WEEKEND RACING WRAP Toyota vs. VW in GTC, Binder wins Moto3, 3 SA drivers in Nürby 24 top 12. Powered by Toyota Gazoo Racing #GTC #Corolla
It’s been another proud weekend for South African racers and motorsport on the AUTO Race Centre powered by Toyota Gazoo Racing. There was great racing on the home front, while local stars also shone overseas
EXTREME FEStiVAL: TOYOTA & VW WIN AT GTC OPENER
EXTREME FESTIVAL — The Red Star Raceway delivered a great day’s Extreme Festival national championship racing on Saturday. Top of the bill was splendid battle of the giants as Toyota and Volkswagen shared the new look GTC wins. Daniel Rowe led an opening race VW Golf GTI 1-2. Teammate Keagan Masters took the second race. Toyota Gazoo Racing star Michael van Rooyen then took a hard-fought final win to cement second behind Rowe for the day. Jeffrey Kruger and Bradley Liebenberg shared the opening Polo SupaCup race wins. Kruger lost the final to Liebenberg on a penalty, but still won overall. Clinton Bezuidenhout took the first and final Oettinger Polo Cup wins to take the day. Matt Shorter won race 2. Julian van der Watt took the the opening Investchem Formula 1600 race. Andrew Rackstraw the second in a Cape Town double. And Clinton Seller and Garrick Vlok shared the Superbike wins. Dino Iozzo did the 600 double
MOTO GP: BRILLIANT FIRST WIN FOR DARRYN BINDER
The younger Binder brother Darryn has followed in sibling Brad’s footsteps. He won his first Moto3 race at Barcelona on Sunday. Making good on a better than usual ninth by his recent qualifying standards, Darryn was in the lead bunch throughout and led much of the way in a front bunch of up top 20 machines. Darryn timed his last lap to perfection. He held the angry bunch off to a masterful and much deserved maiden grand prix victory on his KTM. Brother brad recovered to 8th after dropping back to 16th on the opening lap He ended 11th in the MotoGP race on his KTM. Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo won to take the title lead.
NÜRBY 24: SOUTH AFRICANS STAR IN ENDURANCE EPIC
South Africans also starred in the Nürburgring 24 Hour over the weekend. Sheldon van der Linde’s BMW finished a podium third, big brother Kelvin’s Audi seventh and Jordan Pepper’s BMW 12th. Sheldon spectacular dawn stint moved his BMW into podium contention. The race was stopped before midnight, when an overnight storm wreaked havoc. Red flags have been common in the 50 years of the Nürby 24. Kelvin van der Linde on Saturday also won the Zandvoort World Challenge Europe GT round driving another Audi R8 with Ryuichiro Tomita. The duo won the first race and ended third in the second. Van der Linde helicoptered between Germany and Holland through the weekend to meet his commitments in both races!
SA MOTOCROSS: GOOSEN STEALS THE THUNDER
The weekend’s Cannabis Energy SA Motocross National Double Header delivered great racing at Pietermaritzburg’s Thunder Valley. Maddy Malan’s Husqvarna did the Moto 1 double on Saturday, before Yamaha man David Goosen struck back with a Sunday open class double. Three riders shared out the four 250cc motos. Kerim Fitz-Gerald’s KTM and David Goosen’s Yamaha won on Saturday before Slade Smith and Goosen’s Yamahas took Sunday’s motos. Over-40 rider Ian Topliss won both Saturday’s MX3 races before over-30 man Wyatt Avis and Brett Bircher shared Sunday’s laurels. Kayla Raaff won all four Ladies MX races on her Kawasaki and Jonathan Mlimi’s KTM all four 125 High School heats. Bryce Petersen’s Yamaha took the remaining three Pro Mini races after Kayde van Deventer won race 1 on his KTM. Husqvarna riders Liam Botha and Neil van der Vyver were unbeaten in their four respective 85 and 65cc Junior heats. And Trenton Kretzman’s Husqvarna won three baby 50cc races to KTM kid Evan Frost’s one.
WP Regionals: Catch-up Killarney thrills
Killarney continued with its rapid-fire catch-up regional season Saturday. Marco Busi was a national-depleted GTi Challenge double winner. Eden Thompson took his customary Class B win and Calvin Wiltshire made Class C his own. Danie van Niekerk and his all-steel BMW took Clubmans in an encouragingly strong field and Dee-Jay Booysen dominated Formule Libre. It was a good day for Kawasaki in on two wheels. Kewyn Snyman took the Superbike win, Willem Binedell Breakfast Run bikes and Trevor Westman Powersport.
Formula 2: MICK SCHUMACHER’s Michaelesque win
Mick Schumacher took a stunning Formula 2 victory at the Russian Grand Prix. The Prema Racing driver beat Carlin kid Yuki Tsunoda by six seconds. Schumacher extended his title advantage over closest rival Callum Ilott. His drive was eerily reminiscent of his seven-time world champion dad Michael’s erstwhile top form. Mick then did his title chances no harm at all by ending third in the second race. Chinese driver Guanyu Zhou won from Nikita Mazepin in that race stopped following a lap 8 accident.