What Chemical Logistics GTC Round 2 Report
Where Killarney International Raceway
When Saturday 18 March 2023
Community South Africa National
Chemical Logistics Racing enjoyed another varied weekend as it balanced victory with its fair share of challenges at Killarney’s Global Touring Car races on Saturday. Andrew Rackstraw emerged as the team’s standout driver with a maiden race win in the second heat and a very close second overall. Robert Wolk fought to a second and a fourth, while team rookie Josh Le Roux kept on learning en route to sixth in heat 2.
Cape Town home hero Rackstraw qualified fourth in his Lee Thompson-run Sparco RDSA Volkswagen Golf GTC and raced home in that position in the opening heat. Andrew then delivered a stunning drive in the reverse grid race 2, leading initially before he was passed by Nathi Msimanga. Andrew bided his time as he kept on his rival’s bumper with first race winner Saood Variawa right on his tail. He made his move in a spectacular pass on lap 7, leaving his rivals to fight it out behind as Rackstraw drove to his maiden GTC victory
“What a brilliant raceday at Killarney!” a delighted Andrew wrapped it up. “This was a weekend I will not forget for a long time and scoring my maiden win in front of my home crowd was something that will always have a very special place in my heart. We struggled a bit with setup in qualifying and the first race, but I was confident that we would be fighting for the race 2 win. We will now use this momentum for the next rounds to chase down the championship, all while staying humble and learning as much as we can.”
The weekend showed promise for Robert Wolk and his Chemical Logistics Toyota Corolla GTC, who qualified second and kept leader Saood Variawa under pressure throughout the first heat for a close second. The second heat however proved tougher: “We had a power steering issue, and it took two laps to reset the electronics, by when I was last and very far behind,” Robert explained. But he fought back. “I managed to salvage fourth, so not all that bad, all considered, but it felt like another lacklustre weekend. We have some work to do.”
It was another rollercoaster weekend for Josh Le Roux and his Master Stairs Investchem Audi S3 GTC. “After all the emotion of Kyalami, it was back down to earth at Killarney,” Josh reported. “My first heat ended when I slipped off at the end of the back straight and got stuck in the sand trap, but I was happy to recover well to finish sixth in heat two. “I’m still on a huge learning curve and loving every minute of it, so thanks so much to my team and my family for all the support!”
“This weekend had its challenges, but Andrew’s spectacular maiden victory put a golden lining on those clouds,” WCT Engineering team boss Stuart Thompson reflected. “We however need to get Andrew back to his winning ways at the soonest possible instant and we’re enjoying seeing Josh grow from strength to strength. It was great to see Julian van der Watt hobbling around so soon after his Kyalami crash. He’s threatening to be ready to race the next round at Zwartkops, which really would be a brilliant recovery, so bring it on!”
“Congratulations Andrew on a much deserved maiden victory and to Andrew, Josh and the rest of the team for another truly sterling effort,” Chemical Logistics team principal Ian Schofield concluded. “We have some work to do on our existing cars, and some thrilling developments in the pipeline. So, with two months to Zwartkops, perhaps there’s something really good to look forward to there. Can’t wait!”
Issued on behalf of Chemical Logistics GTC
Photography by: Abri De Bruyn
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