What Extreme Festival Preview
Where Red Star Raceway, Delmas
When Saturday 12 October
Community Gauteng Regional
It’s a PABAR VW Challenge dead heat heading to Red Star
The PABAR VW Challenge chase sits tied between two class leaders, with four races to run as the championship heads to its penultimate round at Red Star Raceway on Saturday 12 October. It may well be a couple of games away from set and match in the classes, but it’s all even up front in the overall championship as Class B man Stuart Mack’s Nathan’s Polo heads to Delmas tied on points with fifteen year-old Chris Tait and his Class C Sportex Vivo.
Which of them emerges champion remains to be seen, or can Tait’s Class C rival Andy Gossman and his Goose Motorsport Vivo pull off the impossible and take the 24 point deficit out of both the leaders? Unlikely, but he’s the only other driver within a mathematical chance of stealing an unlikely title.
There is however a little life left in the classes. Especially in Class A, where Wayne Masters’ Performance Masters Polo has whittled that championship deficit down to just two points behind brother Bevin’s CPS Warehouse version. Miguel Dias’ PMD car, Clean Renewables lad Mydi Mfana, Nicole Lombard and Norbrake Polo lad Dean Ross all sit some way off in their own private title fight.
The Class X turbo Polos run in their own championship, where Luigi Ferro’s Eco Simply Solar car leads Bjorn Bertholdt’s Sizani Polo, Chris Dale in his Blue Belt Pozidrive car, and Mike Barbaglia’s PABAR entry.
Stuart Mack needs only score five points in the next four races to clinch Class B in his 3-cylinder litre turbo Polo. His nearest 2-litre aspirated rival is Mo Karodia, who has fought back after missing a round following a practice crash in the Fast 5 Polo sedan. Dubcorp rival Shiren Rajpaul and Ethan Coetzee’s JRT Polo hatches are right in there, with Csol former motorcycle racer Anthony Lessing close behind. Ian Walker’s Mellow Velo Polo, Dewald Theron’s Ardfin version, Jacques Hayes and Josh Wilford are next up.
Kyle Petersen’s Insurisk Vivo sits third in the Class C title chase behind Christopher Tait and Andy Gossman. It remains to be seen if ATE veteran Philip Croeser is ready to race following his massive accident last time out, and when he races, Judd Bertholdt is always a factor in his Sizani car. Mitch Coetzee’s JRT Racing Vivo follows, Dino Smit, Dimitri Zapheriou, Tyron Pillay and Cody Petersen are all growing in stature too.
PABAR VW Challenge runs as part of the full Gauteng Regional Racing Festival. A very good reason to pack those camping chairs and the brolly, and head out to Delmas on Saturday. See you at Red Star!
*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
Photography by: Colin Windell
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