24/05/08 - Pretoria , Saturday – Double WesBank V8 Supercar champion Hennie Groenewald produced an epic performance at round four of the WesBank Super Series at the Zwartkops Raceway today.

After strolling to victory in the Timken Chev Lumina in the opening heat of the WesBank V8 Supercar championship Groenewald , searching for a third title in a row, duly completed a double by winning race two. This time around, however, the WesBank Supercar system of an inverted grid for race two saw to it that Groenewald had to come from 17th place to further tighten his hold on the championship.

Despite a huge handicap on a tight circuit where overtaking is difficult, Groenewald was simply magnificent. One by one he calmly picked off rival cars and swept into the lead on lap 10.

Race one was straightforward for Groenewald. He started from pole position and led from start to finish to finish ahead of the steady Mark Auby (Jonnesway Chev Lumina) and Timken team-mate Robert Briggs.

Auby and Briggs were among those who ran into problems in a second race that was packed with incident. Behind Groenewald there was a fine effort from Jaco Correia (Liqui Moly Chev Corvette) who caught veteran Larry Wilford, in the Fuchs Ford Mustang, right at the death.

The day also produced heroics from veteran former champion Anthony Taylor who took a win and a third in the Bridgestone Production Car outing. Taylor and Etienne van der Linde, in the Afrox BMWs, laid the foundation for a one/two in race one by taking the front row slots on the grid in qualifying.

With van der Linde running interference in the early stages of the race, Taylor opened up a commanding lead. Van der Linde then pulled away from third placed Tschops Sipuka (Nissan 350Z) with Leeroy Poulter (Nissan 350Z) and Melville Priest (MiKar/Lenova Audi A4) completing the top five.
The Production Car brigade also employed an inverted grid for race two and Taylor started eighth in what turned into a rambunctious affair. Michael Stephen (Xtreme Team Audi A4) eventually led home Priest with the pair starting second and fourth on the grid.

A good result saw Darren Lobb come in fourth in the SAM Racing/Tubular Tech Nissan 350Z. Sipuka and van der Linde were fourth and fifth after a late race tangle.

Reigning champion Iain Pepper (PG Glass Golf GTi) and former champion Philip Kekana (Seat/Kay Eddie Cupra) shared the Class T wins. Race one saw Pepper lead home current championship leader Graeme Nathan, in a second Cupra, and Gary van Heerden who was giving the Webcom Opel OPC its first outing.

Race two turned into a messy affair with Pepper going out at the second corner. The Nathan Cupra developed a misfire and up front van Heerden and Gary Formato (Ford Racing Focus ST) had a coming together while disputing the lead.

That left Kekana to win from Graeme Donker (Mini Maxi Panelbeaters Golf GTi) and Sean Duminy in the second Ford Focus. For Kekana it was his first win in three seasons with Nathan somewhat surprised to find himself in fifth.

Veteran Ben Morgenrood (Mazda Motorsport RX8) won both Class B heats from Abdul Jaffer in the Sasol Toyota RunX. With championship leader Danie van Niekerk (Stanger Auto Ford Fiesta) missing both heats through mechanical problems suffered in practice sessions, it was a good day for Morgenrood.

A double on the day was also just reward for Dane Hellyer (Kyocera Kawasaki) who strolled to victory in both heats of the CitiBike 600 Supersport event. Behind him, however, there was a superb performance from 15-year-old Steven Odendaal (Mitsubishi Electric Suzuki) who took a brace of seconds in only his fourth national championship outing.

Odendaal is earmarked for stardom and twice held off the highly experienced Lance Isaacs on the Pretoria North Suzuki. Dylan Whyte (White Aluminium Yamaha took two fourths with veteran Graeme van Breda (Springs Suzuki) and youngster Nicolas Grobler (Golden Mile Suzuki) sharing fifth places.

The Engen VW Cup spoils were shared by teenager Gennaro Bonafede (Champion/Ferodo VW Polo) and the more experienced Jared Mortimer in the Emerald Casino VW Polo. Devin Robertson (Ferodo/Champion VW Polo) and Brayn Morgan (Team Timken VW Polo) shared second places and Kieran Quarmby (Gallardo VW Polo) and Mathew Hodges (PG Glass Polo) each took a third place.

The quickest cars on the circuit were the fledgling Formula VW brigade with the leaders lapping consistently under the 60 second barrier. Michael Stephen (Terry Moss Racing/Southern Sun Formula VW) was having a good day and strolled to victory in heat one.
Championship leader Gavin Cronje (Capital Finance Formula VW) hit back to take race two ahead of Stephen. Christiano Morgado (Morgando Racing Formula VW), like Cronje a former Rotax Max world champion, took two third places.

Results:

Formula VW: Heat 1: 1 M Stephen (Formula VW); 2 G Cronje (Formula VW); 3 C Morgado (Formula VW); 4 M Murray (Formula VW); 5 D Perel (Formula VW). Heat 2: 1 G Cronje (Formula VW); 2 M Stephen (Formula VW); 3 C Morgando (Formula VW); 4 W Orr (Formula VW); 5 M Murray (Formula VW).

Engen VW Cup: Heat 1: 1 G Bonafede (VW Polo); 2 D Robertson (VW Polo); 3 K Quarmby (VW Polo); 4 D Wentzel (VW Polo); 5 B Green (VW Polo). Heat 2: 1 J Mortimer (VW Polo); 2 B Morgan (VW Polo); 3 M Hodges (VW Polo); 4 D Robertson (VW Polo); 5 G Bonafede (VW Polo).

Bridgestone Production Cars (Classes A & B): Heat 1: 1 A Taylor (BMW 330i); 2 E van der Linde (BMW 330i); 3 T Sipuka (Nissan 350Z); 4 L Poulter (Nissan 350Z); 5 M Priest (Audi A4). Class B – 1 B Morgenrood (Mazda RX8); 2 R Jaffer (Toyota RunX), 3 D Compton (Toyota RunX). Heat 2: 1 M Stephen (Audi A4); 2 M Priest (Audi A4); 3 A Taylor (BMW 330i); 4 D Lobb (Nissan 350Z); 5 T Sipuka (Nissan 350Z). Class B – 1 B Morgenrood (Mazda RX8); 2 A Jaffer (Toyota RunX); 3 K Swanepoel (Toyota RunX)..

Bridgestone Production Cars (Class T): Heat 1: 1 I Pepper (VW Golf GTi); 2 G Nathan (Seat); 3 G van Heerden (Opel OPC); 4 S Duminy (Ford Focus); 5 M van Rooyen (VW Golf GTi). Heat 2: 1 P Kekana (Seat); 2 G Donker (VW Golf GTi); 3 S Duminy (Ford Focus); 4 P Visagie (VW Golf GTi); 5 G Nathan (Seat).

WesBank V8 Supercars: Heat 1: 1 H Groenewald (Chev Lumina); 2 M Auby (Jaguar); 3 R Briggs (Jaguar); 4 L Wilford (Ford Mustang); 5 R Pinard (Jaguar). Heat 2: 1 H Groenewald (Chev Lumina); 2 J Correia (Chev Corvette); 3 L Wilford (Ford Mustang); 4 D Correia (Chev Corvette); 5 R Wall (Ford Mustang).

CitiBike Supersport: Heat 1: 1 D Hellyer (Kawasaki); 2 S Odendaal (Suzuki); 3 L Isaacs (Suzuki); 4 D White (Yamaha); 5 G van Breda (Suzuki). Heat 2: 1 D Hellyer (Kawasaki); 2 S Odendaal (Suzuki); 3 L Isaacs (Suzuki); 4 D White (Yamaha); 5 N Grobler (Suzuki).