NPCC: Killarney sees Audi S4 quattro racers in the spotlight

Audi South Africa Press Release

The Audi S4 quattro racers were in the thick of the action at Killarney Raceway on Saturday. The event, round two of the Extreme Festival, saw Hennie Groenewald (8 – Audi Sasolracing) set the trend for the weekend, producing the fastest times in qualifying.

“For the last year we haven't set the timing screen alight on Friday during practise,” says Groenewald. “Here in Cape Town that has been remedied, we looked good and we were ahead of some of the other competitors setting us up for a good race day. Race one was good (a victory always is) and race two – even though we were dicing for seventh – was the most fun and good racing out on track. Good clean racing and lots of fun for all of us.”

“Race three was similar, lots of action and good racing for the fans, I was behind Michael and wasn't quite able to pip him to the finish but we had a good day's results and a good haul of points. We're looking forward to the next event now and it will be all about keeping our momentum going!”

His teammate, Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing) was third-quickest in his Audi S4 quattro, followed by Michael Stephen (12 – Engen Xtreme) and Simon Moss (38 – Engen Xtreme) in fourth and fifth places respectively.

“Qualifying third was good,” says Gennaro. “Getting into second place in race one was also a good thing, but Graeme running into me in the second lap put me into the back of the pack. With the reverse grid for race two that actually put me at the front of the grid and the victory in race two was great!”

“That final race was all Audi and the four of us were super-close. I couldn't get past the guys in front, Michael was doing a great job of defending, but we got good points and with a third and first-place finish with fastest laps recorded in race two, it has been a good weekend.”

Groenewald turned his qualifying result into a race one win, with Stephen moving up to third place and Moss in fourth. Bonafede slipped down the order to cross the line for eighth.

“We've been battling for a bit of pace the whole weekend,” says Stephen. “To come away with a third place and a race victory is probably more than we could have asked for under the circumstances. Clearly we will have a bit of work to do in the run-up to Scribante, but I'm confident we'll have everything in place for that event.”

In race two the result was very different for Bonafede who claimed the victory, with Moss in fifth, Groenewald sixth and Stephen in seventh spot, setting the scene for the final race of the day. Here the front of the field was an all-Audi affair. Four Audi S4 quattros at close quarters throughout the race put on a spectacular display of racing, finishing off the national race day on a high note.

“I was 0.002 of a second off of Michael's time in qualifying, so I had good pace,” says Moss. “Race one wasn't bad, I overtook several cars at the start but had contact with one of the racers and that cost me. The second race my new tyres didn't have much of an impact because even with a good start I just couldn't get past some of the slower cars through the corners.”

“Race three was a very good race, I did make a bit of a mistake in the first corner which is when Gary got close, but it was good, hard racing and made for an awesome finish to the day, battling with him through the corners.”

Round three for the Audi S4 quattro competitors is at Aldo Scribante Raceway on Saturday, June 13, in Port Elizabeth.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za (Morne Condon)

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NPCC: Audi Sasolracing heads to Cape Town

Audi Sasolracing Press Release

Audi Sasolracing heads to Cape Town for the first of five coastal races on the National Production Car Championship calendar under new rules for 2015 that has closed up the field and created an exciting spectacle for race fans that will ensure thrilling racing as any of nine teams can claim victory in the three heats to be contested on the day.

Hennie Groenewald claimed his first win of the season at the opening round at Zwartkops Raceway in late February while Gennaro Bonafede was on the overall podium, demonstrating the competitiveness of the Audi Sasolracing S4 quattro race cars.

Both drivers enjoy racing on the 3.2 km circuit with its combination of fast straights, tight corners and sweeping curves, all played out in front of a large and knowledgeable crowd.

The new rules have slightly slowed the four-wheel drive Audis and made the front-wheel drive turbo cars slightly faster, creating a new space for Hennie and Gennaro as they race against unfamiliar rivals, at the same time having to adapt their driving style to extract the maximum from the Audi with a little less available power.

Team Manager Vic Maharaj is expecting a successful weekend at a track that has historically suited the Audi racers:

“It is crucial to maximize our track time and score points in each of the three races. It is equally important to have three clean races free of mechanical or driving maladies. Lastly, I prefer to choose my battles carefully to win the war”.

Hennie Groenewald, third in the early championship standings and driving the #08 Sasolracing Audi, expects a tough challenge in Cape Town:

“Qualifying will be the most important part of the weekend to ensure the best possible track position, especially in the opening laps. It’s really important not to be stuck in the pack of two-wheel drive cars. I’ve had a reasonable start to the year so I’m going to Cape Town to hunt wins and maintain the momentum from Zwartkops”.

Gennaro Bonafede, in the #32 Sasolracing machine is enjoying the new style of racing required to get the best from the lower power available from the Audi:

“The slipstreaming down the straights is going to be a lot of fun! I’ve had to adapt my driving: it’s important to maintain as much momentum as possible through the corners so I will be trying different set-up options and experiment with different dampers. I enjoy a new challenge and hope to come home with a lot of points”.

The Audi Sasolracing team welcomes race fans to come and chat to the drivers and view the race cars in the pits during the day.

In addition to fielding two competitive racecars in 2015, Sasol is also the fuel partner for the National Production Car Championship.

Photo credit: David Ledbitter

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NPCC: Audi S4 quattro racers ready for action at Killarney‏

Audi South Africa Press Release

The National Production Car Championship competes at round two of the Extreme Festival on Saturday, April 11, at Killarney Raceway in the Western Cape. At this event the series goes into action with an Audi S4 quattro leading the field.

Michael Stephen (12 – Engen Xtreme) took the championship lead in round one at Zwartkops Raceway – fastest in qualifying, winning race three and finishing first overall on the day. This makes Stephen the leading Audi S4 quattro racer and also the championship leader.

Audi has also taken the lead in the Manufacturer points standings in the production car championship, thanks to the performance of Stephen, Hennie Groenewald (8 – Audi Sasolracing), Simon Moss (38 – Engen Xtreme) and Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing).

With Stephen emerging on top at Zwartkops, it was Bonafede who took second spot on the overall podium. Bonafede was third fastest in qualifying, third in race one and second in race three. Proving early in the season that he has good pace, Bonafede will be looking to add to those achievements in the Cape.

For Groenewald a victory in race two at Zwartkops will be spurring him on to more chequered flag results with Killarney providing opportunities on achieving this very aim. Groenewald has been looking for his chance to get amongst the frontrunners in production car racing and winning from round one in the season is his ticket to this result.

Moss has yet to break into the leading results for this series. With his best performance hovering just outside of the podium positions, he'll be keen to use any chance at the Cape Town event to move up the championship ladder.

The Audi S4 quattro competitors are guaranteed to be in the thick of the action at Killarney, fighting for dominance and providing plenty of exciting moments for racing fans. The second round of the National Production Car Championship is shaping up to be an action-packed round of the season.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za (Morne Condon)

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NPCC: Engen Xtreme’s Stephen finishes tops at Zwartkops

Engen Motorsport Press Release

Engen Xtreme’s Michael Stephen, driving an Audi S4 Quattro, kicked off his bid to reclaim the National Production Car Championship by coming out tops in Round One of the 2015 season at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday.

The three-time former champion, who was beaten to the title by Johan Fourie in 2014, qualified on pole in Race One on Saturday and was hoping to turn it on from the get-go.

“I was just not able to beat the Chev (Michael van Rooyen) across the line in Race One, so finished second. In Race Two it was a strategic decision to finish in a position to provide a good grid start for the final race of the day, rather than simply focusing on a higher placing in the second race,” said Stephen afterwards.

Starting Race Three on the front of the grid, Stephen soon had the rest of the field in his rear-view mirror. “I managed to overtake Hennie (Groenwald) in the first lap and then just had to defend against Gennaro (Bonafede) until the finish to take the win in the third race – and first overall for the day.”

New rules for the 2015 season have seen the production car field equalised as far as possible to keep competition between the various teams as close as possible, which sees the Audi S4 Quattro competitors of the Engen Xtreme team relying on their Quattro system to give them an edge in the corners while they lose in terms of straight line power to the front wheel drive cars.

“It can't get any better as a start to the season,” added Stephen. “The racing was very good, I had a hard tussle in each of the races and the series had three different winners on the day.”

For Stephen’s Engen Xtreme teammate Simon Moss (38), the first round of the season proved a mixed bag of results.

“I was on pace this weekend, I finished fifth, fourth and sixth in each of the races today,” says Moss. “In the last lap of Race Three I had to make an all-or-nothing decision to fight off Gary (Formato). I decided to risk it and went around the outside, hit something in the outfield and launched the car. It didn't work out.”

Unfortunately for Moss a fairly consistent race weekend saw the final race result push him down the order, potentially costing him one or two places in the overall standings. “I remain upbeat, however, with good pace at the start of the season and having completed three demanding races in the first round.”

The Engen Xtreme team will return to Zwartkops Raceway during the 2015 season, making the experience and race data collected during Round One a valuable asset which will come into play later this year. For Stephen and Moss the plan is continued pressure on the production car field while amassing as many points as possible to ensure they are in a commanding position in the standings come the crucial final rounds of the year.

Round Two of the National Production Car Championship will see the Engen Xtreme team in competition at Killarney in Cape Town on Saturday, 11 April. This will be the first of three coastal rounds of the championship that will have the team racing in both Port Elizabeth and East London before returning inland.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za

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NPCC: Audi S4 quattro racers rake in honours at first round

Audi South Africa Press Release

The Audi S4 quattro racers had a successful outing at the first round of the National Production Car Championship at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday. Between the four Audi S4 quattros, the racers claimed the fastest qualifying, were first on the starting grid in each race and claimed six podium position finishes in the three races – and first overall for the day.

Of the three races and six podium finishes, two of them were race wins for the Audi S4 quattros. These results were produced at the start of a transition season for the series which sees the Audi S4 quattros heavily handicapped to allow competition with the rest of the field.

“It has been a great start to the year, starting with qualifying in pole position,” says Michael Stephen (12 – Engen Xtreme). “I finished second in race one and used race two to ensure a good grid position for the third race which paid off with a race victory and overall first place for the day.”

Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing) crossed the line in third place overall for the day, appearing on the race podium twice at the event.

“We had an up-and-down day, qualifying third but had a frustrating second race because I simply couldn't find a way to get a good grid position for the third race,” says Bonafede. “In race three I started seventh and finished second, that race went well and I found my way through the field. Third overall for the first event of the year is something we can build on during the season, it is a strong start to the year.”

In fourth overall was Hennie Groenwald (8 – Audi Sasolracing) who won race two and finished third in the third race at Zwartkops.

“After qualifying I thought I just didn't have the pace and that was a concern,” says Groenwald. “We made some changes which made a definite difference but overtaking is very difficult this season. I'll be focusing on qualifying more from the next round but am confident we'll be right back on pace – and it was a good team result for us this weekend.”

For Simon Moss (38 – Engen Xtreme) a consistent race weekend saw him running in fourth and fifth during qualifying and racing and on track for a good result. A risky move in the last race of the day didn't pay off and pushed him down to a sixth place finish overall for the day.

“I had good pace this weekend,” says Moss. “During the final lap of race three I decided on a risk to stay out of the clutches of Gary Formato. I went round the outside but ran too wide and this cost me both time and position and I finished sixth in the final race.”

The Audi S4 quattro competitors will head to Killarney for round two of the Extreme Festival which takes place on Saturday, April 11. Here the challenge will be to keep their pace in the corners as they wrestle with their power restrictions which compromise straight-line speed.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za (Morne Condon)

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NPCC: All systems go for Audi Sasolracing‏

Audi Sasolracing Press Release

Final preparations have reached fever pitch at the Audi Sasolracing workshop ahead of the opening round of the 2015 National Production Car Championship at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, 21st February.

The pair of Audi S4 quattros will feature a bold new Sasolracing livery when Hennie Groenewald and Gennaro Bonafede roll out of the pits for the first qualifying session of the year on Saturday morning.

Solutions from the sometimes hard lessons learned during the 2014 campaign have been engineered into the race cars as they face a tough eight round series that sees a new venue, the return of an old favourite and a new race day format on the menu. The series organisers have tweaked the series to improve the show, creating one single race between the former Class A and Class T machinery and three equal-length races to keep race fans entertained.

Zwartkops Raceway, west of Pretoria has been kind to the Audi Sasolracing team, who scored three wins and four podium places at the six races held at the 2.5km long circuit last year.

Team Manager Vic Maharaj is upbeat about his team’s chances of mounting a sustainable championship challenge, citing the improvements in their performance during the second half of last year’s season:

“The team was built from scratch last year and it took a while for everyone in the team to understand each other.  This year, we will hit the ground running and as long as we have three clean, error free races each weekend we race, we will be in a good position to challenge for the championship”.

“We have rebuilt the engines and gearboxes: there is nothing lacking in the cars.  It will be an interesting first few races to see how the new performance equalization rules play out”.

Hennie Groenewald is raring to get racing again after the three month closed season:

“Our testing has gone well but we will only find out where we are when we hit the track in qualifying.  The change in regulations will be interesting as we will be racing side-by-side with different drivers in different cars.  

I have to package my weekends differently with three races but the most important criteria will be to finish every race.  I’m looking forward to the year and want to be in a position to challenge for the championship”.

Gennaro Bonafede, third in last year’s championship standings, is bubbling with excitement around the new production car regulations:

“Initial testing against the front-wheel drive cars shows they will be marginally faster in a straight line but the four-wheel drive cars will eat them alive in the corners.  The racing is going to sizzle and the real winners will be the fans.

“My plan is to give my all on every single lap of every race and I’ll see where that leaves me.  I want to represent the Sasol brand as best I can as I enter my second year with the team.  The first event is going to be really interesting”.

The Audi Sasolracing team welcomes race fans to come and chat to the drivers and view the race cars in the pits during the day.

In addition to fielding two competitive racecars in 2015, Sasol is also the fuel partner for the National Production Car Championship.

Championship Calendar:

21 February - Zwartkops Raceway - Pretoria
11 April - Killarney Raceway - Cape Town
13 June - Aldo Scribante - Port Elizabeth
11 July - East London Circuit - East London
8 August - Zwartkops Raceway - Pretoria
29 August - Dezzi Raceway - Port Shepstone
24 October - Killarney Raceway - Cape Town
21 November - Kyalami - Johannesburg

Photo credit: David Ledbitter

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NPCC: Racing Season Starts for Audi S4 Quattro Competitors

Audi South Africa Press Release

The Audi S4 quattro competitors start their 2015 season where they left off last year – at Zwartkops Raceway. Round one of the new season on Saturday, February 21, sees the four Audi S4 quattro entries racing in the National Production Car Championship (NPCC).

Two of the top three finishers in Class A of the 2014 production car series were behind the wheel of an Audi S4 quattro. Michael Stephen (Engen Xtreme) completed the season in second place overall with Gennaro Bonafede (Audi Sasolracing) achieving third place.

Their respective teammates, Simon Moss (Engen Xtreme) and Hennie Groenewald (Audi Sasolracing) are keen to put their name to strong podium finishes this season which will again make the Audi S4 quattro racers formidable opposition.

The NPCC calendar will see the Audi S4 quattro competitors tackle three races at the opening round at Zwartkops Raceway before heading to the coast for three consecutive rounds – Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London – before returning inland for round five of the season, again at Zwartkops.

Rules changes for the new season are aimed at bringing the field closer together and will see the Audi S4 quattro competitors involved in an even more intense fight for the lead, again demonstrating their superior quattro performance in the challenge for honours.

While there are eight championship rounds in 2015, the Audi S4 quattro racers will be eager to stamp their authority on proceedings early in the season, setting the scene for an action-packed 2015.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za

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NPCC: Engen Xtreme Racing set for Zwartkops opener

Engen Motorsport Press Release

The Engen Xtreme Racing Team starts their 2015 national motorsport season at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, 21 February with Michael Stephen and Simon Moss again behind the wheels of their Engen Xtreme Audi S4 Quattros.

The race format for the 2015 National Production Car Championship season will see competitors tackle three sprint races at each round of the eight event championship. Race One grid positions will be calculated from qualifying times, Race Two is a reverse grid race and Race Three's grid is determined by the fastest lap in race two.

“The 2015 season is going to be a challenging one for the team,” says Stephen. “The championship is in a transition phase going into the 2016 season, so we'll be facing each event head-on to produce the best results possible, aiming to retain our hallmark competitiveness.”

Stephen has achieved three national championship titles in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship in recent years, and has been racing with the Engen Xtreme Team in this category since 2006. He is also responsible for the day-to-day running of the Terry Moss Racing workshops in Port Elizabeth.

Moss joined the team last year to contest his first season in the production car category, working hard to achieve pace and get settled behind the wheel of the Engen Xtreme Audi S4 Quattro.

The eight race dates see the team start their 2015 campaign at Zwartkops in Pretoria, before moving to Killarney in Cape Town for an event in April and then contesting their home circuit in Port Elizabeth in June. The East London event is on the calendar for July before the team heads back to Zwartkops for the August event.

Also in August is a visit scheduled for a new venue, Dezzi Raceway in Port Shepstone, which will bring the Engen Xtreme team back to motorsport action in KwaZulu-Natal for the first time since the street racing events in Durban a few years back. Killarney is the venue for the penultimate round of the championship this year in October before the finale, which will see the team competing at Kyalami once more.

While there are still details to be finalised regarding the new season, the Engen Xtreme Team is primed and ready for action, prepared to tackle all challenges, and score maximum points while they focus on the goal of achieving another championship title.

Looking forward to another highly successful season, Engen Sponsorship Manager Brad Bergh adds that the Engen Motorsport programme is a key component within the company’s overall sponsorship portfolio as it delivers a product relevant platform where Engen is able to showcase its quality fuels and lubricants performing under extreme conditions.

“The engineers and race mechanics have been hard at work in the off season and are focussed on gaining a winning momentum right from the start as they strive to capture the team’s fourth  Championship title,” says Bergh.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za

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BPCC: Engen Xtreme Team finish off season at demanding final round

Engen Motorsport Press Release

The Engen Xtreme Team competitors completed the 2014 national Bridgestone Production Car Championship at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday. The event saw some tough duels taking place, with exciting racing in each of the two races.

Eight rounds of competition at five different circuits and five race wins have kept the Engen Xtreme racers in the thick of the action in their Engen Xtreme Audi S4 quattros.

“It has been a highly competitive season,” says Michael Stephen (A1). “Each event this year has demanded the utmost in terms of dedication and we've been on pace at every event, mixing things up with other top racers in the class.”

Three-time consecutive champion in the Bridgestone Production Car series, Stephen narrowly missed making it a fourth victory in a row.

“While the idea of constantly winning is certainly appealing, the reality in motorsport is that you work hard, produce the best results you can and add as many points as possible to the scoreboard,” says Stephen. “This year the team dedicated themselves to our championship aspirations, our pace was good and we produced some good results. Ultimately is was not quite enough and we ended the season in second place. Now we focus on 2015 and work on bringing the championship title back home again.”

Stephen ended the final race day of the season in third place overall, with a third place finish in the feature race on the day as well. The last race day of the year also brought Simon Moss' first season in this competitive national championship to an end.

“The leap up to the Bridgestone Production Car Championship was a big one,” says Moss. “The racers are experienced and handle their cars well. The learning curve is extremely steep and I've had to fight for every single inch of track position I could get this season.”

Despite his lack of experience in the class, Moss scored points in all but two races this season, even scoring a bonus point for producing a fastest laptime at Scribante during the Port Elizabeth round of the championship.

“I'm sure next season I'll be stronger out on track,” says Moss. “This year was all about learning the car, finding my feet in the championship and adapting to the handling of the Engen Xtreme Audi S4 quattro.”

The Engen Xtreme Team now go into their off-season preparations with both Engen Xtreme Audi S4 quattros being completely stripped down and then rebuilt to ensure they are in top form for the year of competition ahead.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za
 

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BPCC: Audi wins Manufacturer title at Super Series

Audi South Africa Press Release

The final event of the Super Series at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday saw Audi claim the Manufacturer's title for 2014 and Gennaro Bonafede (A32 – Audi Sasolracing) ended the year on a high note, winning the feature race to finish first overall for the day as well.

“There was some hectic racing today,” says Bonafede. “I literally got stuck in the middle in the opening lap of race one, between Michael on one side and Hennie on the other. Got a bit unlucky to finish fourth in that race. Race two I recorded really fast laps, one after the other to finish with a lead of more than eight seconds, that gives a real confidence boost for the coming season.”

Three-time consecutive champion in the Bridgestone Production Car series, Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) narrowly missed adding a fourth consecutive title to his list of achievements.

“It has been an extremely competitive season in the Bridgestone Production Car series,” says Stephen. “Every event this year has demanded the utmost from both team and driver in terms of dedication and the Engen Xtreme Team has been on pace at every event, mixing things up with other top racers in the class.”

At the final round of the Super Series, Hennie Groenewald (A8 – Audi Sasolracing) found himself in a hard-fought battle to take third place in race one.

“Race one was very interesting, three Audi S4 quattros side-by-side through one of the faster corners at Zwartkops,” says Groenewald. “That takes a lot of respect. We struggled a bit with balance on race day which made it a difficult start to the day. Despite a good start to race two, things didn't go our way but with Gennaro winning race two, we still got a good result for Audi Sasolracing.”

Simon Moss (A38 – Engen Xtreme) the Zwartkops event marked the end of his first season in the series.

“I'm sure next season I'll be stronger out on track,” says Moss. “This year was all about learning the car, finding my feet in the championship and adapting to the handling of the Engen Xtreme Audi S4 quattro.”

With eight rounds completed, the Bridgestone Production Car Championship has wrapped for the 2014 season with the teams returning to their workshops and spending the next few months hard at work preparing for the challenge that will be 2015.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za
 

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BPCC: Audi Sasolracing dominates at Production Car finale

Audi Sasolracing Press Release

Gennaro Bonafede claimed his first victory of the season at the 8th and final round of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship and claimed first overall on the day, giving the Sasolracing Audi Team the perfect end to a tough season of racing.  Gennaro was a comfortable third overall in the final championship standings.

Hennie Groenewald claimed a podium place in race one, cementing the team’s status as the fastest Audi pairing in the field.

It was a bruising day’s racing with both Audi S4 quattro racers sporting heavily bent body panels after the two races and 25 laps of high-speed action that had the large crowd on the edge of their seats.

Practice and Qualifying:

The Sasolracing team showed good pace during the three Friday sessions and translated that into third and fourth on the grid.  Hennie found that bolting a new set of tyres to his Audi actually dropped his times by 0.3 of a second which left him in a disappointed third place starting slot.

Gennaro also suffered from the tyre anomaly and found himself half a second off Hennie’s pace in fourth place.

Race 1:

The tightly bunched field scraped bumpers and body panels pouring into the tight, turn 2 hairpin.  Side-by-side, three abreast around the sweeping back straight, Hennie, Gennaro and Michael Stephen (Audi) braked for turn four, only to have Simon Moss (Audi) try and pass all of them up the inside line of the fast corner.

The move was never going to work and he hit Hennie’s car who went sideways into bumped Gennaro and Michael Stephen.  Although heavily damaged, the Sasolracing cars survived to finish third and fourth, Hennie ahead of Gennaro.

Race 2:

From his front row starting position, Hennie took off into the lead but the race was red-flagged as the starting light gantry malfunctioned.  At the restart, Moss got the jump on Hennie, who fought back at the end of the first lap.  Hennie dived down the inside of Moss and took the lead as they emerged onto the start/finish straight.  Moss collided with Hennie, the Sasolracing Audi spinning off the track and into retirement with damaged ABS and tweaked suspension.

As the remaining pack avoided the melee, Gennaro slotted his Audi through the carnage and emerged in the lead.  Resisting pressure from the BMW’s of Johan Fourie and Gavin Cronje as well as the Audi of Michael Stephen, Gennaro held on to his lead in the frenetic opening laps to build a comfortable 6.7 second lead by the chequered flag.  Such was the 24-year-old’s pace, he claimed the overall first place on the day.

From the pitwall:

#32 Gennaro Bonafede: “Practice was tough but I knew we had the pace to challenge for wins today.  I came out of the first race incident in 4th place but the engine temperature was uncomfortably high as I was running close behind Hennie so I had to back off to cool things down a bit.

In race two, I somehow avoided the mess between Simon and Hennie and found myself in front.  I put in several qualifying-type laps, driving hard and neat and then just concentrated on my lines and keeping everything neat and tidy.

The season was very up-and-down.  We were always there or thereabout but I often found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time.  It’s been a fantastic year with Sasol and third in the championship is a step forward for me.”

#8 Hennie Groenewald: “Simon really messed up my first race.  I thought the car was damaged as the impact was heavy and in the right spot to damage the chassis, but it was good enough to claim third.

In race two I made a great start but unfortunately the race was stopped.  On the re-start, Simon got ahead of me and on the run into the final corner, I passed him down the inside.  I got the car slowed and turned and made the move stick but he came back at me and hit me.  The car turned around and I was forced to retire with suspension damage.

The season started well, but we had niggly issues in many races, especially the double-points feature race which I hardly ever finished and that hurt my championship challenge.  The team provided us with great cars which are well developed and superbly prepared”.

Vic Maharaj, Team Manager:  “We expected to do well at Zwartkops; it’s a great way to close off the year.  The cars have been quick all year. East London was my low-point.  The partnership with Sasol and Audi is a marriage between two great brands that complement each other.  The Sasol race day was amazing and is the benchmark for every race meeting.

We have learned lessons this year and will be back in 2015 stronger and wiser”.

Photo credit: David Ledbitter

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