NEW FACES COME TO THE FORE IN SHELBY
CAN-AM RACING
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Emotions ran high at the eighth round of the Shelby
Can-Am Championship in Port Elizabeth this weekend, as new faces headed
the field in what turned out to be an exciting and action packed affair.
Rising star Jean–Paul Bredenhann (Chem Spec) dominated early practice sessions and set the pace in Friday’s qualifying outing, despite it being his first ever visit to the Aldo Scribante circuit. Bredenhann went on to take the first heat race victory – his first ever win on a national race weekend. Bredenhann was followed to the line by championship contender Darryn Lobb (DK Woodcraft) who would have been looking for maximum points in order to keep his championship hopes alive. The last thing he wanted to see was championship leader Ruan Pretorius (Castrol EDGE) in his mirrors. Pretorius running on used rubber had a great drive staying in touch with the leading pack who were all shod with fresh tyres. Rui Campos (Boltt) fended off the attentions of Donovan Roscoe (Stanley Tools) to take fourth place while a consistent Chris Hart (Hi-Q Plettenberg Bay) rounded out the top six finishers. Neil Lobb (Caltex Havoline) crossed the line in seventh place after an eventful start to the weekend. Lobb crashed out during Friday’s qualifying session leaving him to start from the back of the grid. When the lights went out Lobb Snr. quickly made his way through the pack only to run into the back of an unsuspecting Colin Frost (Strocam). The pair both spun out but were able to recover and pursue the remaining pack. Frost eventually worked his way up to ninth behind Karl Zachau in the Driveline Technologies Can-Am. Sole lady entrant Clare Vale had a solid performance finishing tenth in heat 1. She was followed to the line by Sam Hammond (Samlin Constructions), Richard Wood (Almar Packaging), Brian Algar (Hemisphere Risk Solutions) and Harry Roscoe (Protea Playing Cards). Race two provided further drama as the two leading drivers both relinquished the lead in the early stages of the race. Darryn Lobb lead the pack away from the line as the lights went out for heat two. Bredenhann hassled Lobb, in what was promising to be a titanic battle, only to go off the track and allow Lobb some breathing space. However the DK Woodcraft driver was not about to have it all his own way. A broken wheel hub saw Lobb watching the remainder of the race form the kitty litter. As the front runners fell by the way side Donovan Roscoe emerged as the new race leader. Roscoe drove a perfectly composed race to finish ahead of teammate Ruan Pretorius, making it a one-two for the John Abbot racing team. "It was the perfect result for us. Both Donavon and Ruan never put a foot wrong and as a result Ruan now holds a sizeable lead in the championship - what more good we ask for?" commented team manager Francois Pretorius. Neil Lobb had a storming drive working his way through the field to finish in a well earned and hard fought third place. Alan Eve (Kelizia Group) took fourth place ahead of Chris Hart and Colin Frost. Clare Vale once again drove an impressive race this time to cross the line in seventh place while a recovering Bredenhann was able to salvage eighth place ahead of Franz Pretorius in the second Castrol EDGE Can-Am. Newcomers to the series Sam Hammond and Brian Algar who were primarily using the event as a learning curve, finished tenth and eleventh respectively. Richard Wood and Harry Roscoe rounded out the field while Rui Campos and Karl Zachau were sidelined after an on track collision earlier in the race. The penultimate round of the Shelby Can-Am championship takes place on 14 October at Phakisa Freeway. Following the events of the weekend Ruan Pretorius is sitting pretty at the top of the championship log while Darryn Lobb is left with a mountain to climb. However in motorsport anything can happen and as such Pretorius is unlikely to be resting on his laurels as the final stages of the championship play out. OVERALL RESULTS, PORT ELIZABETH, ALDO SCRIBANTE
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