Audi S4 quattros deliver fast-paced racing action‏

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Zwartkops race day proved a challenging event for competitors. Three races took their toll, but the Audi S4 quattro racers showed their style to ensure the event was another high note in the 2013 championship.

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Audi S4 quattros eager for Zwartkops challenge

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattro racers head into round four of the season on a high note. Good performances have marked all three of their outings so far this season and, as they head back to altitude after two coastal race meetings, anticipation is high they will continue in their winning ways.

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Audi S4 quattros in dominant PE performance‏

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattro proved itself again at round three of the Super Series. The Port Elizabeth event saw the quartet of racers feature in each of the three races on the day – with a dominant finish for the Audi S4 quattro in the results.

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Audi S4 quattros bring the action to PE‏

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi charge in Port Elizabeth will be led by defending champion and local racer, Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme). Stephen has claimed the Bridgestone Production Car title in 2011 and 2012 and is the championship points leader after the first two rounds of this season.

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Audi S4 quattros victorious at Killarney‏

Audi South Africa Press Release

IT was an action-packed day of competition for the Audi S4 quattro racers at Killarney on Saturday. After three races, two sprint and a feature race, it was Engen Xtreme competitor Tschops Sipuka (A2) who ascended the top step of the Bridgestone Production Car podium.

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Audi S4 quattros ready to wow Cape Town crowds‏

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattro racers put in a strong showing at round one of the Super Series in Johannesburg. Their aim, at round two in Cape Town on Saturday, 16 March, will be to continue this form and again show their superiority on the track.

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Audi S4 quattros shine at first round of season

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattro racers showed their race pedigree at Kyalami on Saturday. A hot performance at an equally hot race meeting at Kyalami saw defending champion Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) grab the opportunity to post the fastest time during the Super Pole session and claim the first pole position of the season.

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The Audi S4 quattro remains on top in SA at Kyalami

By Johan Laubscher

Race day dawned with very high temperatures at Kyalami. The show piece of the day was the South African Bridgestone Production Cars, the series wherein the Audi S4 team are competing. Four Audi S4 cars are entered in this Championship. Terry Moss Racing with Michael Stephen and Tschops Sipuka, and VMP Motorsport with Melvill Priest and Gennaro Bonafede (Ferodo). The Audi teams were confident after very positive sessions on Friday. Michael Stephen, the reigning champion, had put his car on provisional pole and took part in SuperPole on Saturday. 

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Positive start for the Audi S4 teams at Kyalami

By Johan Laubscher

The 2013 South African Bridgestone Production Car Championship has gotten underway at Kyalami. Practice and qualifying took place on Friday. Four Audis have been entered by two teams for the 2013 season. Reigning champion, Michael Stephen, returns with teammate Tschops Sipuka in the Terry Moss Racing Audi S4 cars. VMP Motorsport are again running a pair of Audis for Melvill Priest and Gennaro Bonafede. 

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Audi S4 quattros ready to roar into 2013 action

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattros will take to the track at Kyalami on Saturday, 23 February, opening the 2013 season at the same track they competed at the closing round for 2012. That event finished in dramatic fashion with a rainstorm that saw racers competing in very difficult conditions.

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Audi S4 quattro racers set for Kyalami event‏

Press Release from Audi South Africa 

THE quartet of Audi S4 quattro race cars head for the final round of the 2012 Bridgestone Production Car Championship with the championship already decided for this season. Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun) claimed the title at the penultimate round of the WesBank Super Series with his Audi S4 quattro.

With Stephen's 52 point advantage over his nearest rivals ahead of the season finale at Kyalami, the gap cannot be closed with the total number of available points remaining in the championship. This means Stephen will have officially claimed a consecutive championship victory when the season ends in Gauteng next week.

The Audi S4 quattro racers of Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sports Medicine), Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun) and Gennaro Bonafede (A32 – Ferodo Racing) will each be racing hard for their final positions of the season.

In the case of Priest, the 2012 season has delivered a mixed bag of results. Priest remained confident that the pace he has been building would show the results he has been aiming for – and this happened at the previous event, held at Killarney. 

Here Priest won, finished second and claimed third, putting his Audi S4 quattro on the podium in each of the three races held at that event. This translated into second place overall on the day – exactly the kind of results he has been working toward.

For Stephen's teammate, Sipuka, a fairly consistent season has seen him amongst the points at each of the events. Depending on the outcome at Kyalami, this could see him finish amongst the top five for the year. 

A third place finish in one of the races at Killarney indicates that Sipuka has the pace to make that happen, so a fight to the finish from him might just see a change in the points standings in this late stage of the season.

Bonafede will use the final race meeting of 2012 to continue in his quest for a strong season in 2013. With just a few race meetings under his belt in the Audi S4 quattro he has opted for the 2012 events to be an extended testing and training programme.

This will all be groundwork for his racing efforts next year and a full championship onslaught. Having moved from a front-wheel drive Volkswagen Golf GTI into an Audi S4 quattro has brought with it a steep learning curve and a very different driving style.

Kyalami will be the final action-packed round of the season and the Audi S4 quattros in class A of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship will be right in the thick of the action.

Audi South Africa

Photos by www.motorpics.co.za

More information:

Audi South Africa

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page

Unofficial Audi Sport FB page

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page

Michael Stephen A1 - Audi S4 - Terry Moss Racing

Tschops Sipuka A2 - Audi S4 - Terry Moss Racing

Melvill Priest A7 - Audi S4 - VMP Motorsport

 Gennaro Bonafede A32 - Audi S4 - Ferodo Racing Team / VMP Motorsport 

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Production car crown for Audi racing champion‏

Press Release from Audi South Africa 

THE penultimate round of the WesBank Super Series for 2012 saw Audi S4 quattro racer Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) unofficially crowned the Class A champion in Bridgestone Production Cars for the second time. Stephen won the 2011 championship and has followed this up with another commanding victory this year.

While Stephen has unofficially claimed the title, it has yet to be ratified by Motorsport South Africa.

“It is a great feeling to win a second championship,” says Stephen. “It is often said that the first is the most difficult. There certainly was a lot less pressure in terms of delivering this championship. One of the biggest contributors this season was reliability. We were consistently winning races or finishing on the podium which made things a lot easier. Also being the second season with the car we had a lot of development work done.

“The team worked hard between every single round because at each race we go to we try to improve at least one aspect. Everyone has pulled their weight and it all came together. I think that was the biggest thing – we never stopped working.”

Stephen started the first race from pole position but lost it to his Subaru rival in the early stages as he was not inclined to take risks with an opportunity to claim a national title at the Killarney event. This put the Audi S4 quattros in second, third, fourth and fifth by lap four of the race, with Stephen, Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sports Medicine), Gennaro Bonafede (A32 – Ferodo Racing) and Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun).

With the second race grid inverting the top four finishers, this put Bonafede on pole for the first time since climbing behind the wheel of an Audi S4 quattro, with Priest in second, Stephen third and Sipuka in fifth spot. By contrast to the rolling start for the first race, the second was a standing start which saw the Audi S4 quattro competitors make a stunning run off the line. By the end of the first lap, the four Audi S4 quattros were in the top four positions.

With Bonafede slipping down the order, the race led went to Priest with Stephen taking second across the line and Sipuka finishing in third place. That second race finish meant that three of the four Audi S4 quattros started from the top three positions for the final race. Bonafede set off from sixth for the 12 lap event.

Stephen, as the lead car for the final race, kept the field bunched and waited until the very last second before putting his foot down. As the field crossed the line Stephen and Priest were clearly controlling the race, with Priest chasing hard on Stephen's tail. For Sipuka and Bonafede, an on-track incident caused by Etienne van der Linde eliminated them both from the last race of the day, affecting their overall results for the day.

When Stephen's Audi S4 quattro crossed the finish line, he claimed the 2012 Bridgestone Production Car championship, Priest had achieved the results he has been confident were just a matter of time with a second overall for the day after winning race two and finishing second in race two, Sipuka had posted the fastest laptime for race one and finishing third in race two and Bonafede had achieved his first pole position in the Audi S4 quattro.

Each of the Audi S4 quattro competitors achieved at the Cape Town race meeting and are confident of finishing the season on a high note in preparation for another exciting year of racing in 2013.

Audi South Africa

Photos by www.motorpics.co.za

More information:

Audi South Africa

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page

Unofficial Audi Sport FB page

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page

Michael Stephen A1 - Audi S4 - Terry Moss Racing

Tschops Sipuka A2 - Audi S4 - Terry Moss Racing

Melvill Priest A7 - Audi S4 - VMP Motorsport

 Gennaro Bonafede A32 - Audi S4 - Ferodo Racing Team / VMP Motorsport 

Nieyaaz Modack A128 - Audi A4

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Mr Consistency Michael Stephen wins back-to-back titles

By Johan Laubscher

Michael Stephen

Another Audi champion has been crowned in South Africa. Reigning Bridgestone Production Cars Class A champion, Michael Stephen, has wrapped up the 2012 title. Mr Consistency ensured the championship title at the penultimate round of the series with his Audi S4. Michael has become the second Audi driver to achieve back-to-back titles after Johan Fourie won in 2008 and 2009.

Stephan Audi S4 - 2012

As was the case in 2011, Michael Stephen was the most consistent driver during the season and this allowed him to build up a healthy points total. The Engen Xtreme Team/Terry Moss Racing crew have been working very hard all season on the team’s two-car entry. The team has always been at the front of the pack with their new Audi S4 race cars which debuted in 2011, when Michael won on the car’s debut and went on to win the 2011 championship.

Stephan Audi S4 - 2012

Along with a double championship victory, Michael also has a rare feather in his cap. He is one of very few race drivers in the world who has won a national championship in a car which he was heavily involved in building and maintaining. The qualified engineer is both a master in the workplace and on the racetrack.

Stephan Audi S4

The championship was won at Killarney on 22 September 2012. Another excellent performance ensured that the consistent results provided dividends for Michael and his Audi S4. Two podium finishes and a race win was enough to clinch the title with one round remaining. Michael’s performance at the event was even more impressive as he suffered a workshop accident earlier that same week. He suffered burns to his arms, hands and face. Despite the burns he was ready to race and it was fitting as Terry Moss Racing have been supporting the Red Cross Childrens Hospital burn unit during the season.

Stephan Audi S4 - 2012

We say a huge well done and congratulation to Michael Stephen and Terry Moss Racing. We are delighted that the number one remains on his door for 2013. The team have been great ambassadors for Audi in South African motorsport. The team owner, Terry Moss, was a legendary Audi champion and his team is set to continue their legacy on South African race tracks for many years to come. 

A television feature on Michael Stephen from 2008 

Photos are hosted at www.motorpics.co.za

Editors note: The championship points are provisional from the Bridgestone Production Cars Championship, the points still need official confirmation from Motorsport South Africa (MSA).

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Gallery: South African Bridgestone Production Cars at Zwartkops

By Johan Laubscher 

Round seven of the South African Bridgestone Production Car series took place this past weekend. Four Audi S4 cars were on track doing battle. The weekend saw the debut of Gennaro Bonafede in the Ferodo Racing Audi S4 prepared by VMP Motorsport. The reigning champion, Michael Stephen was the top scoring Audi this weekend by achieving three podium results. The triple podium also ensured that Michael remained at the top of the Class A championship points standings. 

These photos are from the Friday practice sessions. Thanks to the independent Audi Motorsport in South Africa Facebook page for the photos.

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page

Zwartkops Results

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Exciting new beginnings for Bonafede! - Audi S4 in SA

Gennaro Bonafede Press Release

After almost three seasons in the thick of battle at the sharp end of the Bridgestone Production Car class T championship, 21-year old Gennaro Bonafede will be stepping up to the challenge of class A.

He bows out of class T on a high note after driving the Ferodo backed Volkswagen Golf 6 GTI to a win at Phakisa earlier this month and currently holds third in the championship fight.

He makes his debut in class A at the wheel of the Audi S4 that was raced earlier this year by Johan Fourie. The car will appear in an exciting new Ferodo livery and is being prepared by Vic Maharaj’s VMP Motorsport concern in Randburg which also prepares the Audi raced by Melvill Priest, and drivers will share data, ideas and resources.

Initial testing of the Audi was encouraging and it didn’t take long to make the decision to race the Audi. “I’ve only done a couple of tests, but we decided to grab the bull by the horns and race the car. Basically we will treat the remainder of the season as extended tests under race conditions. There’s no better way of getting used to a car than by racing it,” said a very enthusiastic Bonafede at a Zwartkops test.

“This way we will get some seat time under race conditions so we are in a position to start 2013 with a much better understanding of the car and in a position to race for wins.”

As for his prospects, Bonafede, an official Monster Energy athlete, was at pains to point out how different the driving styles are. “The brakes are very, very good. Power feels quite similar but the Quattro system is just amazing. Its insane how quickly it accelerates out of the corners. Even the lines you take in corners are different in the Audi compared to the front wheel drive Golf.”

There’s no doubt that Bonafede’s progress in the Ferodo Audi S4 will be watched very closely by rival Audi drivers, but as Maharaj pointed out, “it is his first race in the car and we aren’t looking for results. It is really a case of getting a feel for the car and technique required to get the best out of it.”

Article and photos by Steve Wicks

More information:

Gennaro Bonafede website

Gennaro Bonafede FB page

VMP Motorsport website

VMP Motorsport FB page

Ferodo Racing FB page
Audi South Africa FB page

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Audi fans say goodbye to a legendary team: Johan Fourie Racing

By Johan Laubscher

For many in South Africa the Bridgestone Production Cars is seen as the top category of racing in the country. In recent years many of the country’s top teams and drivers have battled for this prestigious crown. One of the most successful teams in this series is Johan Fourie Racing with their Audi race cars. Today the sad news has arrived that the team will be closing its doors. The news comes after a very difficult season for the team who suffered set back after set back, through no fault of their own. The news is a shock to both Audi fans and fans of the sport. This team and their fighting spirit will be missed by everyone.

The team came from various other forms of South African motorsport which also included multiple Websank V8 championship titles. The team and their star driver, Johan Fourie joined the Production Cars ranks in 2006 with an Audi A4 3.2 quattro. The team used 2007 as a learning year and came back fighting in 2008 by winning the Class A title. Johan made it a back to back success as he stormed to the 2009 championship title as well. 2010 and onwards was to be a testing time for Johan Fourie Racing. With the introduction of new cars from the competitors during 2010, the old normally aspirated Audi A4 cars could not keep up with the new turbo charged BMW cars. 2010 was a white wash for the BMW team with Johan suffering many issues during the season. 2011 was headlined as the year that the Audi S4 B8 cars would debut in the series, to take the fight to the mighty BMW 335i cars.

The two Audi teams (JFR and Terry Moss Racing) worked flat out in order to prepare the cars for the season opener, but both teams missed the deadline. The old Audi A4 cars were used at the first round. Terry Moss Racing had their cars ready before JFR and they showed the pace of the new cars at the following rounds. Johan Fourie was stuck with his old car until the fourth round of the series. He did very well with the old car, but could not match the pace of all the new cars. At round four his new Audi S4 was ready and took a debut win in the endurance event.

Round five of the season and Fourie was on fire at Aldo Scribante. He scorched to three wins from four and rocketed himself back into the title hunt (see videos bellow). By the end of the season he was at the top of the log heading to the final round. Sadly luck deserted him at the finale as the title slipped though his fingers with various problems outside of his control. This was the beginning of the end for the team.

The team was focused on the 2012 season when they lost their main sponsor. Without the sponsor the team had to withdraw from the opening round of the championship. It was a very sad sight not to see the JFR Audi S4 at the event.

With sponsor talks continuing an agreement was reached and Johan Fourie was back for round two in Cape Town. Johan put on a massive showing for his home town fans as he took two victories on the day, proving he and the team deserve to be in Class A. Following the event his sponsor withdrew for a second time. With this occurrence JFR sourced another sponsor  and his Audi S4 was seen in plain white colour at the next event, after his previous long time sponsor’s orange colour had been removed.

The rest of the 2012 season was littered with bad luck for Johan Fourie. The two rounds that followed saw various retirements, including a weekend ending practice crash in Durban. The crash in Durban was in no way Johan Fourie’s fault. Another car crashed into the S4 as Johan was waiting for a clear moment to return to the track. The Audi S4 was heavily damaged and so was JFR’s season.

Just over a month later, a few days before round six of the series the sad news broke cover. Johan Fourie Racing would be closing its doors and Johan Fourie would be taking a sabbatical from Motorsport. Very sad news for Johan’s many fans, both in South Africa and internationally.

Johan Fourie Racing is one of the most successful South African teams, a team everyone has gotten use to seeing at every event, and at the front of those events. Not seeing this team and their truck in the paddock will be a hard fact to swallow.

The fans say thank you to JFR for many years of great racing, the team and its driver will be sorely missed.

Round 5 of the 2011 season saw Johan Fourie at his very best. He absolutely dominated the race weekend in his Audi S4. The race highlights from that round are included bellow. It is exactly this drive and pace from Johan Fourie Racing that we will all miss on future race days.

 

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011 Audi A4

2011 Audi S4

2012

All images are hosted at motorpics.co.za

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