30/06/08 - Tight points positions and some seething rivalries set the scene for a blockbuster round six of the WesBank Super Series at the Afrox Race Day at Kyalami on Saturday. (July 5)

As the season turns into the home straight some tight championship battles have emerged, particularly in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship, and all the ingredients are there for some explosive motor racing. And, as the season has progressed, a little needle has crept into proceedings in one or two categories and this adds fuel to the flames already burning.

For those in championship contention the season has moved into a critical stage. Those in positions of strength cannot afford costly slips, and those on the fringes need every point they can muster if they are to mount late charges.

While Graeme Nathan, in the Seat/Kaye Eddie Cupra, has a comfortable enough 17 point lead at the top of the overall Bridgestone standings, just 11 points separate the next six drivers. That is a recipe for drama.

And in Class A only 10 points split the first four drivers in a category renowned for the odd bit of argy bargy. Kyalami will be no place for the faint of heart and the Friday practice and qualifying sessions will provide a tasty appetizer of what is to come on the morrow.

Gate entry is R40 per adult with children under 10 free and VIP tickets are available at R50. Racing is scheduled to start at 10h20 and tickets are available at Computicket or at the gate on race day.

BRIDGESTONE PRODUCTION CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

Graeme Nathan, despite a second race hiccup in East London, has a comfortable enough 17 point lead at the top of the overall championship. But behind him there is a backlog with 11 points separating reigning Class T champion Iain Pepper (86), Michael Stephen (85), Ben Morgenrood (80), Anthony Taylor (79), Johan Fourie (78) and reigning champion Shaun Watson-Smith with 75 points.

Three wins on the trot have taken the talented Stephen (Xtreme Team Audi A4) to the top of the Class A standings where he leads former champion Taylor (Afrox BMW 330i) by six points. Johan Fourie (Indy Oil Audi A4) is a point behind Taylor with Watson-Smith, in the second Xtreme Team Audi, a further three points adrift.

It is a situation fraught with possibilities. And if you add in the likes of Etienne van der Linde, in the second Afrox BMW, a resurgent Melvill Priest (MiKar/Lenovo Audi A4), the factory Sasol Nissans of Leeroy Poulter and Tschops Sipuka and a rapidly improving Darryn Lobb (SAM Racing Tubular Nissan 350Z) you have the makings of a five-star dama.

Picking a winner out of that lot is a risky business. One has a feeling that Poulter, who invariably goes well at Kyalami, and the Sasol Nissan team are due a good outing and would be worth a little flutter.

Nathan and old sparring partner Pepper (PG Glass VW Golf GTi) appear to have turned the Class T championship into a two horse race. Reliability problems have hit Gary Formato in the Ford Racing Focus ST, and the likes of Gary van Heerden (Webcom Opel OPC) and Hein Bose and Etienne Prinsloo in the Mazda Motorsport and Bizhub Mazda MPS entries have had their share of teething problems.

A second Opel for Regardt Roets could make matters a little interesting while Mark Silverwood (Afrox Mini Cooper) has performed consistently and is tied with Formato for third in the championship. Former Engen VW Cup veteran Graham Donker (Mini Maxi VW Golf GTi) has had his moments but a category that has huge potential has yet to catch fire.

If everything falls into place Kyalami could see the potential fulfilled. At the top of the table Pepper is under a little pressure not to let Nathan get away from him.

The withdrawal of the Sasol Toyota RunX entries and two difficult meetings for Danie van Niekerk in the Stanger Auto Ford Fiesta have seen veteran Ben Morgenrood take charge of Class B. Morgenrood, in the Mazda Motorsport RX8, has a 22 point lead over van Niekerk but could find it difficult to shake of the KwaZulu-Natal driver at Kyalami.

WESBANK V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP

Reigning champion Hennie Groenewald’s march to a third successive WesBank V8 title picked up a little stutter in East London.

A third in race one was Groenewald’s only reward in the Team Timken Lumina on a day when most of the headlines went to veteran Willie Hepburn in the Project Orange Chev Corvette. The 65-year-old Hepburn made a little motorsport history by picking up his first win in three years and, with the second heat reverse grid system now a fixture in the WesBank series, it would surprise no one if Hepburn picks up another win or two.

Groenewald still has a 43 point lead over Team Timken Jaguar team-mate Robert Briggs but the young Pretoria driver now finds himself under a little pressure. Hepburn and a much younger Mark Auby, who has performed consistently in the Jonnesway Lumina, are now just seven points behind Briggs.

A decent championship scrap is developing between the trio, with an equally interesting fight developing behind them. Just five points separate veteran Larry Wilford (Fuchs Ford Mustang) and Richard Pinard in a third Timken car and Jaco Correia in the Liqui Moly Corvette.

And, just behind them, only five points split Franco di Matteo (Optima Batteries Jaguar) and another old timer, Deon Auby, in the Meta Forge Jaguar. With little personal duels going on throughout the field both heats are loaded with potential.

After his little East London hiccup Groenewald won’t be in charitable mood. He’ll be aiming to get back to his winning ways, but another setback could see him also coming under a little pressure in the latter stages of the season.

ENGEN VW CUP

The Engen VW Cup is another championship that could provide for some interesting motor racing in the latter stages of the season.

Teenager Gennaro Bonafede (Ferodo/Champion VW Polo), son of former national rally champion Vito, goes to Kyalami with an eight point lead over older hand Bryan Morgan in the Team Timken VW Polo. The pair have opened up a gap over terrific fight which sees just five points separating the next four drivers.

Bonafede (85) has a tenuous lead over Morgan (77) and then comes the bunfight between Mathew Hodges (PG Glass VW Polo - 58), Miguel Pasqualli (Xtreme Team VW Polo – 56) and karters Devon Robertson (Ferodo/Champion VW Polo) and Divan Wentzel (Barnett’s VW Polo) with 55 and 53 points respectively.

The Kyalami winner or winners is likely to come from the top half a dozen drivers in the championship. But the likes of Jared Mortimer (Emeral casino VW Polo), Kieran Quarmby (Gallardo VW Polo) and Grant Gatland in the Mechanical Cooling/Daikin entry are all capable of upsetting the applecart.

For Bonafede the rest of the season could be a test of character.

FORMULA VW

The fledgling Formula VW, running this year with National Challenge status, is starting to come into its own and is providing for some first class competition among some highly competent young drivers.

After a somewhat hesitant start teams and drivers are coming to terms with the little quirks that are part and parcel of singlseater race cars. Lap times are now extremely rapid but, more important, some top notch racing is starting to emerge as drivers gain confidence.

Three former Rotax Max world champions in the field along with drivers who have won national championships in other categories signify a great deal of talent on show. Current championship leader Gavin Cronje (Jonah Capital FVW), Cristiano Morgado (Morgado Plant FVW), Wesley Orr (SAM Racing Tubukar FVW), Michael Stephen (Terry Moss/Southern Sun FVW), Lee Thompson (Terry Moss/Southern Sun FVW) and Jayde Kruger (Wap Alto/First Freight FVW) are all world or national champions and form the nucleus of a competitive grid.

Cronje and Morgado have done most of the winning but both Kyalami heats will be wide open affairs. Youngsters like Simon Moss (Terry Moss/Southern Sun FVW) and Tasmin Pepper (WesBank FVW) are improving with each outing and Marc Murray (SAM Racing Tubukar FVW) is an experienced campaigner.

As an aside there will be a great deal of interest in comparing the Formula VW and WesBank V8 lap times around Kyalami.

CITIBIKE SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

The two CitiBike Superbike Championship heats will provide highlights of the Kyalami outing and runaway championship leader Sheridan Morais (Emtek Racing Kawasaki) is likely to come under some intense pressure.

Morais, although he still has a huge lead in the championship, was beaten for the first time this season in East London, and could be in for a hectic day. Clinton Seller (Nashua Mobile/Daikin Yamaha) has often pushed Morais to the limit this season but it was his team-mate, veteran Zimbabwean Shaun Whyte, who finally lowered the Morais/Kawasaki colours.

Seller and Whyte are second and third in the championship and again look to be the big dangers where Morais is concerned. Seller, although he blotted his copybook a little in East London, looks a more mature rider this season and Whyte has loads of experience.

Chris Leeson, the reigning Supersport champion who has taken to the unlimited class like a duck to water, has to win sometime this season. He could not pick a better stage than Kyalami to make the breakthrough and has further incentive in that he is only three points behind Whyte in the championship.

Other dangerman at Kyalami will be reigning champion Arushen Moodley on the Dynamic Express Suzuki and Robert Portman on the Sinotec Suzuki. Moodley has been a little subdued this season but always goes well at Kyalami while Portman, if he can keep everything together for the full race distance, is another rider who has to win sometime.

Greg Gildenhuys (Race Nation Honda) has had his moments this season and could be a threat along with veteran Trevor Crookes (Mitsubishi Electric Suzuki) who had a good east London outing. Brad Stark and Tertius de Lange, on the High Power Yamaha entries, have also had their moments and will be a part of some hectic midfield racing.

CITIBIKE SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP

Runaway CitiBike Supersport championship leader Dane Hellyer, on the Kyocera Kawasaki, is the obvious man to beat at Kyalami.

Hellyer, the son of former South African champion Kevin, has won six out of 10 races so far this season. It should have been seven out of 10 but a race one loss of concentration in East London robbed him of what would have been a comfortable win.

James Egan (Time Freight Yamaha) and Graham Greene (Leatt Yamaha) have shared the other wins this season and will be Kyalami contenders along with veteran Graem van Breda on the Springs Suzuki. Steven Odendaal (Mitsubishi Electric Suzuki) who, under the wing of Trevor Crookes, is turning into the find of the season could also trouble Hellyer.

The big danger for Hellyer, however, could be veteran Lance Isaacs on the Pretoria North Toyota Suzuki. The Cape rider has a load of experience and, after a long stint on a Superbike, is starting to come to terms with the smaller 600 machine.

Dylan White (White Aluminium Yamaha), John Oliver (Carillo Trailers Suzuki) and Jaques Peskens, on the Algoa Structures Honda, are all capable of podium finishes. All in all the Supersport brigade are geared up to provide for some top class fare.