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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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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BPCC: Audi S4 quattro racers ready for a dramatic finale

 Audi South Africa Press Release

Competition in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship has been fierce this season. The on-track battles for position and points has demanded the most from every racer in the series.

The final round of the championship sees the Audi S4 quattro racers head to Zwartkops Raceway for the last two races of the season on Saturday, 1 November. It is at this race meeting that the championship will be decided and the new champion crowned.

Defending champion in this series, Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme), has an 11 point deficit to make up at this event to mount a successful challenge for the title. This is not the first time that Stephen has entered the final round behind on points, only to emerge with another championship title.

Gennaro Bonafede (A32 – Audi Sasolracing) needs to produce a consistent performance at the Zwartkops event to consolidate his third place position in the championship. Bonafede's position in the series means that if he holds his current form he is assured of a podium result for the season.

Hennie Groenewald (A8 – Audi Sasolracing) will aim for another good result at the Zwartkops event, hoping to finish the season with a podium on the day. Groenewald has produced a podium result for his team at each of the Zwartkops race meetings this season so his chances are good for a repeat performance.

Simon Moss (A38 – Engen Xtreme) will be eager to finish his season on a high note. He started his first year in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship at Zwartkops in March this year and will be aiming to finish the year with a good result to cap his inaugural season in the class.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za
 

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BPCC: Audi Sasolracing looking for repeat wins at season finale‏

Audi Sasolracing Press Release

The Audi Sasolracing team heads into the final round of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship at Zwartkops Raceway buoyed by the knowledge that the 2.4km long circuit west of Pretoria is the scene of their best results of the year.

Hennie Groenewald claimed a win in round one and round six, while Gennaro Bonafede was the overall winner in March.

Although Gennaro has yet to win a race this year – he remains in 3rd place in the overall championship standings due to his consistency throughout the season.

Vic Maharaj’s crack team has been hard at work preparing the pair of Sasol Racing S4 quattro racers and resolved the issues that prevented Hennie and Gennaro from capitalizing on their strong qualifying performance in Cape Town last month.

At this time of the year, anything could happen, weather-wise.  If it is hot and the racing is close – as it invariably is in Production Car Racing – cars will be under pressure to stay cool.  Rain may play a role in the outcome of the races, as happened back in early March at the first round.

From the pit wall:

Vic Maharaj, Team Manager: “It’s amazing how quickly the season has passed by. Both drivers are happy with their pace and the car’s handling so we should be at the sharp end of the grid.

Everyone in the series needs to realize you can’t win the race in the first two corners so if we get through the opening phase of the race we will be in great shape to end the season on a high note”.

Gennaro Bonafede #32: “My aim is to end the season as it started, with an overall victory.  I really want to give Sasol a race win, though.  I’m third in the championship which isn’t too bad for my first season in the Audi Sasolracing team.  Gavin (Cronje) is quite close behind on the points table so I expect a big fight between us”.

Hennie Groenewald #8: “I’ve had a lean season by my standards and want to win another race for the team and Zwartkops gives us our best opportunity.  I have recorded a win in each of the rounds held here.  We have a good car and should be able to challenge for pole position”.

Race fans are invited to the pits to view the Audi Sasolracing S4 quattros up close, meet the drivers and collect a souvenir poster.

Photo credit: David Ledbitter  

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BPCC: Audi S4 Quattro Racers Set the Pace at Scribante

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattro racers set the pace at Aldo Scribante Raceway in Port Elizabeth. The qualifying session for round three of their championship in the Super Series saw the top four positions all claimed by Audi S4 quattro drivers.

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BPCC: Audi S4 Quattro Racers Ready to Race in PE

Audi South Africa Press Release 

THE Bridgestone Production Car Championship moves to Port Elizabeth for round three of the Super Series on Saturday, 3 May. The fight for points has built in intensity with the PE event promising to be the most challenging yet.

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BPCC: Audi Sasolracing consolidate championship challenge at Cape Town races

Sasolracing Press Release

Gennaro Bonafede and Hennie Groenewald remain well in contention for the 2014 Bridgestone Production Car Championship title after round two at the Killarney race track in Cape Town having claimed the overall 3rd and 4th places respectively after a pair of tough, no-holds-barred races.

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BPCC: Another Strong Showing for Audi S4 Quattro Racers

Audi South Africa Press Release

ROUND two of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship at Killarney proved another intense race meeting for the Audi S4 quattro competitors. Incredibly close racing with no quarter asked nor given was the order of the day.

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BPCC: Audi Racers Have Eye on Another Dominant Display

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattro entries were a force to be reckoned with the opening round of the Bridgestone Production Car season. At Zwartkops Raceway in early March the four racers proved untouchable.

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BPCC: Audi Sasolracing aiming for top results at Killarney Racetrack‏

Sasolracing Press Release

AUDI SASOLRACING AIMS TO EXTEND PRODUCTION CAR CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT KILLARNEY RACES

Gennaro Bonafede and Hennie Groenewald head into the second round of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship at Killarney in Cape Town in first and third places respectively in the early season championship standings, fully intending to give Audi Sasolracing another set of results to further entrench their title aspirations.

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BPCC: Audi dominates at opening round of Super Series season‏

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE four Audi S4 quattro entries in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship produced a dominant start to the 2014 season, clearly stamping their authority on the Super Series right from the outset.

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BPCC: Sensational start to Audi Sasolracing's season

Sasolracing Press Release

SENSATIONAL START TO AUDI SASOLRACING’S SEASON

BRIDGESTONE PRODUCTION CAR CHAMPIONSHIP RD 1 REVIEW

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BPCC: Stephen leads Audi S4 1-2-3-4 in quattro weather at Zwartkops

By Johan Laubscher

The first race meeting of the 2014 South African Bridgestone Production Cars Championship was very successful for the Audi teams. Both races at Zwartkops were won by Audi S4 drivers.

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BPCC: Audi Sasolracing dominated the first race at Zwartkops

By Johan Laubscher

The first race of the 2014 South African Bridgestone Production Cars Championship concluded with race victory for Audi Sasolracing this afternoon.

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BPCC: Audi Sasolracing S4 quattro 1-2 pole position at Zwartkops

By Johan Laubscher

The 2014 South African Bridgestone Production Cars Championship is getting underway at Zwartkops this weekend. Four Audi S4 cars are being fielded by two different teams. The cars showed well during practice and pole position went to the Audi squad.

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BPCC: Sasolracing adds “Vorsprung” to its Production Car Championship challenge

Sasolracing Press Release

Sasolracing enters a new era as they mount a concerted effort to capture to Bridgestone Production Car Championship in 2014. Hennie Groenewald and Gennaro Bonafede will race a pair of Sasolracing-liveried Audi S4 Quattros in the eight-round series, which gets underway on 1st March at Zwartkops Raceway.

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