Press Release from Audi South Africa
The Audi S4 Quattros got the 2012 season off to an exciting start at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday. Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme / Southern Sun) got into the swing of things from the outset by posting the fastest qualifying time for the Bridgestone Production Cars.
This put Stephen on pole for the opening race – and he certainly made sure he capitalised on this start. At the driver's briefing Stephen was challenged to select a standing start, rather than the more usual rolling start in this series. Selecting the type of start is the privilege of the fastest qualifying competitor and Stephen did, indeed, choose a standing start.
Stephen's reasoning was that a lot of work had been done on the cars in the off-season and he was confident his Audi S4 quattro would provide the power needed to get off the line first. This proved to be the case and he showed the field a clean pair of heels as he charged off the line and down to the first corner.
The end of the first eight-lap race saw Stephen claim the chequered flag and the first race win of the season. Behind him Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sport Medicine) was involved in his first on-track battle of the season in his brand new Audi S4 quattro. As with all new race cars there have been a few technical niggles and Priest got a real workout as he manually wrestled his race car around the track with no power steering.
“We had good straight line power,” says Priest. “It was in the corners where we were losing time without the power steering. The car is consistent, it has just been a battle to get going. This is all new for us, the other drivers have had a year to get where they are.”
The inverted grid for race two saw Priest take his Audi S4 quattro to the front of the field where he put up a good fight but ultimately had to settle for finishing behind Stephen who crossed the line for fourth place.
Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Southern Sun) campaigned his Audi S4 to eighth position in race one and followed this up with a sixth place finish in race two, putting the trio of Audi S4 quattros cross the line for consecutive finishing positions.
Race three proved dramatic for Stephen when, just four laps into the final race of the day for the Bridgestone Production Cars, flames began licking the underside of his Audi S4 quattro and he was forced to pull off the track. With Stephen off it was up to the remaining two drivers to fly the Audi flag.
Sipuka stepped up to the challenge and battled with a brace of BMWs and a Subaru to fight his way into third place by the end of the race. Priest flexed his muscles and powered his Audi S4 quattro into fifth.
Priest's performance resulted in a fourth place finish overall for the day with Sipuka just one place back in fifth. Stephen, due to his early departure from the race had to settle for 15th spot overall – despite his first race win.
The Audi S4 quattro competitors have made their intentions very clear for the 2012 season and Stephen is determined to successfully defend his championship title. Priest has the intention to post the very best results he can in his first season of Audi S4 quattro racing so will be a constant worry to every other racer and Sipuka is hungry for a championship title.
This sets the scene for the Audi S4 quattros to feature prominently again this season – and this is going to keep the excitement levels very high for race fans.
Audi South Africa
Photos hosted at www.motorpics.co.za
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