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 teams 2013 season review

By Johan Laubscher

The 2013 South African Bridgestone Production Car Championship had another excellent season with the Audi S4 coming out on top once again.

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BPCC: Audi racers ready for the final round challenge

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE final round of the Super Series takes place at Kyalami on Saturday, 2 November. The four Audi S4 quattros entries are poised to make a strong showing at this event – with the defending champion in this series leading the charge.

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Gallery: Audi S4s at Zwartkops - SA Production Cars Round 7

By Johan Laubscher 

Round seven of the South African Bridgestone Production Cars Championship took place at Zwartkops this weekend. All four of the regular Audi S4s competed, with a terrific 1-2-3 finish in race two. 

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South African Production Cars kicks off at Kyalami with four Audi S4

By Johan Laubscher

The 2013 South African Bridgestone Production Car Championship gets underway at Kyalami this weekend. The Audi representation remains unchanged from 2012 as the same four Audi S4 race cars will line up on the grid. Terry Moss Racing returns with Michael Stephen and Tschops Sipuka. Reigning champion Stephen will be aiming to become the Class A champion for the third consecutive time during 2013. Terry Moss Racing will be joined by VMP Motorsport who will again be running a two-car team for Melvill Priest and Gennaro Bonafede.

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A young new star driving the Audi S4 in South Africa

By Johan Laubscher

Gennaro Bonafede

The latest news from South Africa is that a young star will soon be on track behind the wheel of an Audi S4. Gennaro Bonafede has made a name for himself on the South African motorsport scene. After moving through the formulas he debuted in the Bridgestone Production Cars in 2010. He made his debut in Class T for turbocharged cars such as the Golf GTI and the Ford Focus ST, amongst others. Armed with his Ferodo Golf GTI he finished runner up in his debut season, firmly establishing himself as a front runner in the series.  

Johan Fourie Racing A4

Some sad news had emerged from the sport during the week running up to round six of the Production Car series at Phakisa. The multiple championship winning team, Johan Fourie Racing announced that the team would be closing its doors. It was a tremendous loss to the series and South African motorsport as a whole. The news also meant that the team’s Audi S4 had become available to prospective teams. It did not take long for another team to purchase the Audi S4 and to prepare an entry into class A.

Gennaro Bonafede Ferodo Golf 6 GTI

The fact surrounding the acquisition of the S4 became known shortly after the Johan Fourie Racing news, but which team it was had not yet been announced. Rumours began circulating and finally the announcement was made. Gennaro Bonafede will be driving the Audi S4 in Ferodo colours run by VMP Motorsport. The move was initiated by Audi South Africa expressing a keen interest in seeing Gennaro racing the Audi S4. This is very exciting news for the series and fans alike. The VMP team are already running an Audi S4 in Class A for Melvil Priest and Gennaro’s Golf 6 GTI in Class T. The team is delighted to add another Audi S4 for their young star driver.

With Gennaro Bonafede success in Class T it was inevitable that he would move to Class A. It seems natural for him to step up to an Audi after his successes with its sister brand Volkswagen. The Ferodo Audi S4 once again raises the Audi S4 count to four in the series. Audi fans will be very excited as young new talent will represent the brand in Class A along with the other Audi S4 drivers.

We wish the best of luck and success to Gennaro and VMP with their new adventure in Class A, armed with the Ferodo Audi S4.

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

Photos by Steve Wicks and www.motorpics.co.za 

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Audi S4 quattro racers ready for PE charge‏ (South Africa)

Press Release from Audi South Africa

THE Port Elizabeth round of the WesBank Super Series will see the Audi S4 quattro racers embroiled in a serious battle for honours. Round two saw all four Audi S4 quattro cars compete together for the first time and Scribante will be just the second opportunity for race fans to see this spectacle for themselves.

For defending Bridgestone Production Car Class A champion Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun), the PE round is an important part of his championship as it is his opportunity to compete in front of his home crowd. Stephen wrested the championship title from fellow Audi S4 quattro competitor Johan Fourie (A9 – EPS / IndyOil) at the end of last season, but Fourie is determined to fight back this year.

While Fourie is a Capetonian, his Audi S4 Quattro “lives” in PE and is prepared there. This means that Scribante is also his home track and where he does the bulk of his testing. Two Audi S4 quattros that consider PE to be there home ground is daunting enough for the opposition, but there are three Audi S4 quattros that hail from the friendly city.

Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun), teammate to Stephen, is also a Port Elizabethan and that makes a trio of Audi S4 quattros that have a very specific knowledge of the circuit – and a claim to homeground advantage. This is not going to make it easy for their opposition.

Factor into this equation Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sport Medicine) who slid in behind the wheel of his Audi S4 quattro for this first time at the start of the 2012 season. Priest has indicated that he does not have quite the pace of the other teams as the development of his race car is a year behind the Audi S4 quattros.

The points don't seem to indicate any lack of pace on Priest's part though as he is currently the second highest scoring Audi S4 quattro entry this year, second only to the defending champion Stephen.

In fact, the Audi S4 quattro entries currently hold consecutive positions in the championship overall, fourth to seventh. This is quite an achievement considering Priest only started with his Audi S4 quattro this season and that Fourie missed the first round of the year completely!

Race fans in Port Elizabeth can look forward to serious action as this quartet of Audi S4 quattro racers push hard for honours and their opposition is going to be under serious pressure trying to keep up.

Audi South Africa

Photos hosted at 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

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Audi S4 quattro quartet a force in the Cape‏

Press Release from Audi South Africa

THERE are now four Audi S4 quattros competing in the Bridgestone Production Car championship – and Killarney was the venue for this quartet to compete for the first time. The event was round two of the WesBank Super Series which took place in Cape Town on Saturday.

The four cars are made up of defending Bridgestone Production Car class A champion Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme / Southern Sun), Stephen's Engen Xtreme teammate Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Southern Sun), the Mueller Sport Medicine Audi S4 quattro of Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sport Medicine) and the EPS / IndyOil entry of Johan Fourie (A9 – EPS / IndyOil).

Fourie missed the first round of the championship held at Zwartkops Raceway but appeared determined to make up for it with his Cape Town performance. Fourie kicked off the event with the fastest qualifying performance in the championship, closely followed by Stephen.

Priest and Sipuka qualified seventh and eighth with Priest's team having to do quite a bit of work on his Audi S4 quattro after it was damaged during the practise sessions. A great deal of work later Priest described the car's handling as acceptable but not optimal. It didn't seem to slow him down much though.

In the first race Fourie kept up the performance of his qualifying session to claim the race victory with Stephen right behind him. Here Priest raced home to fifth place with Sipuka one place back. Race two again showed Fourie to be unstoppable in his charge for points and he claimed the chequered flag for a second time. Stephen crossed the finish line for fourth with Sipuka in seventh and Priest unable to complete the race – he missed a gear (second gear) on the start which allowed Stephen to pass. Brief contact between the pair resulted in a broken steering arm which meant Priest had to pull off and could not complete the race.

Race three saw Priest back on form, crossing the line for third with Stephen in fourth. Sipuka finished in ninth place but Fourie had to settle for 13^th when the bonnet clips on his Audi S4 quattro snapped after contact with Stephen earlier in the race. The result was that his bonnet flew open, obscuring his view and smashing his windscreen and roof in the process.

Overall for the day Stephen claimed third place with Sipuka in fifth, Fourie sixth and Priest in eighth. The Audi S4 quattros will contest round three of the WesBank Super Series at Aldo Scribante Raceway in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, 28 April.

Audi South Africa

Photos hosted at 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

Johan Fourie - Audi S4 (Johan Fourie Racing)

Michael Stephen - Audi S4 (Terry Moss Racing)

Tschops Sipuka - Audi S4 (Terry Moss Racing)

Melvil Priest - Audi S4 (VMP Motorsport)

Nieyaaz Modack - Audi A4 (Private ex-Johan Fourie Racing A4)

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SA Bridgestone Production Cars and the Audi teams returning to Durban streets

2007 Durban Race

By Johan Laubscher

The South African Bridgestone Production Cars championship has provided many action packed race days for the South African fans. With some of the best drivers and teams in the country battling it out on track. The series will have a street race in Durban this year. The event will be part of the Top Gear Festival which will be held on a constructed street circuit in Durban during June 2012. The closing weekend of the festival will see a round of the Wesbank Super Series, of which the Bridgestone Productions Cars is a part of. Seeing the grid of Audis, BMWs, Subarus and the lower classes racing round a tight street circuit will be spectacular.

2012 Top Gear Festival Durban street track

This will not be the first time the series has graced the streets of Durban. In 2007, as part of the A1GP event in Durban on a street circuit, some of the national championships were invited as support events. The Bridgestone Production Cars was one of these series, and the racing it provided was spectacular. The cars battling and sliding around the twisty track made for a great spectacle which can be seen in the videos bellow.

The date for the race weekend is set for June 16. It remains to be seen how similar the 2012 race will  be to the 2007 A1GP race, but one thing is guaranteed, the racing will be close and fast.


A total of five Audis are entered for the event, which includes four Audi S4 B8 race cars and one Audi A4 B7 3.2.

Photos hosted at Motorpics.co.za and TopGearFestival.co.za

More information:
MotorPics

Audi South Africa

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page

Unofficial Audi Sport FB page

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page

Top Gear Festival

Footage from the 2007 Durban races:

2007 Bridgestone Production Cars at Durban Race 1

2007 Bridgestone Production Cars at Durban Race 2

2007 Durban Race - Shaun Watson Smith - Terry Moss Racing Audi A4

2007 Durban Race - Melvil Priest - VMP Motorsport Audi A4

2007 Durban Race - Johan Fourie - Johan Fourie Racing Audi A4

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