After the annual Phakisa 200, where some traditional rivalries were put aside for the duration of the endurance race, normal service will resume when the autoBarn SuperHatch competitors return to their home circuit of Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, 13 October for the penultimate round of the 2018 championship.

Championship leader Louis Scholtz

Louis Scholtz (Car Care Clinic Honda Civic) had a great outing at Phakisa, claiming maximum points after winning Class B on the road and taking the Index of Performance. He has now moved to the top of the overall points standings, 13 points ahead of Almero van Eck (Monster VW Polo) who is in turn just a single point ahead of Zane van Zyl (Credit Guarantee VW Golf). Behind the leading trio, Reno van Heerden (Monster VW Polo) heads the chasing pack, 17 points adrift of van Zyl. Brett Garland (autObarn/Total Honda Civic) is hot on his heels, two points further back with Robert Stoltz (Episerve/Jestick/Lopec Opel Kadett) rounding out the top six.

Although the oil pump in Garland’s Honda failed at Phakisa, forcing him to withdraw from the race he, and normally fierce rival Jonathan du Toit, had completed enough laps to be classified in third place.… Continue reading →

Louis Scholtz

Consistent lap times, combined with misfortune for a couple of his rivals, saw Louis Scholtz (Car Care Clinic Honda Civic) finish as the leading autObarn SuperHatch competitor in a slightly curtailed Phakisa 200 at the Free State circuit on Saturday, 15 September 2018.

As is often the case in longer races, mechanical issues can have a major effect on the outcome. With the two Class A championship rivals, Jonathan du Toit and Brett Garland, teaming up to drive Garland’s autObarn/Total Honda Civic it was difficult to see anyone else taking overall autoBarn SuperHatch honours and, approaching the half-distance mark, they had built up a commanding lead. Sadly for them, it wasn’t to last. Oil pressure problems put paid to their chances of a win, although they had completed enough laps to take third in the Class A standings.

In the early stages of the race, Chris Davison & Stuart Mack in the HIMOINSA Southern Africa Opel Superboss were dicing with the Rex Diff & Gearbox Opel Kadett which was being shared by Nic Martin and Morne Human for second in Class A, but that came to an end when Human had to retire the Kadett with mechanical problems,… Continue reading →