Press Release from Audi South Africa
ROUND five of the WesBank Super Series is a rather unique event on the national motorsport calendar. Unlike every other event, this one takes place on a street circuit that is created just for this occasion.
When the racing is done, the road
will return to being a regular public street but for Saturday and Sunday, 16 and
17 June, part of the city of Durban will be turned into a venue for serious
motorsport action.
For the Audi S4 quattro competitors
round five is an opportunity to showcase their racing skills on the national
stage, this time in front of a crowd that does not normally see South Africa's
top-flight racers in action. In addition to entertaining race fans in Durban,
the quartet of Audi S4 quattro race cars will be involved in the serious
business of amassing vital points in the 2012 Bridgestone Production Car
Championship.
The leading Audi S4 quattro racer
at this point in the season is defending champion Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen
Xtreme / Tsogo Sun). Stephen holds second place in Class A, 16 points behind the
leader, which is well within striking distance for him to change the status
quo.
Fifth, sixth and seventh spot in
the championship is held by Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sport Medicine),
Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun) and Johan Fourie (A9 – EPS) and
their Audi S4 quattro race cars.
Sipuka had a very good outing at
the previous round of the series, which took place at Zwartkops Raceway, and the
Durban race meeting will be a chance to capitalise on that event's results. The
Zwartkops event saw Sipuka posting his best results at a national race meeting
to date this season so he will enter round five optimistic about his
chances.
For Fourie Durban represents a
chance to reverse the bad luck of the Zwartkops event which he described as
being the worst race weekend of his life. Zwartkops provided Fourie with just
one point after three races and he left round four of the season bitterly
disappointed. Round five is a chance for Fourie to get back into his more usual
racing form and race amongst the frontrunners.
Priest is looking toward the Durban
street race as the first round this year which will present a level playing
field. As the newcomer to the Audi S4 quattro race car he has been left playing
a game of catch-up this season. While he has been doing well to keep scoring
points consistently, the street circuit in Durban will be the only time this
season that each of the teams will have to approach their vehicle setup from the
same level playing field.
Whatever lies in wait for the Audi
S4 quattro racers in Durban, it is sure to be a crowd-pleasing weekend of racing
action for motorsport fans.
Audi South Africa
Photos hosted at www.motorpics.co.za
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