Normal service was resumed at the front of the Car Care Clinic SuperHatch field when Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Honda Civic) and Brett Garland (autObarn/Incco/Sabat Honda Civic) shared the heat wins in the third round of the 2019 championship on Saturday, 29 June. Bryce Pillay (VW Motorsport Polo) claimed victory in the first heat in Class B before championship leader Nic Martin (Rex Diff & Gearbox Peugeot 207) bounced back to win the second. In Class C Almero van Eck (Taurus VW Polo) took the flag in the opening heat with Andre Dannhauser (Pro Auto Rubber/Jestik Opel Corsa) taking heat two. Christian Goosen (Dialogic Management Ford Figo) won Class D in both heats.
An early start saw the competitors lining up for the first race just after 07h30 with the top five on the grid lining up in the reverse finishing order of their last outing at Phakisa. Andre de Lange (Roofsure Audi A3) grabbed the early lead from third on the grid and looked like he was going to have an unchallenged run to the flag at the front of Class A. Racing, however, is a cruel mistress and a broken engine mount at the half-way mark saw him drop down the field. This left du Toit and Garland to fight it out at the front, with du Toit taking the win. Behind the leaders, Tyler Scott (Episerve/Jestik/Lopec Opel Kadett TS), Louis Scholtz (Car Care Clinic Honda Civic) and Karel Stols (Pretoria Noord Toyota Etios) battled it out for the final podium position which went to Scott with Scholtz and Stols following him home. Trevor Stringer (Citrine Designs Peugeot 206) and Francois Henning (Select Registration/River End Trading VW Polo) ended the heat in sixth and seventh ahead of a limping de Lange.
In Class B, Pillay grabbed the lead from the start and was able to pull away while his rivals engaged in a great battle for the minor podium placings. Despite trying everything she could to get past Shane Forget (4J’s Auto Opel Cub), Mel Spurr (iTre Cugini/ATT VW Polo) had to settle for third place. She had Wouter Roos (Nathan’s Motorsport VW Polo) in her wheel track with Martin following Roos over the line. Matt Cohen (BHIT VW Polo), Terrance Khalo (VW Golf) and Donavan le Roux (Mechanical Masters Honda Civic) filled the rest of the points-paying positions.
Van Eck had a relatively easy path to the Class C win with Dannhauser and Reno van Heerden (Beretta VW Polo) in second and third respectively. Robert Stoltz (Episerve/Jestik/EBC Opel Kadett) had to settle for fourth ahead of the Squadra Corse VW Polo duo of Reobaka Komane and Nathi Msimanga. Freddy Watkins (LNF Racing VW Polo) and Roux van der Colff (Alimtech Ford Laser) rounded out the top eight. Goosen took Class D from Nolan Fleetwood (Electro Whizz VW Passat).
The grid for the second race saw an inversion of the top five finishers from the opening heat, putting Stols on pole position with Scholtz alongside him, but by the end of the opening lap, it was du Toit out in front being chased by de Lange with Garland not far behind. As in the first race, the leaders were followed by Scott, Stols and Scholtz. The advantage that the leaders had built up was negated when the safety car was deployed after Khalo made heavy contact with the wall on the outside of turn two. By the time the safety car pulled back into the pits, there was just a lap left. Contact between de Lange and du Toit in Turn 2 allowed Garland to sneak through into the lead, but de Lange used all the track plus more around the outside of Turn 3 to take the lead. An off-track excursion through Turn 4 dropped du Toit out of contention for the win. Just two corners later, Garland forced his way through into the lead after losing his front bumper in contact with de Lange. Garland hung on for the win ahead of de Lange with Scott in third. Scholtz got past Stols to take fourth ahead of Stringer with a recovering du Toit in seventh. Gerhard Potgieter (GCP Auto Group VW Golf) crossed the line in eighth.
After his fifth-place Class B finish in the opening heat, Martin started the second race from pole position and was never headed on his way to his fourth win of the season. Behind him, Roos led the chasing pack from le Roux, who found a way past Pillay, Spurr and Forget before the safety car came out. That is how they crossed the line with Cohen just behind them in seventh. Ishmael Baloyi (Trans Africa Racing Honda Civic) ended in eighth.
Dannhauser grabbed an early lead in Class C and was able to keep comfortable ahead of the chasing pack, led by van Eck. They were followed home by van Heerden with Watkins in fourth. Despite being forced off the track by another competitor, Msimanga was able to finish in fifth ahead of Stoltz. Komane and Craig Priestley (Tactical Fluid Ford Laser) rounded out the top eight. Goosen again took Class D from Fleetwood.
In the day’s overall standings, Garland claimed the Class A win from du Toit and Scott. Class B went to Pillay ahead of Spurr and Martin with van Eck just edging out Dannhauser in Class C. Van Heerden joined them on the podium. Goosen took Class D from Fleetwood.
The Car Care Clinic SuperHatch drivers return to the track in just three weeks, when the fourth round of the championship takes place at Red Star Raceway Saturday, 20 July.