31/08/08 - Championship hopefuls will be at the sharp end of the stick at round eight of the WesBank Super Series at Zwartkops on Saturday. As the season has progressed a few comfort zones have opened up. Drivers and riders like Hennie Groenewald, Sheridan Morais and Dane Hellyer have a tight hold on the WesBank V8 Supercar, CitiBike Superbike and CitiBike Supersport championships.

But it only takes one or two bad meetings to upset applecarts and, at this stage of the season, no one wants to drop unnecessary points or tempt fate. But while there are those who can concentrate on gathering in points rather than wins, the Bridgestone Production Car category is a drama zone.

In the overall championship Graeme Nathan, in the SEAT Kaye Eddie Cupra, has a 19 point cushion. Behind him matters get interesting with just 15 points separating the next six drivers with two former champions among their number.

On the tight Zwartkops layout grid positions are of major importance. For this simple reason the qualifying sessions are going to be loaded with interest and will produce drama of their own.

As is always the case at WesBank Super Series meetings the ingredients are there for drama. The action is likely to come thick and fast with title contenders wanting to consolidate with those on the outside looking in trying desperately to mount late charges.

Bridgestone Production Cars

The Bridgestone Production car events will be a designated combat zone at Zwartkops.

Graeme Nathan’s 19 point cushion at the top of the overall championship is a tenuous one. One bad result and he has a horde of drivers breathing down his neck – and they are lining up.

Behind Nathan just 15 points separate Iain Pepper (117), Johan Fourie (114), Anthony Taylor (113), Michael Stephen (105), Etienne van der Linde (104) and Leeroy Poulter with 102 points. That is a recipe for some no holds barred racing from a bunch of tough customers.

The Class A battle is a minefield with just 12 points separating Fourie (Indy Oil Audi A4), Taylor (Afrox BMW 330i), Stephen (Xtreme Team Audi A4), van der Linde (Afrox BMW 330i) and Poulter in the Sasol Nissan 350Z. Then you have to throw in the likes of reigning champions Shaun Watson-Smith in the second Xtreme Team Audi, Tschops Sipuka in the second Sasol Nissan and Marco da Cunha and Darryn Lobb in the SAM Racing Tubular Tech Nissan 350Z entries and you have a high quality field with no one prepared to take a backward step.

Zwartkops could favour the fourwheel drive Audis. At the same time, however, Taylor and van der Linde have always gone well at Zwartkops.

Qualifying and grid positions could well have a major influence on the eventual outcome. The scene is set for drama and a partially inverted heat two grid will add to the prospect of fun and games.

The Class T title race is between Nathan and Pepper in the PG Glass/Plastomark VW Golf GTi. That does not make them race favourites and the competition is now tougher than ever.

Regardt Roets and Gary van Heerden in the Webcom/Soviet Opel OPC entries have thrown cats among the pigeons. Roets in particular has quickly joined the winners and Gary Formato in the Ford Racing/Nandos Ford Focus ST is another danger man.

There is plenty of pressure on Nathan and Pepper who are a pair of battle scarred veterans. The championship is out of reach for the likes of Roets and Formato but they and other drivers in the mix could influence the Nathan/Pepper confrontation.

Another veteran, Ben Morgenrood, is the runaway leader in Class B in the Mazda Motorsport RX8 and needs only to pick up points over the rest of the season. Danie van Niekerk (Stanger Auto Ford Fiesta) and Kosie Swanepoel (Barnett’s Toyota RunX) could give him a run for his money.

WesBank V8 Supercar Championship

Championship leader Hennie Groenewald will be looking to all but wrap up a third consecutive WesBank V8 Supercar title.

Groenewald (Team Timken Holden) has a 79 point lead and barring accidents will pick up his third championship to become the most successful driver in the 25 year history of the WesBank series. Last time out at Zwartkops the talented Groenewald produced one of the drives of many a year when he came from the back of the field to pick up one of his nine wins this season.

The distinct likelihood, with the WesBank system of an inverted grid for race two, of a repeat performance is mouthwatering. The real interest, however, will rest on two separate battles going on behind Groenewald.

Robert Briggs, in the Timken Jaguar, has hit a lean patch since winning in East London way back in June. It has seen him drop to fourth in the championship although only four points separate Briggs and veteran Willie Hepburn (Project Orange Chev Corvette) and the consistent Mark Auby in the Jonnesway Holden.

The Briggs, Hepburn, Auby battle will be one to watch. And, behind them there will be another tight situation with Richard Pinard (Team Timken Jaguar), Deon Auby (Meta Forge Jaguar), Larry Wilford (Fuchs Ford Mustang) and Jaco Correia (Liqui Moly Chev Corvette) separated by just 10 points.

As usual Groenewald will be the popular favourite. But the tight Zwartkops layout always produces good racing among the thundering V8 brigade and Saturday is not likely to see a change in the script.

Engen VW Cup

Teenage Gennaro Bonafede is well on the way to adding to a family honours list that is already pretty substantial.

Bonafede is the son of multiple SA rally champion Vito and takes to Zwartkops a comfortable 18 point lead in the Engen VW Cup championship. It is some time since Bonafede, in the Champion/Ferodo VW Polo, picked up a win but father Vito has probably drummed into him that consistency is a vital ingredient in winning titles.

Bonafede will be looking for good points hauls in the two heats and there is pressure on Bryan Morgan (Team Timken VW Polo) not to let the youngster widen the gap. VW Cup veteran Miguel Pasqualli (Extreme Team VW Polo), Mathew Hodges (PG Glass VW Polo) and Jared Mortimer (Emerald Casino VW Polo) are separated by only a handful of points and all have had their moments this season.

The Engen VW Cup brigade always put on a good show at Zwartkops. With the likes of Morgan and company under the cosh and needing to mount late championship challenges the fur could rally fly this time around.

CitiBike Superbike Championship

It is some time since the CitiBike Superbike brigade strutted their stuff at Zwartkops and Saturday’s event has mouth watering prospects.

The Superbike brigade invariably steal the show but the nature of the Zwartkops layout looks like ensuring that both races will provide for more than their fair share of action and drama. Zwartkops on two wheels is no place for the faint of heart but there is no shortage of bravery among Superbike riders.

Sheridan Morais, beaten only twice this season on the Emtek Racing Kawasaki, has a tight hold on the championship. But after tasting victory last time out at Phakisa a fired up Clinton Seller (Nashua Mobile/Daikin Yamaha) will want more of the same and if there is a repeat of their Phakisa battles Zwartkops is in for a treat.

Morais and Seller, however, won’t have it all their own way. Reigning champion Arushen Moodley (Dynamic Express Suzuki) has gone well at Zwartkops in the past and could seriously challenge the leading pair.

Youngsters Chris Leeson (Emtek Kawasaki) and Greg Gildenhuys (Race Nation Honda) could also find Zwartkops to their liking and Robert Portman (Sinotec Suzuki) will be looking for a return to form. Brad Stark (High Power Yamaha) had a good Phakisa weekend and will want to keep the momentum going while Trevor Crookes, on the Mitsubishi Electrics Suzuki, will want a good result in what could be a final appearance at Zwartkops for the KZN veteran.

Citi Bike Supersport Championship

With a 95 point lead in the CitiBike Supersport Championship young Walkerville rising star Dane Hellyer is pretty much in charge of title matters.

Hellyer, riding the Kyocera Kawasaki, has won eight of 14 races this season with a lone non finish when he crashed in East London. He could come under the cosh at Zwartkops, however, with a pair of veterans his main challengers.

Graeme van Breda (Springs Suzuki) has been around the block a couple of times as has Lance Isaacs on the Pretoria Noord Suzuki. Van Breda has moved into second in the championship and he and Isaacs will both fancy their chances.

Along with Hellyer there are some other exciting young talents who will be battling it out with the two veterans. Among them are Graeme Greene (Leatt Brace Yamaha), James Egan (Time Freight Yamaha), Dylan Whyte (White Aluminium Yamaha) and 15-year-old Steven Odendaal on the Mitsubishi Electric Yamaha.

It will be a case of youth and enthusiasm against age and guile with the youngsters likely to learn a thing or two.