South African heroes starred across the board in Toyota Gazoo Racing Week 33
This Toyota Gazoo Racing Week 33 is a golden one for South African motorsport. It was highlighted by major international race wins for Kelvin van der Linde in the German Touring Car championship and Steven Odendaal in World Supersport.
Kelvin’s second DTM win in five starts
Kelvin van der Linde became the first DTM German Touring Car double winner of the season. He consolidated his title advantage with another lights-to-flag win off pole position at Zolder on Saturday. Kelvin beat Audi teammate Mike Rockenfeller and Red Bull F1 refugee Alex Albon’s Ferrari to victory. Little brother Sheldon van der Linde had a tougher day to end 14th in his BMW M6. Sheldon bounced back to beat Kelvin to seventh on Sunday as Marco Wittmann’s BMW took the win.
Steven Odendaal rode his Yamaha to another victory over Manuel Gonzalez in the opening World Supersport race at Most. Championship rival Dominique Agerter was fourth. Odendal then delivered a brilliant comeback to end up second behind Aegerter’s Yamaha on Sunday. Another SA rider Sheridan Morais was 15th on Saturday but had a tough Sunday. Toprak Razgatlioglu’s Yamaha scored a double Czech World Superbike win before Scott Redding’s Ducati took the final race.
Come from behind Brad Binder
SA hero Brad Binder delivered a splendid race to fourth from 16th on the Styrian MotoGP grid on his KTM. Jorge Martin’s Pramac Ducati won the race restarted after a fiery incident. From Joan Mir’s Suzuki and Yamaha man Fabio Quartararo. Younger Binder brother Darryn made best of a brave decision to start a damp Moto3 race on slick tyres. He also come from th back to sixth on his Honda. Pedro Acosta’s KTM took the Moto3 win and Valentino Rossi protege Marco Bezzecchi won Moto2.
In other international racing, former F1 driver Marcus Ericsson survived an airborne shunt en route to his second IndyCar win in Nashville. Ahead of Scott Dixon and James Hinchcliffe. Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani’s Corvette took the Road America IMSA sports car win. From Oliver Jarvis and Harry Tincknell’s Mazda. And Kyle Larson took another step toward 2021 NASCAR Cup title. He took another win over Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. in a Toyota.
Foggy Killarney still delivers
Closer to home in Race Week 33, the weekend’s Cape regional races were reduced to one heat at a foggy Killarney. Class A, B and C Championship leaders Jurie Swart, Eden Thompson and overall leader Kyle Wiltshire consolidated their respective cheapercars GTi Challenge title advantages with race wins. Nian du Toit led a BMW 1-2-3 over Faizel Coetzee and Imaad Modack in the new Thunder Saloon Class.
Another BMW man Nieyaaz Modack beat Alex Johnson’s Audi and Mansoor Parker’s BMW in Mike’s Place Clubmans. Fabio Tafani came back from a first turn slip to beat Rui Campos and Sean Moore to the V8 Masters win. Richard Scheuder took Sliver honours. Glen Phillips beat Silver class winner Alton Steyn to Makita Supercars honours. And Franco Donadio’s wieldy Ford Escort beat Michael Hitchcock’s Mustang and Charles Arton’s Datsun 240 Z to the SDC Classic Car win.
Dee-Jay Booysen won a red flagged Formula Libre race from Byron Mitchell and Class B winner James Beaumont. Josh Broome’s Radical took Sports & GT from Steve Humble’s Mallock and Gary Kieswetter in a Porsche. On two wheels, Kawasaki trio Kewyn Snyman defeated Slade van Niekerk and Trevor Westman in the increasingly popular Powersport Motorcycles. Wayne Arendse’s Kawasaki beat Zobair Adams’s Yamaha and Nasief Smart on a Suzuki to the Clubmans bike win.
Rotax Max returns to Zwartkops
Gauteng Rotax Max karting returned to Zwartkops for Rand Kart Club meeting. Niko Zafiris took a maiden DD2 win over Nick Verheul and race 3 winner Wayland Wyman. Muhammad Wally, Kian Grottis and Wian Boshoff scored triple wins in Senior, Junior and Mini Max respectively. Reagile Mailula beat heat winners Cristian Verheul and Rafael da Silva to Micro Max honours. And Matthew Shuttleworth did the same over Santi Frade and Maddox Mason in baby Bambino.
