NPCC: Audi S4 quattro racers off to coastal challenge again

Audi South Africa Press Release

For the fourth time this season, the National Production Car Championship (NPCC) racers will tackle a coastal event. For round six of the 2015 series though, it will be at a circuit that has not seen them in action before.

With just three rounds left for the year, the Extreme Festival moves to Dezzi's Raceway in KwaZulu-Natal where the 2.5 km track lies in wait for the national competitors. Racing at this circuit so late in the season could result in an unexpected shake-up to the season.

With three Audi S4 quattro racers at the top of the leaderboard, it looks more and more like the NPCC title will go to one of these three competitors this season. At the top of the log is Hennie Groenewald (8 – Audi Sasolracing) who is currently nine points in the lead.

Second spot is held by Michael Stephen (12 – Engen Xtreme) while Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing) is in third place – with a three-point gap between them.

This thin 12 point spread between the top three racers will certainly prove to be the catalyst for some exciting racing in the remaining rounds – and with the Audi S4 quattro racers 26 points ahead of the fourth-placed competitor, their dominance in this series is hard to challenge.

For Simon Moss (38 – Engen Xtreme) the Dezzi's Raceway event presents an opportunity to focus on his race results. Moss has made great strides with his qualifying results, appearing on the front row of the starting grid twice recently.

A round of the championship at a new circuit creates the possibility that his pace will prove more valuable than the experience the other racers have at the regular circuits, and a good result could see him claim the three points he needs to break into being amongst the top five competitors this season.

Another round, a new circuit and four very determined Audi S4 quattro racers is an opportunity to see some fast-paced and exciting national circuit racing in NPCC. The challenge might result in some of the toughest on-track battles seen yet in the 2015 season.

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

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NPCC: Audi S4 quattro racers in thick of Zwartkops action‏

Audi South Africa Press Release

As has become expected from the Audi S4 quattro competitors, they were right in the thick of the race day action at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday.

Round five of the National Production Car Championship (NPCC) proved another exciting part of the 2015 season and the Audi S4 quattro racers were the pace setters.

The four Audi S4 quattros were the top four qualifying NPCC competitors on Saturday morning, with Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing) the quickest followed by Simon Moss (38 – Engen Xtreme), Hennie Groenewald (8 – Audi Sasolracing) and Michael Stephen (12 – Engen Xtreme). This also meant the first two rows of the starting grid for race one were all Audi.

For Bonafede, starting on pole meant his first race win for the day, with teammate Groenewald in second place and Stephen in third. Moss brought his Audi S4 quattro home for fifth. With race two a reverse grid, the Audi S4 quattro racers were faced with having to fight their way through the field. By the chequered flag, Groenewald had worked his way up to second place with Stephen fourth and Bonafede fifth and Moss sixth.

For race three it was Bonafede again the lead Audi S4 quattro across the finish line, winning the last race of the day in the process with Stephen in fourth, Groenewald fifth and Moss ending the day in 15th place.

The NPCC entrants will contest their next round for 2015 at Dezzi's Raceway in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, August 29. This will be a first for the field with none of the Audi S4 quattros having competed at the circuit before.

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

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NPCC: Audi S4 quattro racers in the hunt for points at Zwartkops‏

Audi South Africa Press Release

The Audi S4 quattro racers will return to competition in the National Production Car Championship (NPCC) at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, August 8, for round five of their championship season.

Hennie Groenewald (8 – Audi Sasolracing) enters this round of the series as the new leader, with a two-point advantage over his rival Michael Stephen (12 – Engen Xtreme). Two points, in a championship that sees qualifying times between the top runners measured in fractions of a second …

While Groenewald knows Stephen will be aiming to out-qualify him at Zwartkops – and will fill his rearview mirror at every possible opportunity – he will still enjoy the lead he has, knowing that he's in the driving seat as far as the championship goes.

From Stephen's perspective, second place in the championship provides a reasonable cushion, but without the pressures of maintaining the leading status. This is not to be confused with having no championship ambitions, rather that Stephen is willing to pace himself with an overall championship vision.

Two Audi S4 quattro racers, two very different race strategies and both with championship title ambitions. The combination is a recipe for absolute motorsport action for the rest of the National Production Car Championship (NPCC) season.

For Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing) the 2015 season will see him continue with his focus on a championship while consolidating his current third place and eroding the gap to second place – and then on to the overall championship lead.

Simon Moss (38 – Engen Xtreme) will be looking to his East London results – a podium finish in rather trying circumstances after a wheel broke, causing him to hit tyres and damage his race car. Going on to achieve a podium result at the high speeds demanded by the East London circuit puts him in good territory for the coming Zwartkops event.

Moss has had mixed results in the NPCC but this season has seen him making solid progress. The podium result in East London will boost his confidence and he will clearly be aiming for at least a repeat of that success at Zwartkops.

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

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NPCC: Flat-out action from Audi S4 quattro racers in East London

Audi South Africa Press Release

The National Production Car Championship (NPCC) has a new leader – Hennie Groenewald (8 – Audi Sasolracing). Groenewald completed round four of the season at East London in second place overall, moving into the championship lead by a single point.

“From a championship point of view I'm very pleased,” says Groenewald. “From a race perspective it could have been better though. I had to settle for second place today, but it also means a championship lead so while I'm perhaps a bit frustrated by what happened on the track, it was a fair result and now I look to Zwartkops and Dezzi's Raceway in August to consolidate that lead over the next two rounds.”

Michael Stephen (12 – Engen Xtreme) was dealt a hard blow in the first race on Saturday when he suffered engine damage. For Stephen this was an unexpected occurrence as he has had nothing but absolute reliability from his race car for five years.

“It wasn't a great weekend, but it was a good recovery this weekend,” says Stephen. “Qualifying wasn't great, but I dealt with it. In race one I was going strong until the engine went which was a surprise since I haven't have an engine problem in five years. The Engen Xtreme Team dealt with it though, getting the engine out and replaced in two hours.”

Simon Moss (38 – Engen Xtreme) shone in the qualifying session in East London and also achieved a podium result in the second race of the day. One piece of bad luck made a big impact on his overall results, which affected what could have been his very best showing in the NPCC racing thus far.

“Qualifying went very well, I had good pace,” says Moss. “Unfortunately in that first race my left rear rim broke and I rolled the car and hit the tyres. It looked pretty bad but the car wasn't too badly damaged and the team could fix it before the second race. I even finished on the podium in race two, getting third place.”

For Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing) the East London round was an event where things just wouldn't hook up to form a cohesive race day. It is an event he will be glad to have behind him, with a brighter outlook for the coming rounds.

“On Friday we battled a bit with setup and I was also losing a bit of time through Potters Pass,” says Bonafede. “It was all me through Potters, not really pushing the boundaries through there. In race one I started seventh and worked my way up to third which was good. In race two I was putting in lap after lap of good times but in the dying stages the clutch gave in and I went from second to sixth. There wasn't time to fix it for race three so I was unable to finish.”

Round five of the NPCC season will see the Audi S4 quattro racers head to Zwartkops Raceway for the first of two rounds in August. The first at Zwartkops on 8 August will be followed by a visit to Dezzi's Raceway in KZN on Saturday 22 August.

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

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NPCC: Audi S4 quattros will set the pace in East London

Audi South Africa Press Release

The Audi S4 quattro racers contest round four of the National Production Car Championship (NPCC) on Saturday, 13 June, at the East London circuit. The top three slots in the championship are currently held by Audi S4 quattro competitors.

The lead in the championship is in the hands of Michael Stephen (12 – Engen Xtreme) who has a three-point advantage after his hometown performance at Aldo Scribane Raceway. Stephen's successful race day at his home circuit allows him a small advantage with which to approach the East London round tactically in order to maximise his lead.

Hennie Groenewald (8 – Audi Sasolracing) is the second-place NPCC racer in the series. Groenewald is well within striking distance of Stephen at this point in the championship and he'll attempt to close the gap to the leader in East London. This sets the scene for a battle of wills and also some close racing action between the top two in the championship.

Third-place in the NPCC is held by Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing) who needs just eight points to close the gap to his teammate. Bonafede has missed the podium only twice this year, out of the nine races already run. That makes Bonafede a real threat to the frontrunners as he seeks to improve on his third-place spot in the championship.

Simon Moss (38 – Engen Xtreme) races the fourth of the Audi S4 quattros in the NPCC. Moss is just outside of the top five in the series as the season reaches the mid-point for 2015. He is producing consistent results at this point in the season and will be aiming first for a top-five result – he currently needs just one point – and then for fourth place which is just five points away.

The Audi S4 quattro racers will again be setting the pace for the rest of the NPCC competitors to challenge in East London. Race fans can look forward to an action-packed round of the series as these thoroughbred racing machines go into high-speed action at one of the fastest circuits in South Africa.

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

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NPCC: Audi S4 quattro racers the big winners at Scribante event‏

Audi South Africa Press Release

The Audi S4 quattro racers were the focus of National Production Car Championship racing in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. The four Audi S4 quattros dominated the timing sheets from qualifying through to the overall results.

In an unbroken run through race day, the Audi S4 quattros were top four in terms of laptimes in qualifying, race one, two and three – as well as the overall standings.

In qualifying it was PE-racer Michael Stephen (12 – Engen Xtreme) that set the pace, with the Audi S4 quattros of Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing), Simon Moss (38 – Engen Xtreme) and Hennie Groenewald (8 – Audi Sasolracing) following.

In race one the battle raged between Stephen and Bonafede with Stephen leading the field until the final laps when Bonafede managed to get ahead. A decision after the race saw officials invert the order to give Stephen the winner's points. Here Groenewald finished third with Moss in fourth.

Race two saw Groenewald the leading Audi S4 quattro when the chequered flag dropped with Stephen in second, Bonafede third and Moss again taking fourth.

The final race saw Stephen cross the finish line for first to close out a successful trio of race wins for the Audi S4 quattros, with Groenewald in second, Bonafede and Moss in third and fourth. This ensured the Audi S4 quattros dominated all podium positions on race day, claiming first, second and third overall.

The Audi S4 quattro competitors tackle the high speed East London circuit on Saturday, July 11 for round four of the championship.

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

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NPCC: Audi S4 quattro racers ready to heat up winter racing‏

 

Audi South Africa Press Release

Round three of the National Production Car Championship (NPCC) sees the four Audi S4 quattros set to compete at Aldo Scribante Raceway in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, 13 June. Just two rounds into the season, the Audi S4 quattro competitors have already taken the top three spots in the series.

Hennie Groenewald (8 – Audi Sasolracing) currently holds the leading position in the series, with two race wins amongst his total of four podium finishes so far. In true Audi style though, it wouldn't be exciting if things weren't close.

Second place is held by Michael Stephen (12 – Engen Xtreme) who, also with four podium results and two race wins, is just a single point behind. For Stephen the Scribante event is on his home turf and he will be using this to his advantage wherever possible.

Round three sees Gennaro Bonafede (32 – Audi Sasolracing) heading to Port Elizabeth with the focus on closing the five-point gap which currently separates him from second place. While Bonafede has a single race win to his name so far, he has been consistently finishing on the podium.

Simon Moss (38 – Engen Xtreme) is another PE racer in the series hoping to make the most of his home-ground knowledge. For Moss the season has yet to deliver a podium result but his laptimes keep him on pace with the leading racers.

Three races of fast-paced, close racing action will take place at Scribante on Saturday, with the Audi S4 quattro competitors leading the championship chase.

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

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