport car and Dean Venter’s M Town VDN Auto Racing Polo closed off the top ten. Bryce Pillay’s Techtisa FK Automotive car, Jeandre Marais’ Syrabix Stu Davidson entry, Mo Karodia’s Fast 5 machine, Raaziegh Harris Cooltouch car and Motorsport Mzansi Team Red youngster Roshaan Goodman closed off the grid.
The top eight got away in that order with Charl Visser leading Anthony Pretorius, Nathan Victor, Jason Loosemore, Giordano Lupini, Dawie van der Merwe, Ethan Coetzee, Reaobaka Komane and Tyler Robinson. But all hell broke loose behind. Dean Venter, Jeandre Marais, Mo Karodia and Raaziegh Harris tangled in turn 1 as the safety car was despatched to restore calm.
All except Marais and Karodia re-joined as the safety car returned to the pits to see a five lap sprint to the flag with Visser untroubled all the way to the finish from Pretorius, Nathan Victor, and Loosemore. It was wild behind as Lupini held off van der Merwe’s robust attention, ultimately hurting Dawie’s car, which slowed with a damaged intercooler to see Coetzee up to sixth from Komane, Robinson, Venter, Pillay, Harris, Goodman, the delayed van der Merwe and Basha.
Visser was once again on pole position for the 40 minute mini endurance second heat from Pretorius, Victor, Lupini, Loosemore, Basha, van der Merwe and Coetzee. There was once again drama in the first turn where a pile-up involving the entire tail end of the field eliminated Raaziegh Harris, Reaobaka Komane, Mo Karodia, Tyler Robinson and Roshaan Goodman. That also saw a concussed Harris off to hospital for observation and the red flags flying while the wreckage was removed.
Bryce Pillay was also involved, but able to re-join at the back of the race now shortened to 30 minutes. Charl Visser took control up front as Anthony Pretorius gamely held Giordano Lupini off, while Dawie van der Merwe fought his way up to fourth from seventh on the grid ahead of Nathan Victor, Jason Loosemore, and Farhaan Basha. The joker safety car came into play just after mid distance but the same scenario played out again after, as Visser went on to take his turn at a grand slam weekend.
Pretorius duly held Lupini off to the flag with van der Merwe in close attendance from Victor, Loosemore, Basha, Ethan Coetzee, Dean Venter, Jeandre Marais and Bryce Pillay. Visser took the overall day to consolidate his title lead with the impressive Pretorius second from Victor, Loosemore, Coetzee, and Lupini, who dropped from third following a race 2 startline infringement. CompCare Polo Cup remains in the Eastern Cape for its next encounter at the East London Grand Prix Circuit’s Extreme Festival on Saturday 22 July.
Volkswagen Motorsport thanks its partners CompCare Medical Scheme, Dunlop, Ferodo, Motul, Sparco and VW Genuine Parts.
Issued on behalf of Volkswagen Motorsport
Photography by: Andre Laubscher
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