04/10/08 - Port Elizabeth, Saturday – WesBank V8 Supercar champion Hennie Groenewald and CitiBike Superbike champion elect Sheridan Morais have made a habit of producing the star turns at this year’s WesBank Super Series outings – and were at it again at round nine at the Goodyear race day at Aldo Scribante here today. Three-time WesBank champion Groenewald made his customary charge from the back of a second race inverted grid to score a double, and Morais followed suit with a brace of wins that virtually wrap up a second South African championship for the pintsized rider from Johannesburg. But not far behind the experienced pair was rising star Dane Hellyer who celebrated his new status as CitiBike Supersport champion with a pair of wins of his own.

Groenewald (Team Timken Holden) is the most successful WesBank Supercar competitor of all time and cruised to his 11th win of the season in the opening heat. He was followed home by team-mate Robert Briggs (Timken Jaguar) with Mark Auby (Jonnesway Jaguar) holding off younger brother Brandon (Masana Petroleum Jaguar) and veteran Willie Hepburn in the Project Orange Chev Corvette. The WesBank policy of an inverted grid for race two saw Groenewald start 15th on the grid in race two and, on the tight Scribante layout, it looked as though he would have his work cut out to make it into the top five. But Groenewald again demonstrated his class and by lap five of 12 had scythed his way through the field and into the lead. With a string of drivers heading for unscheduled pit stops with tyre damage after a lot of wheel banging on the tight circuit, only eight cars finished on the same lap as Groenewald who recorded his 12th win of the season. Behind Groenewald 16-year-old Brandon Auby against demonstrated his potential with a polished second place ahead of Richard Pinard in a third Team Timken car.

After missing the last round of the series to race in Britain, young Morais (Emtek Racing Kawasaki) had his CitiBike Superbike championship lead slashed by 50 points by Nashua Mobile/Daikin rider Clint Seller. Prior to his British sortie Morais had won 10 of 12 races with Seller the one rider who has consistently looked capable of extending the 2005 champion. Under a little pressure Morais turned up the heat and simply blasted his way to a pair of hugely convincing wins. Try as he might Seller simply had no answer to the pace Morais set in both races. In race one Morais and Seller led home 2006 champion Shawn Whyte, on another Nashua Mobile/Daikin Yamaha, and youngsters Greg Gildenhuys (Race Nation Honda) and Chris Leeson on a second Emtek Kawasaki. Whyte and the two youngsters fought out a terrific race two duel and this time it was Leeson who made it onto the podium ahead of Whyte and Gildenhuys.

Dane Hellyer, the son of 70’s champion Kevin, is a chip off the old block and wrapped up the CitiBike Supersport title at the last outing at Zwartkops. Not content to rest on his laurels, the 19-year-old Hellyer twice got the better of the vastly experienced Pretoria Noord Toyota Suzuki veteran Lance Isaacs.
It was an impressive display by a young rider who looks destined for stardom. The race one minor placing went to veteran Graeme van Breda (Springs Suzuki), Dylan White (White Aluminium Yamaha) and James Egan on the Timefreight/Daikin Yamaha. The lower order was slightly different in race two with local rider Jacques Pesken (Algoa Structures Honda) producing his best ride of the season. Pesken finished on the podium for the first time after holding at bay van Breda and Egan.

Two wins for Jared Mortimer (Emerald Casino VW Polo) and two second places for Mathew Hodges (PG Glass VW Polo) saw the pair put huge pressure on series leader Gennaro Bonafede who had a miserable day. The youngster finished ninth and 10th in the two heats with Mortimer and Hodges making big inroads into Bonafede’s championship lead. Mortimer and Hodges finished ahead of Kieran Quarmby (Gallardo IT VW Polo) in race one with Miguel Pasqualli (Xtreme Team VW Polo) on the podium in race two. Pasqualli was a first race casualty but bounced back to keep his slim championship hopes alive.

There was also a polished performance from Gavin Cronje (Johan Capital FVW) in the Formula Volkswagen heats. The series has national challenge status this season with Cronje arriving at Scribante with his lead over Cristiano Morgado (Morgado Plant FVW) down to single figures. Cronje, like Morgado a former Rotax Max kart world champion, responded with two polished performances to earn himself some breathing space over the rest of the season. In race one Cronje led home Morgado and talented local driver Michael Stephen (Terry Moss Racing/Southern Sun FVW). Stephen then did Cronje a favour by finishing ahead of Morgado in the second race. Cronje was always in control and slowed over the last two laps with Morgado unable to make any impression on Stephen.

Results:
Formula Volkswagen: Race 1 – 1 G Cronje (Formula VW); 2 C Morgando (Formula VW); 3 M Stephen (Formula VW); 4 T Pepper (Formula VW); 5 G Connelly (Formula VW). Race 2 – 1 G Cronje (Formula VW); 2 M Stephen (Formula VW); 3 C Morgado (Formula VW); 4 W Orr (Formula VW); 5 G Connelly (Formula VW).
Engen VW Cup: Race 1 – 1 J Mortimer (VW Polo); 2 M Hodges (VW Polo); 3 K Quarmby (VW Polo); 4 G Gatland (VW Polo); 5 B van Rhyn (VW Polo). Race 2 – 1 J Mortimer (VW Polo); 2 M Hodges (VW Polo); 3 M Pasqualli (VW Polo); 4 K Quarmby (VW Polo); 5 G Gatland (VW Polo).
WesBank V8 Supercars: Race 1 - ! H Groenewald (Holden); 2 R Briggs (Jaguar); 3 M Auby (Jaguar); 4 B Auby (Jaguar); 5 W Hepburn (Chev Corvette). Race 2 – 1 H Groenewald (Holden); 2 B Auby (Jaguar); 3 R Pinard (Jaguar); 4 M Auby (Jaguar); 5 J Correia (Chev Corvette).
CitiBike Supersport: Race 1 – 1 D Hellyer (Kawasaki); 2 L Isaacs (Suzuki); 3 G van Breda (Suzuki); 4 D White (Yamaha); 5 J Egan (Yamaha). Race 2 – 1 D Hellyer (Kawasaki); 2 L Isaacs (Suzuki); 3 J Peskens (Honda); 4 G van Breda (Suzuki); 5 J Egan (Yamaha).
CitiBike Superbikes: Race 1 – 1 S Morais (Kawasaki); 2 C Seller (Yamaha); 3 S Whyte (Yamaha); 4 G Gildenhuys (Honda); 5 C Leeson (Kawasaki). Race 2 - 1 R Morais (Kawasaki); 2 C Seller (Yamaha); 3 C Leeson (Kawasaki); 4 S Whyte (Yamaha); 5 G Gildenhuys (Honda).


Dylan Whyte and James Egan rode close to each other in heat 2 of the
CitiBike Supersports at Aldo Scribante on Saturday. Pic Tony Alves