ITS MAKE OR BREAK TIME IN THE SHELBY CAN-AM CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
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Thrilling
action is forecast for round eight of the ten round Shelby Can-Am
Championship. Taking place on the 23 September at the Aldo Scribante race
circuit in Port Elizabeth the knives will be out in what is set to be a
dramatic day of racing. With just three
rounds remaining in the 2006 title bout Ruan Pretorius (Castrol EDGE) looks
set to take his first national title. Looking to stand in his way will be
Darryn Lobb (DK Woodcraft) and father Neil Lobb (Caltex Havoline.
Pretorius currently
heads the championship chase by a 29-point margin and is the clear favourite
to take the title however Lobb Jnr. is determined to turn things around.
Aldo Scribante holds positive
memories for Lobb who took his first Shelby Can-Am win at the circuit last
year. “I had have my first win at PE last
year as well as my first overall win,” explains Lobb. “It’s an awesome track
with some really quick corners, which always makes for good racing.” “It’s a
make or break weekend for me. Nothing less than pole position fastest lap and
2 race wins will do. The championship swung in Ruan’s favour at Zwartkops and
maximum points till the end of the year is all the Revolution Racing team and
I will be happy with.” Teammate
and father Neil is still mathematically in with a fighting chance at
retaining his title, though it will take some major unreliability from
Pretorius for him to make up the 35-point deficit. While the
three championship contenders tussle it out for the title there will be no
shortage of action from the rest of the pack. JP Bredenhann (Chem Spec) had a
strong showing at the previous round to take second place overall, however
having never competed at the Eastern Cape circuit he will surely have his work
cut out for him. Challenging
him will be the likes of Rui Campos (Boltt) and Donovan Roscoe (Stanley
Tools) the pair have a wealth of Shelby racing experience and are more than
capable of challenging for podium placings. Chris Hart
(Hi-Q Plettenburg Bay) will be hoping to have a good outing at PE. The
Eastern Cape youngster is one of the few competitors to hail from the area
and will want to impress in front of the local spectators. In order to
do so he will first have to fend off the attentions of Karl Zachau (Driveline
Technologies), Colin Frost (Strocam) and Franz Pretorius ( Castrol EDGE).
Brian Algar
(Hemisphere Risk Solutions), Sam Hammond (Samlin Constructions) and Pierre
Brydges (Firzt Realty) all made their Shelby Can-Am debut at the previous
outing at Zwartkops raceway. With one race under their belt they’ll me more
confident and ready to challenge higher up the field. Looking to
dispatch the newcomers will be the more experienced drivers such as Gary
Green (Autozone), Clare Vale (The Truck Man), Harry Roscoe (Protea Playing
Cards) and Richard Wood (Almar Packaging). Leading up to the event there was a minor scare with
regards to the availability of front tyres for the rest of the year. In an
unfortunate incident the Goodyear factory in Chili, which also provides stock
for the American NASCAR series, was flooded causing some delays in their
production. Goodyear has set aside some stock for the Shelby Can-Am racers,
but drivers will have to be mindful of this particularly heading up to the
final round. “It
was an unfortunate situation for Goodyear, however they have been very
accommodating and together we have been able to reach an appropriate
solution,” explains Shelby Can-Am chairman Neil Lobb. “It is unlikely to
cause a problem if the drivers keep in mind that front tyres though still
available will not be freely available particularly at the final round of the
championship. In a way it has put a tactical spin on the championship - those
who box clever may even be able to use the situation to their
advantage.” Driver’s
will not be effected in anyway when they arrive at Aldo Scribante, which is
sure to provide close racing throughout the field. With a formidable list of
entries and an exciting championship battle taking place the fans will no
doubt be in for an action packed spectacle at Port Elizabeth. LATEST SHELBY CAN-AM CHAMPIONSHIP
POSITIONS
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