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2nd Test - Dunswart stadium Johannesburg
The day started quite early with all the cars
having to be loaded onto trailers, two lorries with trailers,
one carrying three cars! Also a pickup truck carrying all
the spare wheels and towing a car, two combis (one towing)
and Deane Wood in his car. Just as we got outside of Pretoria
the pickup overheated and the trailer it was carrying was
transferred to another pickup we met on the way. Then the
second combi being driven by Gordon Pooley flashed passed
everybody in the outside lane only to be overtaken again by
everybody as it ground to a halt on the hard shoulder. Gordon
had managed to throw the aircon belt, snap the cam belt and
bend three valves!. So eventually we arrived, two lorries
(one with a 24ft trailer!) two pickups now both with trailers
and a combi towing a combi!
Practice started and views on the track we
very good. Slightly wider and rounder than Pretoria - it seemed
to suit our cars better. Disaster then struck as Chris Phillips
spun exiting the pit bend and Gordon ploughed straight through
him. Chris suffered a damaged chassis, front corner and radiator
and Gordon wiped two corners off and broke a driveshaft. Much
work in the pit by both UK and South African teams saw both
cars hit the track for the first heat. Revised starting procedures
saw all the UK team on the inside and we took the green flag
at the first time of asking. The South Africans soon used
their power to take the lead with a determined Gary Granger
now in third. Andrew Bilby had a very lonely race in fifth
with Jonathon Pooley and John Bilby both stuck behind one
of the Africans slower cars.
Heat 2 saw Rob Sayell get out dragged down
the start finish straight and moved into second. Neil Clarke
got blatantly hit from behind which pushed the Stealth out
of gear and unfortunately out of the meeting. On the next
lap Gordon clipped a spun African and knocked another corner
off!. Quentin Saaymen in his 2.5 litre Chevy powered former
sprint car chassis pushed through from the back to take the
win.
For the second set of heats the Africans changed
the procedures yet again and this time we lined up in reverse
grids, Jon Pooley had the drive of his life and managed to
split the front two. Gary was making great progress from the
back but unfortunately clipped an African going into the bend
and was eliminated on the restart as this caused African Vic
Hodgkinson to hit the fence. Result SA 1, 2, 3, with Jon Pooley,
Andrew and John Bilby bringing up the rear.
Heat 2b saw Rob make short work of most of
his opposition and he soon found himself in second. Then the
Africans decided to work as a team and Rob found himself being
driven around by Quentin Saaymen and he was left boxed in.
An appeal for blocking got the answer of: "The cars were side
by side fighting for the lead." After that the UK camp decided
on a change of tactics for the final.
For the final Rob was on pole with both Bilbys
and Jon Pooley making up the first two rows. Gordons car failed
to start with electrical gremlins and Gary was eliminated
because the car he damaged could not be fixed. At the green
flag the UK team formed a roadblock and Rob pulled out quite
a lead. SA team captain Theo Brussow pulled off a 'round the
outside' move and a lap later was followed by Saaymen, who
was using his 358bhp effectively. As the tightly grouped pack
exited the pit bend Chris Phillips found his limit again and
spun, this time taking three Africans with him to the fence.
At the restart Saaymen carried on carving through and Rob
managed to hold off Brussow for second place. At the back
the Bilby brothers were side by side holding off Seon Kemp.
Kemp eventually got a bit frustrated and used John Bilby as
a brake for four laps, the little Arrow managing to get away
from him out of the bend. Kemp did eventually get past Bilby
jnr by using a Formula 2 Stock Car move pushing him wide.
He was docked two places as a result.
Final result: South Africa 157 UK 132
Not quite the result the South Africans hoped
for but we now go into the final test all level - John Bilby
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