Michael Stephen dominated the opening rounds of the SAGT National Championship at Zwartkops Raceway when the Southern African Endurance Championship decamped on the Pretoria circuit for the primary time.
Michael Stephen weekend highlights
Stephen honed his automotive to his liking through the 4 free apply periods on Friday forward of the late afternoon qualifying session and his arduous work paid off, claiming pole place by a considerable margin over the chasing pack.
Andrew Culbert upheld Mercedes-AMG’s honour along with his greatest end result to this point, ending as runner-up twice in his rumbling Bigfoot Express machine as he scooped double ProAM class honours whereas Scuderia Scribante had a weekend greatest forgotten.
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Practice and Qualifying:
While Stephen honed his Ultimate Outlaws Audi R8 LMS Evo2 into an efficient weapon, he additionally helped arrange the 2 Ultimate Outlaws McLaren MP4-12C entries of Izak Spies and Roelf du Plessis.
Stephen set a blistering time of 58.976 seconds to assert pole place by a full second from the reigning SAGT Champion Silvio Scribante’s Cemza Cement Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo.
Culbert duly took third on the grid forward of Aldo Scribante’s Scribante Concrete Lamborghini Huracan GT3. Scribante’s Huracan Evo suffered electrical issues throughout testing in the week earlier than the race, and with elements ordered however not obtained in time, he borrowed Dad Aldo Sr’s Huracan, a pre-Evo mannequin.
Hein Lategan put his BBR Porsche 991 GT3 in fifth on the grid, forward of Roelf du Plessis and Izak Spies’ Ultimate Outlaws machines.
Newcomer Joseph Ellerine rounded out the grid in his MJR Motorsport Audi R8 GT4 on his debut in the SAGT Championship.
Race 1:
Silvio Scribante peeled into the pits on the finish of the formation lap, parking his Cemza Lamborghini with terminal gasoline injector points.
Stephen put the hammer down from the second the lights turned inexperienced, reveling in the dealing with of his Audi. His lap occasions had been constantly in the 60 second mark, dipping sometimes into the 59 second bracket.
As the gasoline load lightened and the tyres wore out, the Audi was nonetheless immaculate permitting Stephen to set his quickest race time on his final lap, posting a qualifying fashion lap of 59.625 seconds.
Andrew Culbert was delighted along with his second place general and first place in the ProAM class, having run constant occasions whereas nursing the large Mercedes’ brakes and tyres in the new circumstances.
Culbert and Aldo had a second approaching flip eight when Aldo locked up whereas defending in opposition to Culbert. While Aldo’s consideration was invested in maintaining the automotive on the monitor, Culbert shoved the nostril of his automotive down the within and claimed the place.
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Although Aldo Scribante missed the aerodynamic benefit of his Huracan Evo, harm limitation noticed him bag third place factors firstly of the season.
Race 2:
Starting from pole, Stephen as soon as once more blasted his Audi into the lead, the a number of SA champion driver reveling in the Audi’s constant dealing with, as soon as once more grinding out laps in the sixty second mark.
Stuart White, in the Into Africa Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo chased Stephen arduous after carving his method by means of the pack, catching, and passing the Audi in a surgical transfer on lap 5. White rapidly opened a niche on the Audi earlier than the staff elected to retire the Lambo having repaired it after a apply incident and run it to second place in the SA Endurance race earlier.
Culbert was a delighted second general after a cautious race spent nursing his brakes and tyres. As the Mercedes turned a little bit of a handful, Culbert pitted and the one minute cease allowed the tyres to chill sufficiently to revive the Mercedes’ on-rails dealing with.
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On lap 4, Henk Lategan – having flown in from the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge on the morning of the race – touched Aldo Scribante, spinning the black Lamborghini round. Ten minutes into the race, Aldo pitted, handing his automotive over to his brother Silvio to permit the champion to financial institution some factors at this early stage of the season.
Roelf du Plessis raced his Ultimate Outlaws McLaren MP4-12C to fourth place, the old-school V8 racer doing properly in his first outing in the subtle British automotive.
The subsequent rounds of the SAGT National Championship happen at Red Star Raceway on 28 and 29 April.
Published by MotorPress
For extra SAGT National Championship information, observe our motorsport web page.
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