South Africa Thrash the UK
17/01/2009
The first leg of the South Africa vs United Kingdom series was held at the Mahem Raceway located in the capital, Pretoria. With rain during the day meant that the conditions were a little difficult than normal.

The SA team cars were all running on methanol fuel but the UK team opted to stay on racing fuel. This decision turned out to be a bad decision as they were off the pace compared to the SA cars as they won both of the heats. However Dick Hillard, who has a car permanently based in SA also running on methanol fuel, came through to win the final on the evening for the UK team. This win was not enough however as once the points had been added up the SA team had won.

During the week the UK team worked hard to convert all their cars across to run on methanol fuel ready for the three hour trip north to Polokwane Raceway in Pietersburg. By now the second plane had arrived from the UK to give their support from the terraces, complete with full Union Jack outfits.

The temperature in Pietersburg was still very hot as the sunset and the cars arrived on track. As the cars did their timed laps for their grid positions it was clear that the UK cars were now on a similar pace as the SA cars. The UK team were helped along by Oval Track Legends driver Paul Fiore, complete in full Union Jack trousers and waistcoat, who was giving the "put your foot down boys" and nicking the steering wheels and helmets from the SA drivers before receiving the black flag from the steward.

Current Superstox world champion Jason Cooper did the best for the UK team, in a borrowed car with own engine, by qualifying his car on the front row alongside the number two driver in SA, Frans Joubert. Dick Hillard qualified third, Shane Murray qualified fifth, Mark Fuller qualified seventh, Chris Harvey qualified eleventh, Davy McCall qualified fourteenth, Todd Jones qualified fifteenth and Mark Constable qualified eighteenth.

The cars rolled off on their warming up lap and once sent away two of the local drivers tangled on the back straight with one driving over the top of the other. The race was stopped and the drivers were giving five minutes to make any repairs/changes. At the re-start Joubert took an early lead followed by Hillard and then Cooper in third. Harvey spun the car on the turn two onto the grass and recovered at the back. At the front however Joubert was uncatchable and went on to take the win.

The second heat was a reverse grid of the first heat and at the rolling lap Cooper got caught out and was a few car lengths behind the pack as the green flag fell. Local driver Van Wyngaard spun in a similar place to where Harvey had in the previous heat but he rolled back onto the track sending the cars towards the wall with Fuller being squeezed against the wall suffering major damage to the front left of the car - again the reds came out and another five minutes for repairs. At the re-start Constable held an early lead for a number of laps but then local driver Armstrong came through to take the win.

So to the final and the UK team were one car down with Fuller being out. The grid saw the two previous heat winners on the front row with Cooper for the UK on third. McCall and Hillard were the next UK drivers on grid positions seven and eight. At the start Joubert from pole took up the lead with Cooper following him round in second. After a few laps more disaster for the UK team as the engine in the Harvey car let go dumping oil round turns three and four causing the yellow flags to come out while the track was cleared. At the re-start Cooper was right on the rear bumper of Joubert but struggled to find a way past and the laps run out and he went on to take his second win on the night.

The SA team had white washed the UK team for wins and once the points were added up it was clear that SA had won the series to a great cheer from the local crowd.

The race meeting on Saturday 24th is not a team event and the drivers race against each other in the South African Open Championship at the Vereeniging raceway. This is followed on the next Saturday by the Champions of Champions at the Mahem Raceway in Pretoria.