The men and women of the Goldwagen Challenge Series made their way to the popular Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday 14 April for the third round of the 2012 Pro Tour Roadshow. As usual the racing was as competitive as ever.

Classes B and D - Race 1

Rory Atkinson (Flight Hand Cleaner / Sabertek Polo Classic) made the most of his pole position to lead the field through turn one. Darren Nathan (Sex Trader Polo) slotted in behind the leader with the rest of the field in tow. A great race started developing behind the leaders with Tyrell Govindsamy (Petroplast Golf 1) and Elna Croeser (Guilio Sabbatini Auto Stylists Golf 1) fighting for fourth position. The battle at the front was just as close with some bumper crunching moves being made by Nathan heading into turn five on the fourth lap.

Atkinson was pushed tot the limit for the win...

Third placed Ryan Tholet (Prend Properties Polo Hatch) was unlucky to retire a lap later with electrical gremlins. Atkinson held on for the win ahead of Nathan with Govindsamy getting the better of his more experienced opponent to claim third position.

After dominating qualifying it was James Hurley (Koni Golf 1) who held onto the lead through turn one. Lyle Ramsay (Sponsors Needed Golf 1) grabbed second position with the rest of the determined field in tow. Keola Kaltenbrun (Afrilog Trade Services Golf 1) dropped back a few positions when she ran wide coming onto the main straight. Adrian Wood (Golf 1) made his move on the third lap to take second position from Ramsay. Fourth placed Brad Hall (The Home Directory / Restonic Golf 1) then dropped back when his brakes faded heading into the tight turn two hairpin. Jacques Smith (PRD / Key 360 / SSG Consulting Golf 1) was unfortunate to end his first race in the Goldwagen Challenge series on the sixth lap when the throttle cable on his car broke heading into turn four. The drama continued when Jannie Visagie (Noise Boyz PTA North Golf 1) faded on the last lap with overheating problems. Hurley went on to take an unchallenged victory with Wood only just holding Ramsay at bay to claim second position.

Hurley was in a class of his own...

Classes A and C - Race 1

Waldie Meintjes (Performance Masters / Marty’s Panelbeaters Polo) only just out qualified Gerhard Henning (All Toy Spares Golf 2) to claim pole position, with the rest of the top six separated by only 0.6 of a second! Meintjes emerged through turn three in the lead with Carlos Nobre (Digit Polo Hatch) and Henning in tow. Henning reclaimed second position on the fourth lap and set about chasing the race leader. Charl Smalberger (Flight Hand Cleaner / Sabertek Golf 1) retired to the pits on lap six after a loss of power and severe handling issues made his car almost impossible to drive. George Economides (Wealth Avenue Polo Hatch) was then robbed of a good fourth place when a broken clutch forced him into retirement two laps later. Meintjes had to work hard for the win in the closing stages of the race. Henning crossed the line in second position with Nobre taking a comfortable third.

Meintjies held up well under the pressure to take the win...

Pole man Henry van Vledder (Mr Batman Golf 2) had a terrible start and lost the lead to the fast starting Andre Needham (Ultra Vision Golf 1). Jannie van Rooyen (Goldwagen Roodepoort Golf 1) slotted into second position with Adrian Dalton (Xtra Shoes & Clothing Golf 1) and Wouter Roos (Performance Laboratories Polo Classic) in tow. A recovered van Vledder started fighting his way back through the field and was up to fourth position by lap six. The battle for sixth couldn’t have been closer with no less than four cars fighting for the same piece of tarmac. Needham held on to claim a surprise victory ahead of van Rooyen with Dalton claiming a well placed third position.

Classes B and D - Race 2

Once again it was Atkinson who led the field through turn one. Nathan grabbed second position with Tholet getting ahead of Govindsamy and Croeser. Once again Tholet was unfortunate enough to suffer from electrical gremlins which put an end to his race on lap three. Atkinson was in a class of his own and romped home to victory ahead of Nathan with Govindsamy holding Croeser at bay to claim his first podium finish in Class B.

Wood got the better of Hurley off the line in the Class D race. This was short lived however as Hurley led the field across the line at the end of the first lap.

The black flag came out for Wood on lap two when his car started smoking after the oil filter on the engine had come loose. An unfortunate Kaltenbrun was the first to find the oil as she spun out in turn two, dropping her to the back of the field. Wood eventually retired to the pits on the fourth lap with a small engine fire that had developed from the leaking oil. Luckily this was put out before too much damage was done. Hurley went on to take another convincing victory with Ramsay holding Devon Piazza Musso (The Home Directory / Restonic Golf 1) at bay to claim second position. After breaking the motor in her car during the Friday practice and missing the first race as they tried to complete the repairs to the engine, race debutant Alta van Wyk (Golf 1) completed her first ever Goldwagen Challenge race in a respectable seventh position.

Classes A and C - Race 2

Once again Meintjes took the lead through turn one. Derick Smalberger (Sabertek / Unleaded Polo Classic) caught Nobre and Henning sleeping off of the line to move into second position. Henning then proceeded to grab third position from Nobre on lap three. The battle for the lead was closer than ever with the proverbial blanket being able to be thrown over the leading trio! The inevitable chaos ensued on the ninth lap when Smalberger collided with Meintjes heading into the turn two hairpin, putting an end to both of their races. Henning was gifted with the victory while Nobre held Keagan Blanckensee (Venditor Konica Minolta Golf 4) at bay to claim second position.

Henning's consistency handed him the Overall Class A win...

Needham had another dynamite start and took the lead through turn one only to be helped off of the track in turn two, dropping him down to eighth position. Van Rooyen emerged from the dust in the lead with Dalton and Craig Eekhout (Fresha / Creation Wealth Golf 1) ahead of the rest of the pack. Eekhout crashed out of contention on lap three when brake failure violently pitched his car into the barriers at turn five – he was lucky to escape without injury.

This dramatic image of Eekhout's crash was captured by Carel du Preez...

The battle for the lead was very close with the third place tussle between van Vledder and Roos just as competitive. Dalton dived up the inside of van Rooyen to take the lead through turn two on the sixth lap.

A fired up Needham was also scything his way through the field and grabbed fourth position from Roos on the sixth lap. The action continued on the penultimate lap when van Vledder tried to make a pass on van Rooyen heading into turn two. Needham had the same idea and tagged the back of van Vledder’s car, with van Rooyen unfortunately being spun out in the process. Dalton took the win ahead of Needham with a recovered van Vledder having to settle for third position.

Needham drove like a man possessed to claim the Overall Class C victory...

Report by: Greg Reilly

Pictures courtesy of: Steve Wicks