PREVIEW
Round 1 - Engen SupaKart Championship
Celso Scribante Circuit, PE – 27 April
2007
The cream of tomorrow’s motorsport
stars will converge on Port Elizabeth for the first round
of the 2007 Engen Supa Kart national championship on 28
April.
As in the past, the opening round of
the four race Engen SupaKart championships is bound to
provide a thrill a minute day of action, thanks in part
to the Celso Scribante tack’s unique mixture of
ultra-quick sweeps and tight hairpins.
The 60cc GP Junior class is wide open
seeing as though reigning champion Aston Hare (Head 2
Head) has had his hands full this year. Klerksdorp’s
11 year-old Morgan McColl, a member of the Toyota/Castrol
Development Team, has improved greatly and won a closely
contested regional championship event at Vereeniging last
month – his first in the class. Cousins Bradley
and Michael Taylor (Rigidek) are also capable of winning.
Hot on their heels and looking for a gap is Lyle Ramsay,
son of former motorcycle racer Mike and Chad McIver but
Capetonians Marco Busi and Delano Fowler could upset the
applecart.
Drivers to watch in the 125cc Rotax engined
Mini-Max class are CRG mounted Ricky Hill and Birel drivers
Axcil Jefferies (Toyota/Castrol) and Sean Frost. All three
have won races this year and two weeks ago Jefferies overcame
a steep learning curve when he went to France for round
1 of the Rotax Euro championships. Jordan Pepper is the
youngest driver in the class and has already claimed a
pole position. One driver who could upset all their plans
is Red Bull PCR’s Caleb Williams, but will the fact
that he’s also racing the Junior Rok class hinder
him? » more
Junior Max has seen Richard Napier on
top in the Northern Regions championship without much
opposition but his reign could end in PE as PCR driver
Trent Williams will return to the class and will be determined
to win in order to get to the World Finals taking place
in Dubai in November.
Western Cape representation comes from
Stephanie Craig (Arrow) and Andrew Middleton (Birel).
On form in Max Challenge at the moment
is former Euro Junior Max champion Arnold Neveling, but
he has been pushed hard by CRG’s Ralph Odendaal,
Kevin de Wit and Birel’s Mathew Hodges who raced
the Euro Max event in France last month. De Wit is in
his first season of the ‘big league’ having
moved up from the Junior Max ranks at the beginning of
the year and won the PE club race over Easter.
Bjorn Ganz (CRG) is another driver who’s
shown pace this year, but Capetonian Wiaan Swart (Birel)
will be another favourite to win. He went superbly in
Portugal to claim fourth in the DD2 class at the Rotax
Grand Finals so there’s no doubting his ability.
Also from Capetown there’s the vastly experienced
and current Rotax Masters Euro champion Claudio Piazza-Musso
and young charger David Perel on their PCRs and Jonathan
Whiehahn.
The twin speed Rotax powered DD2 class
should be a fascinating contest between CRG’s Ralph
Odendaal and Kyle Lawrence in a Birel and Capetonian Wiaan
Swart (Birel) proved he’s got the pace to win when
he took fourth place in the DD2 class at the rain affected
Rotax Grand Finals in Portugal. Christopher and Gavin
Frost have also been quick in their CRGs, and they will
be determined to beat fellow CRG driver Jennifer Murray
and Formula Ford racer Craig Allan (CRG) will also be
in the line-up.
So far this year the Junior Rok class
has produced great racing, controversy but most of all
excitement. PCR drivers Trent Williams and Red Bull backed
Caleb Williams (no relation) will be facing Birel’s
Ian Young and local lass Vicki Kemp (Birel). Sam Tingle
(TonyKart) is determined and also has the pace to win
as do Adrian Wood (TonyKart), Chad van Beurden (Birel)
and David Smith, but they’ll have to keep an eye
on the Engen Tony Kart pair of Staci and Justin Allan.
Olivier Calkoen (Birel) and KZN’s Mitchell Licen
(PCR) could be a thorn in the side of the more fancied
runners.
With a top quality entry, the Super Rok
class will be closely watched. Main interest will surround
Robert Briggs (TonyKart) who makes a return to serious
karting after a long absence and 16-year old lady racer
Tasmin Pepper (Toyota/Castrol Birel) who recently switched
to Super Rok where her pace and performances have opened
many eyes. She is on form at the moment and has won races
at the last two Northern Regions then bagged a win and
pole position in PE at the Easter race meeting. Also aboard
Birel karts are Gennaro Bonafede (Asiawing), Nicholas
Toner and Rory Atkinson while Zimbabwe’s Gerard
Peters could also be in the hunt.
TonyKart has the home ground advantage
and the likes of Engen teammates Michael Stephen and Simon
Moss should be in the leading bunch as will Kyle Shering
and smooth driving veteran Mike van Niekerk. PCR will
be represented by lady racer Fabienne Lanz who claimed
a solid fourth place in Europe recently and local hero,
former GP Junior champion Chassen Bright who recently
moved up from the Junior Rok class.
The Celso Scribante circuit is located
on Victoria drive and offers full catering facilities
for spectators who can watch thw action from a grassed
embankment that offers a full view of the spectacular
circuit.
Racing starts at 09:30 am
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