Vodacom Shelby Can-Am – Killarney 2 April
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The Vodacom Shelby Can-Am sports car series travelled to Cape Town for round two of the championship and there was a surprise result.
Rui Campos only started racing two and a half years ago and after doing his apprenticeship in the Porsche Challenge, made his debut in a Shelby Can-Am halfway through last season. From the outset he showed potential and more often than not was a good bet for a top six placing.
Something happened during the Christmas break and it was a new, very confident Campos who arrived at Kyalami. He came close to winning there, but on a blustery day he scored his maiden win in front of a huge crowd. Qualifying saw former champion Neil Lobb (DK Woodcraft) comfortably fastest with Alan Eve (Odes Autobody) lined up alongside. Behind the veterans were Donovan Roscoe (Protea Playing Cards) and Ruan Pretorius (John Abbot Motorsport) as Veron Pappas and Darryn Lobb (DK Woodcraft) completed the top six. |
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Campos, having qualified well, had his time disallowed after not going to the weighbridge after qualifying. “I’ve never been here before, and didn’t even know where it was.”
Lobb romped to an easy win in the first race with Roscoe not too far adrift. Eve lost a bit of ground but hung onto third with junior Lobb breathing down his neck. Campos brought the Bollt car home in fifth place after a determined drive from last while Pappas, hampered with old tyres, completed the top six.
Lobb led from the start of race two but retired after three lap when a left front tyre went flat and he limped back to the pits to retire which left Roscoe to lead for a while followed by Eve and Campos.
Eve and Pappas retired on successive laps and by the end it was Campos leading and taking the flag with three and a half seconds over Roscoe while Pretorius claimed third despite not having the use of second gear for most of the race. Colin Frost (Strocam) scored his best result for ages as he benefited from the attrition to take fourth ahead of Franz Pretorius and Harry Roscoe.
Round three of the championship takes place at the modern Phakisa motor sport facility near Welkom in the Free State at the end of April. |
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