Red Star to settle close-fought HRSA championships
The 2020 Historic racing South Africa season is poised for a cracking season finale at the Red Star Raceway Saturday 14 November. Both the Universal Healthcare Pre-’81 Historic Saloons and the Charlie’s SuperSpar title races are poised on a knife’s edge heading into the weekend.
While the battle up front promises to be between Class A men Willie Hepburn’s Amtec Opel Rekord and Stefan Snyders’ Steton Investments Porsche RSR, the focus will be on the Universal Pre-81 title dice. The overall championship remains within the grasp of the top eight in that championship charge.
Class D leader Stuart Konig and his 1976 Northern Bolt & Tool Volkswagen Scirocco arrive at the Delmas racetrack just one championship point clear of Class E frontrunner Rene van Rensburg’s SV Tech 1976 Ford Escort in the overall chase. Neither of them can afford to put a foot wrong however, with Jannie van Rooyen’s 1976 Class C Scirocco, Andre ten Napel’s ’76 Class E TNMC Medical VW Scirocco, and Class G and F leaders Riaan de Ru in a 1962 Ford Prefect and Jaco Roux’s ’78 Scirocco all within striking distance.
2019 champion Sean Hepburn’s Class E 1975 HiQ Midrand Datsun 1200 Deluxe may be out of championship contention, but he, Marius Verwey’s Class D 1969 Mazda R100, Riaan Roux in a 1978 Addfin Scirocco and Alan Green’s 75 Class D Escort are all close enough to pull off a surprise championship third.
In the classes, Jannie van Rooyen’s Scirocco has wrapped up Class C, but he will have his hands full with Johann Smith’s ’76 JMS Mazda Capella on the day. Stuart Konig’s Scirocco is not quite done in Class D, where Marius Verwey’s Mazda R100 is sill in with a shot. Verwey will be keeping an eye on Alan Green’s Escort, while Mario Rossi’s 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV6 will be a raceday factor too.
The Class E title race is the closest between Rene van Rensburg’s Ford Escort and Andre Ten Napel’s Scirocco. They also have a number of rivals running interference, including Sean Hepburn and Ian Kilburn’s Datsuns, Riaan Roux’s Scirocco, Neil Lobb’s ’76 Fiat 131 and Stewart McLarty’s Big Boss Ford Escort.
Jaco Roux has wrapped up Class F, so he can simply enjoy racing Marco Verwey and Kobus Brits’ Datsuns and Dave Leyshon’s Scirocco. Class G champ Riaan de Ru and his Prefect can also just race Jan Jacobs’ Alfa Junior and Andre Dannhauser’s Toyota SR5.
It’s even tighter at the top of the Charlie’s SuperSpar Pursuit championship. Street car Fines class classic handicap racers Rob Clark’s Containerforce Citroen GS 1220 Club and Frans Venter and his Nissan 280ZX arrive in Delmas tied on points in that championship dice. Another Fines man, Wynand du Plessis Snr and his Porsche 944 S2 are still in with an outside championship chance too.
The Pursuit dice for fourth is just as significant in this race as it’s a close three way dice to see which of Werner Hartzenberg’s Porsche 916, Kola de Klerk’s Nissan 300ZX and Riaan Roux’s Addfin VW Scirocco come out on top of the race car Trophy class. Roux is in no comfortable place however as he has championship top ten runners, Fines duo Machiel Oberholzer’s Mercedes 190E and Henk de Klerk Datsun 280 ZX and Trophy pair Willem van Niekerk’s Marauder MK3 and Clive Winterstein’s Casheri ’57 Porsche 356 breathing down his neck.
Other Trophy runners ready to disrupt the title chase include Tihan van Rooyen’s Vision Porsche 924, Sean Hepburn’s HiQ Midrand Datsun 1200 Deluxe and Peter and Devon Martin’s Datsun GX Coupes. Rob van Aarle’s Ace Auto Salvage Ford Escort Mk1, Frans Venter’s Nissan 280ZX, Shane Forget in a Pro Auto Toyota SR5 and Joshua de Klerk’s Apple Box Honda Civic GE are likewise ready to run interference in the Trophy field.