Round 4 of the 2023 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA (TGRSA) GR Cup noticed the six competing motoring scribes journey to the Friendly City to take one another on on the quick and twisty Aldo Scribante Race Circuit. While expectations have been excessive for tight racing from all six common rivals, it was factors chief Setshaba Mashigo (ASAMM) who stamped his authority on the occasion.
Setshaba Mashigo shines at Aldo Scribante Race Circuit
Mashigo arrived in town, previously often known as Port Elizabeth, with a seven-point lead over Mark Jones (Citizen) in second; and Chad Lückhoff (Auto Trader) in third. By the time the ultimate lap was accomplished below floodlights, nevertheless, his lead had grown significantly, and the remainder of the sector shall be hard-pressed to make up the bottom they misplaced to the chief over the three remaining rounds.
The weekend additionally noticed Toyota South Africa Motors’ Vice-President for Customer Services, Anand Pather, be a part of the fray as a visitor. Pather had beforehand competed in a spherical of the GR Cup from behind the wheel of a GR Yaris, however this 12 months’s Cup has utilised the rear-wheel pushed GR 86, which is a totally totally different beast on the observe, and Pather was excited to expertise the variations in dealing with between the 2 halo merchandise.
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The weekend began with a number of follow classes, which befell in changeable climate and observe situations. But these classes have been all used as preparation for the all-important Qualifying, which might decide the beginning positions for the opening race of the weekend.
Setshaba set about his enterprise in superb fashion, setting the quickest time of the GR 86 drivers, besting Lückhoff by 0.8sec. Denis Droppa (TimesLIVE) set the third-fastest time, a tenth of a second behind Lückhoff, and a tenth forward of Jones in fourth. They have been adopted by Pather in fifth; Brendon Staniforth (Maroela Media) in sixth and Reuben van Niekerk (Jumping Kids/Wheels24) in seventh.
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When the flag dropped for the rolling begin, Mashigo pounded his approach to a straightforward victory, initially pulling away from Lückhoff, earlier than the latter suffered a puncture mid-way via the race, which dropped him right down to the again of the pack. This promoted the remainder of the sector by one place every, with Droppa taking second place and Jones settling for third.
Further again, Van Niekerk managed to make issues rely through the race, after a disappointing qualifying session. He handed Staniforth for sixth early on, earlier than discovering a well past Pather too. With Lückhoff’s demise, Van Niekerk was promoted to fourth place – a strong efficiency from the motoring author.
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This left Pather in fifth and Staniforth in sixth, regardless of a spirited race by the trailing bunch in the GR Cup. But there was nonetheless a second race to return, with the beginning order now decided by the lap occasions set throughout Race 1.
This gave Setshaba pole place as soon as once more, and once more the ASAMM journalist made the many of the alternative. This time his profitable margin was 4sec, once more over Droppa in the TimesLIVE GR 86. Lückhoff’s tyres held throughout Race 2, with the Auto Trader author bringing his automotive house in third place, below making an attempt situations as a result of failing late afternoon gentle. He initially misplaced two locations after beginning on the entrance row of the grid, however discovered a well past to maneuver again right into a podium place.
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Van Niekerk misplaced out in the altercation with Lückhoff, however was pleased to accept one other fourth place on the weekend. He described the racing as “clean but good”, and was pleased to bag the factors for 2 fourth-place finishes. Jones completed his weekend with a fifth place in Race 2, regardless of a spirited tussle with the rivals round him.
His greatest problem got here from Staniforth, in the Maroela Media GR 86, who managed to maintain the combat clear, however ended because the final of the common GR Cup rivals. Still, he reported that the race was enjoyable and thrilling, regardless of going down in extraordinarily low gentle situations. Pather had an unlucky off-track tour early in the second race. His automotive was undamaged, however the time taken to get again on observe left him out of the combat on that event.
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The subsequent spherical of the GR Cup is Round 5, which is able to happen on the East London Grand Prix Circuit on 21 and 22 July.
Published by Toyota South Africa on MotorPress
For extra information on the Toyota GAZOO Racing GR Cup and different native motorsport information, observe our motorsport web page.
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