Two Class C race wins at the final round of the 2020 championship at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, 7 November gave Shane Forget (4Js Auto Opel Cub) the overall Car Care Clinic SuperHatch championship. Mel Spurr (Car Care Clinic/AKA Signage VW Polo) was the only driver with a chance of preventing Forget taking the 2020 crown but had to settle for second while two Class B wins on the day were enough for Nic Martin (Rex Diff & Gearbox Peugeot 207) to just get the better of Andre Dannhauser (Pro Auto Rubber Opel Corsa) to take third.
While qualifying in SuperHatch doesn’t determine grid positions – that is based on the reverse of the finishing order of the previous race – it does provide a bonus point for the fastest driver in each class, which can prove vital in a close championship. In Saturday morning’s session, Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Hinda Civic) topped the Class A table, nearly two seconds quicker than Dannhauser with Tyler Scott (Lopec/Jestik/EBC Opel Kadett) in third less than a tenth further back. Martin did just enough to get the better of Werner Pieterse at the head of the Class B field with Donavan le Roux (Mechanical Masters/N4 Autocraft Honda Civic) in third. Forget was the quickest of the Class C brigade, leading the way from Gert Beeslaar (4J’s Auto Opel Kadett) and Freddy Watkins (LNF/4J’s Auto/Geardown VW Polo).
When the lights went out to signal the start of the first race, it was Scott who immediately grabbed the lead with Francois Henning (Select Registrations VW Polo), Dannhauser and du Toit tucking in behind him. It didn’t take long for du Toit to work his way through the pack and by the end of the second lap, he was looking for a way past Scott to take the lead. Scott, despite having a giant airbrake of his car after the hatch door blew open, was able to hold off the Honda for most of the race but du Toit found a way through with just a couple of laps left to run and was able to take the win. Behind the leading duo, Henning and Dannhauser were involved in a great scrap with Henning leading the way for the first half of the race. Dannhauser then found a way through but couldn’t pull away from the Polo but was able to take third by just three-tenths of a second. Trevor Stringer, making his first SuperHatch appearance of the season in his Citrine Designs Peugeot 206 came home fifth in class, just ahead of Lenard Archer (ACD Welkom Hyundai Getz).
In Class B, Martin was able to pull away from both Spurr and le Roux to take a comfortable win. Spurr had to settle for second with le Roux a distant third. Courtney Nicholl (Volkswagen Motorsport Polo) ended in fourth with Beeslaar and Ishmael Baloyi (Trans Africa Racing Honda Civic) rounding out the top six. Watkins led the Class C field in the early stages but Forget was in front by the time they completed the second lap where he stayed until the flag. Watkins took second while Juan van der Walt (Building Code Construction Ford Fiesta) got the better of his scrap with Craig Priestley (Tactical Fluid Ford Laser) to take third. George Aldrich brought his Opel Corsa home in fifth.
In the second race, Scott was again the early leader with Henning, Dannhauser and du Toit in hot pursuit. In a repeat of the opening heat, du Toit quickly worked his way up to second and then set about closing the gap to Scott. Shortly after half-distance he took the lead and went on to take his second win of the day. Scott had to settle for another second place with Dannhauser in a comfortable third place after Henning picked up a 30-second penalty which dropped him to sixth in Class A behind Stringer and Archer.
Nicholl was the early Class B leader, taking advantage of the reverse grid, with le Roux not far behind. Martin, however, had good pace and took the lead on the fourth lap. From there, he was able to control things from the front and took the win by almost two seconds. Le Roux was less than half a second further back in third while Spurr had to settle for fourth ahead of Baloyi with Hennie Swanepoel (VW Polo) in sixth.
Despite lining up at the back of the Class C grid, it was Watkins and Forget who led the way at the end of the opening lap. A lap later, Forget was in front where he stayed until the flag. Watkins tried to stick with the Opel but had to settle for second. Behind the leading pair, van der Walt and Almero van Eck (Taurus VW Polo) were fighting for the final podium position until van der Walt’s car slowed allowing van Eck to take third. Priestley got past the ailing van der Walt on the final lap to take fourth with van der Walt nursing his car home in fifth. Tony Hyams (Building Code Construction Ford Fiesta) took sixth.
In the class Championship standings, du Toit took Class A from Dannhauser and Henning. Spurr Claimed the Class B crown from Martin and Nicholl while FGorget was the comfortable winner in Class C. Priestley and van Eck joined him on the championship podium.
The SuperHatch drivers take a break over the festive season before getting back on track in February at Red Star Raceway.