10/09/09 - When the Execuline Shelby CanAm series visited Welkom’s former MotoGP venue Phakisa Freeway last year people wondered how competitive Jennifer Murray would be in a big sportscar after serving an apprenticeship in nimble Formula Fords.

A year later, the same people are wondering if she’ll claim her third victory in as many race meetings. A lot has happened in the past year. One of the big events in her life was that she became Mrs Jennifer Murray-Verheul, having married kart racer Nicholas Verheul last month.

At the top of the championship table, former Porsche 924 racer Rui Campos (Hugo Boss) has a narrow seven-point advantage over Hi-Q Plettenberg Bay backed Chris Hart. Murray’s recent run of success has seen her leapfrog up the table and she holds third place 19-points clear of the most experienced driver in the pack, veteran Alan Eve (Hugo Boss)

Consistency has been one of Brian Algar’s weapons this year and the Firedart entry is only five-points behind Eve. KZN racer Guy Botterill completes the top six in the Fragram Tools entry. He lost ground at Kyalami last month when he was caught up in a major accident with Sean Greve and now has Dave Beattie (DURA Soletanche Bachy) snapping at his heels.

Sean Greve (Vulcania Reinforcing) also lost valuable points in that spectacular Kyalami crash and has slithered down the order to eighth.

Durbanite Bryant van der Merwe (Chemspec) has surprised many with his pace considering its his first season of top-line motor racing. What makes it even more remarkable is that being based in Durban there isn’t a track or facility anywhere to do any testing.

Also in his first season of Execuline Shelby Can-Am racing is Tomas Reib (Intertrans) who previously raced a variety of high powered Porsches in the Altech Porsche Challenge.

Colin Frost (Strocam) and Sun Moodley (BigFoot Express) are next in the points table with the likes of Hanno Pengilly (Mvelaphanda Holdings), Craig Shorter (Execuline) and the unluckiest man in the series Bertil Roos (IOU Music) looking to score points.

Former champion Ruan Pretorius returned to the fray at the last race and if his new car is sorted he could be a threat to the front runners.