April 5, 2018
Witness
WHEELS
ADVERTISING: AVIR THULSIRAM ON 084 278 3447
… NOW YOU’RE MOTORING
Top karters at iDube Massive entries bode well for the remaining three rounds of karting championships in 2018 STUART JOHNSTON ONE of the biggest karting entries for a National Championship meeting in a decade guaranteed that the first round of the 2018 National Karting Championship provided thrilling competition at iDube karting circuit near Pietermaritzburg on March 31. The wet-dry-wet conditions played havoc with the best-laid plans for race set-ups all day long, but Rotax Man Ed Murray said that the well-organised event boded well for the remaining three National Championship rounds still to come in 2018. “The number of top drivers in DD2 in particular shows that the Rotax series rates as the most competitive motorsport arena anywhere in South Africa right now. “The Junior Max class is just as competitive at the sharp end of the field, and drew an impressive 20-kart entry. “And it’s great to see that our relatively new class, Micro Max, drew an excellent 17 entries for iDube and will have many more at the next rounds in Gauteng and Western Cape where more locals will compete at National level,” Murray said. Super tight racing in DD2 In the top-ranking DD2 class 32 starters engaged their two-speed gearbox direct drive karts to take on both the technical iDube track and KZN’s rainy weather. Qualifying for the fastest National karting class in South Africa was run in dry conditions on Friday, April 30, and the times showed just why this class has been rated as the most competitive racing in South Africa today. Local KZN ace Benjamin Habig took pole position, and the top 10 qualifiers were separated by less than half a second. Second-quickest was Cape Town’s Jurie Swart, followed by wily Port Elizabeth veteran Michael Stephen. Next up was Simon Moss, making a surprise return to karting, while the current SA champ, Bradley Liebenberg, managed fifth-fastest. In fact the fastest 20 competitors in race one (in the rain) were separated by less than a second on the steeply sloped iDube circuit. “There is simply no other kart circuit like this anywhere else in the world,” said South African Rotax distributor Ed Murray, who has been involved in kart racing for over five decades. He joked that the DD2 class was in fact a finishing school for the Global Touring Car series, which currently enjoys top status on long-circuit racing in South Africa, and he has a valid point. Out of the top five grid positions, three of the kart drivers currently run in GTC, while a glance down the DD2 entry list reveals many South African and World karting champions. Notable amongst these was Arnold Neveling from Vereeniging, who is a past Rotax European Champion. Neveling, who runs a team of a
series so none of the racers are writing him off yet. Charl Visser was an impressive second for the day, winning the final Junior Max race of the day, followed by Aqil Alibhai. Also impressive was 2017 Maxterino champ Tate Bishop from Cape Town, who placed fourth overall ahead of Daniel Patrizi. Kwanda Mokoena — reigning 60cc champion from Gauteng — is always good value at iDube , and he scored an impressive second in Race Two to end up sixth overall, just ahead of pole man Oelz, who scored two seconds in races One and Two, but had a torrid Race Three to drop him down the overall standings.
Winner of the Mini Max class for for drivers aged 9-13, Mikhail Fernandez, grabs some air around iDube. PHOTO: WERNER VIET — MOTORPRESS younger kart drivers, was making a welcome return to driving at iDube , but his qualifying run was spoiled by a mechanical glitch, so he had to start right at the tail-end of the 32-kart grid. Local hopes, however, were pinned on top KZN karter Ben Habig and Cristiano Morgado, a multiple Rotax World Champion. Morgado is competing in both the DD2 and Senior Max classes this year. The racing was as tight as the grid times suggested, but the changeable conditions throughout the day meant drivers guessing the weather and opting for either a dry or a wet set-up. For this reason, no single driver dominated the day’s racing, but Michael Stephen came closest. Also known for a string of South African championships in Karting, Polo Cup, Production Cars and the GTC series, Stephen won the first race and followed this up with a second place in the second race and a third in the final race, to take the overall win for the day. Behind him, Arnold Neveling showed what a classy driver he is, fighting his way through from 32nd place on the grid in Race One to finish second overall for the day. Neveling placed fourth in Race One, third in Race Two and won the final race of the day. Morgado didn’t disappoint. He was second in the first race and took the win in the second race, but fell afoul of the changeable conditions in Race Three, only placing seventh and ending third overall. Habig showed great pace to place third in Race One and second in Race Two, but a fifth place in the third race saw him end up fourth, ahead of current SA Champion Bradley Liebenberg
from Lonehill. Liebenberg, who has been dominant in DD2 for a number of seasons now, had a quiet race by his standards and finished fifth overall, his best placings being two fourths in Race Two and Race Three. DD2 Masters class Michael Stephen was the winner among the drivers aged 32 and older, followed by Morgado and Pinetown local ace Jonathan Pieterse. Senior Max The very enthusiastic Pieterse has entered not only DD2 this season but also the Senior non-gearbox class, Senior Max. Here although the field was smaller than DD2, the competition was still intense. There were three different race winners in Senior Max, but Jono Pieterse was the most consistent in the wetand-dry races, taking a third and a fifth in the first two races and then scoring a very popular “local” win in the final race to end up the overall winner. Local protagonist Dominic Lincoln, who has set the pace in Senior Max in 2018, had a difficult day starting with his nosecone being ripped off in a first lap squeeze into the Cork Screw and then losing a chain in the final race. Wayland Wyman fought hard after missing the pre-race practices and big things can be expected from these two going forward. Jason Coetzee from Cape Town was a Race One winner, and a third place in Race Two and an eighth in the final race saw him placed second overall, followed by Cris Morgado, who also ran two classes at iDube. Dane van Heerde, son of popular
KZN DD2 masters driver Richard van Heerde, was a fine fourth, followed by Edenvale’s Nick Verheul, who was quick all day and won race Two, but a wrong choice of slick tyres in what turned out to be a very wet final saw Verheul, Lincoln, Morgado and Coetzee fight for the lower places while trying to stay on the soaked track. Carlo Olivier, after leading the final race for a while rounded out the top six. Junior Max There were 20 drivers on the grid for for drivers aged 12 to 15 has really come of age this year. A favourite to win here was Cape Town’s Charl Visser, but he was just pipped for pole position in qualifying by fellow Capetonian Joseph Oelz. Once again, wet-to-dry-to-wet conditions meant that some drivers were caught out with set-up changes between races, while others made the right call. One of these was young Jarrod Waberski from Gauteng, who made no mistake in winning Race One and Race Two, and took the overall win for the day, despite struggling in the final race. Jayden Els, the 2016 Rotax Mini Max World champ, impressed with pole position and built up an impressive lead in Race One but from mid distance the drying track favoured those who chose to race on slicks and so he eventually dropped to second position. Els’ day got worse when he came in underweight which moved him to last. His Race Two second place result was downgraded after a five-second nose cone penalty was applied so this is an event he would rather forget. The point scoring system provides for three races to be dropped at the end of the
Mini Max Cape Town drivers were also prominent in Mini Max, for drivers aged 9-13, none more so than young Mikhail Fernandez. On a day where consistency was key, Mikhail won Race One, placed fifth in Race Two and second in Race Three to head the Mini Max standings. Local kart fans in KZN were cheered by the pace of Richards Bay driver Liam de Beer, who backed up two fourth places in races One and Two by a fine win in Race Three, sending the packed grand stand at iDube wild with delight. Josh le Roux gave Gauteng a look-in in Race Two by coming out on top, and he placed third overall for the day, followed by Capetonian Joaquin de Oliveira, and Joshua de Paiva and Reece Fuller from Gauteng. Cape driver Kyle Visser, who is normally a front runner had an off weekend but will no doubt be back at the front soon. Micro Max The new Micro Max class for drivers aged 7-11 drew an impressive entry of 17 karts, and all was set for a very completive display in this championship for primary-school-aged drivers. But the form book was turned on its head as the Micro Max runners were challenged by the weather. The changeable weather meant that the slower half of the field qualified first (best of two flying laps) in the dry, while the drivers quickest in the last practice session had to qualify in the wet. Thus you had drivers like current champion Muhammed Wally, Reza Levy from Cape Town and Joshua de Paiva, Reese Koorzen, all very quick in practice, starting from near the back of the grid. The driver who made the best of the situation was young Josh de Paiva, who racked up three straight victories, the only driver on the day to dominate. He was followed home by Troy Snyman, a recovering Reza Levy (who started in last place in Race One), and Bjorn Bertholdt, son of well-known off-road racer Gary Bertholdt. Local drivers Dhiyven Naidoo and Rayn Asmal kept the KZN flag flying by placing fifth and sixth for the day. Dhiyven in particular had a fine second place in Race Three.
Clint Seller (MiWay Yamaha Racing R1) on his way to win the 2017 SuperGP Champions Trophy at Red Star Raceway last year. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS
WIN TICKETS TO SUPERBIKES AT DEZZI’S COLIN WINDELL NATIONAL Super 600 racer Malcolm Rudman will make a ‘wild card’ appearance in the 300 Class at Dezzi Raceway, Oslo Beach on April 7 on a KTM provided by KTM Durban. The 300 Class, identical to the one raced in SNK World Superbikes, was launched in KwaZulu-Natal last year and is growing rapidly in popularity with more than 14 riders expected to make the start. It is an economical class to race in, as a set of tyres can go the entire race season without needing to be replaced. Spectators can look forward to some exciting racing and possibly a new lap record in the 300 class. After the second event of the season a month ago, where almost all the Super GT Class competitors had
some sort of mechanical issues during the day they are all back and ready to go – most notably the Duncan do Reis Pirelli Porsche (radiator issues) being sorted and ready to go up against Willie de Beer with his Cup Porsche that has had an engine refresh and new Aero kit. Lawrence Smith will be back for his first race this year with his 991 GT3 and Mike McLoughlin in the Lexus V8 Backdraft Cobra replica will be looking for a podium spot. Racing starts at 10 am with a full programme of cars and motorcycles. Win with Witness Five Witness readers stand a chance to win double tickets to event, courtesy of KZN Racing. Just answer at which raceway will the bikers gather on Saturday. E-mail your answer to alwyn.viljoen@witness.com.
One of the amateur singers — who calls himself ‘Original’ — at the Firestone Karaoke Kombi experience at Splashy Fen. PHOTO: MOTORPICS
FIRESTONE ‘MAKES THE TYRES SING’ TWO vehicles that draw a lot of attention at Splashy Fen were a restored old school kombi and the other a brand-new 2017 Volkswagen Kombi supported by Volkswagen South Africa. Equipped with state-of-the-art karaoke equipment, these vans “make the tyres sing” as one fan put it at Splashy Fen last weekend. Called the Firestone Karaoke Kombi (#FirestoneKK) experience, festival-goers could select a song of their choice and their live performance was then expertly mixed and loaded on to the web and the performer’s phone. “The crowds had great fun and their singing would often spill over into the stand, where everyone would share the microphones and
sing to their heart’s content,” said Patrick Leslie, Brand and Channel Marketing Manager at Bridgestone South Africa, the parent company of Firestone. Firestone’s fantastic time at the Splashy Fen festival is testimony to the flexibility of this brand promotion. From festivals such as DStv Delicious to the Nampo Agricultural Show, the large catalogue of old and new music from local and international artists has attracted hundreds of fans and singers from all walks of life. For more information on the Firestone Karaoke Kombi activation visit Firestone’s Facebook page at facebook.com/FirestoneZA or see some of the karaoke action at www.firestonejourneys.com. — WR.
EAST COAST
ENGINE IMPORTS
QUALITY USED LOW MILEAGE ENGINES AND GEABOXES
WE OFFER DELIVERY INTO DURBAN AND PMB ON ENGINE AND GEARBOX PURCHASES
Brand New Turbos for most makes of vehicles
NOW WITH OUR OWN IN HOUSE WORKSHOP
FOR THE LEXUS V8 ENTHUSIASTS WE OFFER • Pre-Wired Lexus V8 1UZ VVTI complete with automatic gearbox • Pre-Wired Lexus V8 3UZ VVTI complete with automatic gearbox • Brand new and second hand original spares and service parts • Our pre-wired original OEM mnagement is ready for installation with only 6 wires to connect • All units are bench tested
• Top Quality used low mileage engines and gearboxes for most makes and models of cars and light delivery vehicles • Heads • Turbos • Diffs • Lexus spares • New and Second hand • We stock local stock as well
The all-new 2019 Forester was launched at the New York International Auto Show. PHOTO: QUICKPIC
New Forester heading to South Africa Remote-control trailer parker THE Wheels nod for the best deployment of the lever power provided by a wheel this week goes to California-based trailer accessories company Trailer Valet, which has launched a remote-controlled tanktrack that it says “takes the hassle of parking any trailer into a tight space”. Three models are available to move trailers weighing 1 588 kg, 2 495 kg, or 4 082 kg, but none are exactly affordable in Rand terms. Prices start at $2 100 (R24 990) and go up to $4 100 (R48 773) for the most powerful version RVR. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery allows 30 minutes’ operating time and the heavy-duty caterpillar treads find grip on gravel, grass, or dirt. The RVR also comes with two or four planetary gear motors that can drive both single- and dual-axle trailers. PHOTO: TRAILER VALET
SUBARU Corporation unveiled the all-new 2019 Forester (US Spec) at the 2018 New York International Auto Show last week. As a top-selling model of Subaru’s global sales, the fifth-generation Forester is positioned as a key part of the company’s global strategy. The new model features packaging that allows all passengers to share comfort and enjoyment, balancing easy handling with a spacious interior, and user-friendly features. In line with Subaru’s design philosophy “Dynamic x Solid,” the new design combines the hardiness of an SUV with user-friendly comfort and conve-
nience. The Subaru Global Platform achieves top-of-its-class collision safety and hazard avoidance, along with handling that responds exactly as the driver intended, and comfortable drivability. The latest model features Subaru core technologies including EyeSight driver assist system, Symmetrical AllWheel Drive built around newly developed direct-injection engines, and X-Mode for enhanced all-terrain drivability, the latest model features improved performance and an everyday experience of excitement and enjoyment, offering comfort, fun, and adventure, accordign to Subaru.
The new Forester will go on sale in the South Africa market in the first Quarter of 2019. Specifications and power units are still to be confirmed for the local introduction and are expected to differ from the U.S. Spec model revealed. — WR.
CV Joint speCialists
for CV joints, ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel bearings.
341 GReYlinG stReet Pmb. 033 342 9174/75
Our friend dly sales s team m is s equip pped to de eal with h all en nqu uiries and ha ave a weallth of know wledg ge in the moto orin ng field d. We pride e ou ursellves in n deliveriing exception nal serv rviice and d products to o our clie ents and thereforre have a stringent qua ality check process s in plac ce to make sure that every produc ct complies s with our requirem ments an nd is in to op order. Tel:
035 789 0464 Unit 1 No 13 Dianne 071 677 0799 035 789 0754 Betastraal Street Ntuthuko 082 704 5330 Craigh: 084 357 1082 Alton, Richards Bay Fax 086 459 6725 sales@eastcoastengines.co.za