After the disappointment of a blown engine at the last outing, Louis Scholtz (Car Care Clinic VW Golf) bounced back to take both heat wins at the final round of the Car Care Clinic GT Sports & Saloons championship, held at Zawrkops Raceway on Saturday, 12 November. While this moved him up to second in the championship standings, it wasn’t enough to catch Johan van der Vyver (Devlaw Subaru WRX STI), who took the 2023 title. A second place, behind Andre de Lange (Roofsure Ford Focus), in the first race, followed up by a win in the second heat, ensured Adrian Dalton (Xtra Clothing & Shoes VW Golf) claimed the 2022 Car Care Clinic 111 Sports & Saloons championship.
Image by Willie Pretorius
JP van der Walt (Platinum Wheels Audi A4) claimed the GT pole position in a damp qualifying session on Friday afternoon, with Scholtz next quickest to take second place on the grid. Gerhard Henning (VW Golf) was next up, ahead of Bob Neill (Delmon Mining Ford Focus). Phillip Meyer (Pple Group Porsche 924 GTR) headed the third row of the grid, with Kobus Brits (Pragma VW Polo) alongside him. Van der Vyver and Lenard Archer (ACD Welkom Hyundai Getz) rounded out the GT grid.
In the 111 category, de Lange led the way from Wouter Roos (Car Care Clinic VW Polo), with Dalton in third ahead of Mark Harvey (Adapt Signage & Branding Porsche 924). Francois Henning (Select Registrations VW Polo) and Johan van Heerden (JVH Performance VW Golf) were next up ahead of Mike O’Sullivan (Honda Ballade), the first of the Class X competitors. He had Yorick Smith in his Class D Prei Instrumentation Mazda MX5 alongside him. Next up was Class E contender Rob Clark (Containerforce Self Storage Honda Ballade), with Roland Hopkins (Bush n Buck VW Polo), the leading Class B competitor, completing the fifth row. Michael Grobler (Class D Pest Control VW Polo), Piet Potgieter (Class A Nathan’s Motorsport VW Golf), Marius Malherbe (M Kruger Auditing Porsche 924), Did Matjila (Genelec / RTS VW Polo) and Wayne Lebotschy (Class B Shield VW Golf) rounded out the 111 grid.
The opening race started with a dry line almost all the way around the circuit, and it was van der Walt who took the early lead from Scholtz, with Neill in third. A couple of laps in, van der Walt made a mistake that left him in the gravel trap on the outside of turn five. This handed the lead to Scholtz, with Meyer in second and Neill third. The rain returned with a vengeance, and with cars flying off the track in all directions, the red flags came out. Scholtz took the GT category win from Meyer and Neill. Du Toit, whose race ended in the turn three barriers, was handed fourth when the countback to the last complete lap took place. He ended ahead of Brits, who also flirted with the barriers, with van der Vyver and Archer in sixth and seventh.
The leaders of the 111 category both ended up in the barriers, Harvey at turn three and de Lange between turns two and three. Harvey was later penalized 30 seconds for starting the race in the wrong grid position, which dropped him down to sixth in Class A and handed the win to de Lange. Championship leader Dalton came home in second ahead of Henning and Roos, with van Heerden in fifth. Dhiren Ganassen (Honda Civic) and Potgieter rounded out the Class A field. O’Sullivan took Class X, while Hopkins had an easy run to the Class B victory ahead of Joshua Weyers (Opel Corsa). Smith took Class D from Thishan Govender (Honda Civic), Malherbe and Matjila.
The rain had disappeared by the time the second heat got underway, with a couple of drivers, including Harvey, du Toit and de Lange, missing as the damage caused to their cars in the first race could not be repaired. Scholtz led the field away at the start, closely followed by Meyer and Neill, who had van der Walt on his back bumper. While Meyer, Neill and van der Walt were fighting over second place, Scholtz steadily opened up a gap at the front over the field and was never challenged on his way to his second win of the day. Meyer followed him over the line, with van der Walt in third. Van der Vyver’s fourth place was enough to secure the championship, while Archer brought his Hyundai home in fifth ahead of Neill’s ailing Focus.
Image by Willie Pretorius
In 111, Henning was the early leader, with a bit of a gap back to Dalton and Roos, which was soon closed down. Henning did all he could to keep the challengers at bay, but eventually, Dalton got through, followed a lap later by Roos. Van Heerden was next to move past Henning, followed by Potgieter shortly before the flag. Although Roos crossed the line in second behind Dalton, a penalty for going faster than the 1’11” breakout time promoted van Heerden to second and dropped Roos to third. Potgieter ended in fourth ahead of Hennings and Ganasen. Hopkins took Class B from Weyers, while O’Sullivan took Class X. Smith, Malherbe and Mtjila filled the Class D podium.
Two heat wins for Scholtz gave him the overall GT category victory from Meyer and Neill. Dalton took Class A in 111s, with Roos and van Heerden joining him on the podium. Class B went to Hopkins from Weyers, with O’Sullivan top of Class X. Smith, Malherbe and Matjila were the top three in Class D.
Image by Paul Bedford
The 2022 GT Sports and Saloons championship went to van der Vyver, with Scholtz and Archer in second and third. In the overall 111 Sports and Saloons championship, Dalton emerged on top from Hopkins and Roos.
The Car Care Clinic GT and 111 Sports & Saloons drivers begin their 2023 season on Saturday, 18 February, when the first round of their championship takes place at Zwartkops Raceway.