Round 4 of the 2018 Sasol GTC Championship saw a large East London crowd entertained by close racing on Saturday, June 16.
The addition of the Push-to-Pass feature in South Africa’s premier saloon car category was one of the much anticipated factors ahead of the championship’s second coastal visit of the season.
Action-packed racing
The very successful brand activation conducted by title sponsors Sasol and the championship the weekend prior to the event played a huge part in the number of spectators lined up next to the Border Motorsport East London Grand Prix Circuit; this despite cool and windy conditions on the race day. The series also saw a new competitor joining the GTC2 class: Paul Hill in the Kalex Volkswagen Golf.
Saturday morning’s qualifying session saw the Terry Moss Racing/Engen/Audi pair of championship leader Simon Moss and reigning champion Michael Stephen locking out the front row of the grid.
In the GTC2 class Keagan Masters was eager to maintain his grip on the championship in his Volkswagen Motorsport Golf from his pole position. Devin Robertson showed good pace throughout the weekend in his Champion Mini and lined up next to the reigning GTC2 champion.
A competitive field
The day’s first race saw a thrilling battle up front between Moss, Stephen and the BMW trio of Gennaro Bonafede, Michael van Rooyen and Johan Fourie. Moss suffered a misfire which saw him relinquish the lead and slipping back.
Bonafede moved into the lead to take the win in his Sasol BMW; holding off the persistent pair of Stephen and Van Rooyen to the flag. In GTC Robertson made an early move past Masters.
Image: Reynard Gelderblom/RacePics
The duo soon built up a margin over the rest of the field with Robertson taking the victory. Trevor Bland in his Universal Healthcare Volkswagen Golf finished in third place.
The second race saw the customary reverse grid per class based on the finishing positions from the first race. This again saw Moss starting from pole position, but a loss of power saw him slipping down the running order.
Image: Reynard Gelderblom/RacePics
Robert Wolk in the second Sasol BMW took the early lead with Fourie closely tucked in behind him. On Lap 2 Fourie made a move on Wolk down the straight from Cocabana Corner and took the lead as the pack entered The Bowl.
A determined Fourie went on to take his second Sasol GTC victory in the EPS Racing BMW ahead of Wolk and Stephen. In GTC2 Masters and Robertson continued their battle once they made their way through the field. This pass-per-lap encounter saw Masters taking the victory this time around. Adrian Wood in the Kyocera Volkswagen Golf finished in third place.
Image: Reynard Gelderblom/RacePics
Round 4 saw Bonafede retaking the Sasol GTC Championship lead with 160 points behind his name; closely followed by Stephen with 156 points. Moss finds himself in third position with 143 points accumulated.
In GTC2 Master retains his lead with 174 points. Robertson finds himself in second place with 153 points ahead of his team mate Brad Liebenberg in the Ferodo MINI with 151 points accumulated. Round 5 of 2018 Sasol GTC Championship will see another coastal visit to Port Elizabeth on Saturday, 14 July.