The Phakisa Freeway played host the 3^rd round of the Vodacom Power Tour.

Veron Pappas (Hellermann Tyton Shelby) took pole, fastest lap and two wins. Sounds like a rather dull days racing huh? Well the time sheets do not tell the whole story.

Former champion, Neil Lobb ( DK Woodcraft Shelby), led all but 3 laps of both heats, but failed to win a heat, each time he was beaten to the end stripe by, new (to the series) hot shoe Veron Pappas.

Pappas claimed pole for both heats, in Friday afternoon qualifying with Lobb and Gerber (Autohaus Shelby) snapping at his heals. 4^th 5^th and 6^th went to Ruan Pretorius, Donovan Roscoe (Stanley Shelby) and Rui Campos (Boltt Shelby) respectively. Though looking at the qualify times it was obvious that the race for the lead was going to be between the first 3, with rest fighting over 4^th. 

Pappas lead from the start with Lobb and Gerber as close company. Though his lead was to be short lived as Lobb dived him on lap 2 and was through to the lead. Lobb then began to stretch out a small gap with Pappas and Gerber giving chase. The race for 4^th held status quo for the first couple of laps, while further behind, Clare Vale (The Truck Man Shelby) and Gary Green (Autozone Shelby) had a coming together, leaving Vale in a half spin and half a lap behind. Slightly further up the road – Peter Bailey (Fuchs Shelby) lost the back end of his car, all by himself – and rejoined behind Green.

Rui Campos relieved Ruan Pretorius of 4^th position on lap 3, only to give it away on lap 5. Campos spun, caused by a left rear puncture, and while Donovan Roscoe took evasive manoeuvres, Darryn Lobb (DK Woodcraft/S21 Shelby) saw a gap and went for it. The result was not as planed and Roscoe and Lobb touched sending the later off the track and into retirement with a rear puncture, and a few battle scars. Positions remained pretty much static until the final lap. Lobb, who was driving without the aid of a clutch since lap 5, missed a gear going down the back straight, which allowed Pappas to get a run on him. Lobb went ultra defensive through both sweeps and the hairpin, but lost the back end under braking for the hairpin and half spun. This allowed Pappas and Gerber to sneak through. Lobb tried to fight back at the last corner, but he ran wide, and almost crossed the finish line on the dirt.

Ruan Pretorius took “best of the rest” 4^th, flowed by Clive Kennerly (GP Windscreens Shelby) and Donovan Roscoe. Alan Eve  took 7^th, with a large gap back to Colin Frost (Strocam Shelby), Harry Roscoe (Protea Playing Cards Shelby) and Gary Green. 

Neil Lobb (now with a clutch) led heat 2 from the start, Pappas had a bad start ran 4^th, with Francois Gerber and Rui Campos between them. Donovan Roscoe was 5^th, holding off Ruan Pretorius, Clive Kennerly and Darryn Lobb. Lap 4 and Pappas went up the inside of Campos at turn 1 to claim 3^rd, Donovan Roscoe still had university students, Ruan Pretorius and Darryn Lobb breathing down his neck, Kennerly dropped back 5 positions after making a mistake. Harry Roscoe was circulating last with a very sick sounding engine. Lap 5 saw Roscoe finally bring his sick beast to a halt and Clare Vale retired with a snapped drive shaft. The battle up front was hotting up, with Lobb unable to shake of the intensions of Gerber with Pappas equally giving Gerber a hard time. Rui Campos and Franz Pretorius both parked their cars in the pits on lap 6, Campos with fuel pressure problems and Pretorius with gearbox gremlins.

Pappas got the run on Gerber going onto the back straight and in the move of the weekend, took 2^nd going into the flat out 4^th gear sweep! Pappas now set his sites on the leader, Neil Lobb. Francois Gerber made a mistake on lap 8 and dropped behind the battle for 4^th, between Ruan Pretorius and Darryn Lobb.

Last lap and Pappas was breathing down Lobb’s neck, Lobb went defensive into the last corner, Pappas tried to go inside him and get the run on him to the line, but timed his moved wrong and tagged the back of Lobb as they exited, sending Lobb into a 360 degree spin. Pappas crossed the line with his hands in the air, obviously regretting the incident. Donovan Roscoe snuck passed the stranded Lobb to take 2^nd, Lobb took 3^rd. Ruan Pretorius took an easy 4^th after Darryn Lobb spun on the last lap. Francois Gerber recovered to 5^th, and Lobb to 6^th. Clive Kennerly, Alan Eve, Colin Frost and Peter Bailey rounded out the top 10. 

The next round of the Vodacom Shelby Can-Am series takes place at the Aldo Scirbante race track in PE on the 28^th of May.