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Powered by ultra-reliable 3.5 litre
Nissan V6 engines and suspended on
Goodyear racing tyres, the sleek
bodied Shelby Can-Am sports cars
produce close racing and there’s a
good camaraderie between drivers.
“Off the track we’re all friends and
we try help each other, but once we
put our helmets on …. It becomes
very different,” said 2008 champion
Rui Campos.
Last year’s season was dominated by
Darryn Lobb and he was first out the
gates. Cape Town’s Killarney circuit
hosted the opening championship
round and he won both races. Over
the next six months he won
frequently and clinched the title at
East London’s famous Grand Prix
venue with two rounds to spare. The
final round was at Kyalami in
November and he won the last race of
the season for new sponsor NJOY. |
Photos
by Steve Wicks. |
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Rui Campos (Hugo Boss) won
the hard fought and often
bruising battle for the
runner up slot with a narrow
three-point advantage over
the highly experienced Alan
Eve (Phakisa Raceway), but
only after the two had
fought an intense battle all
season long.
Fourth was Durban’s JP
Bredenhann (PanelRite/Bigfoot
Express). He scored a
popular win at East London
while Brian Algar (Entena)
and Zwartkops winner Thomas
Reib (Jägermeister)
completed the top six in the
points table. |
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There was an international
flavour at the final round
when Porsche Supercup
champion Jeroen Bleekemolen
raced at Kyalami in a deal
put together by his good
friend Bertil Hoffman (GP
Energy Drink). As expected
the Dutch Le Mans ace won
the first race of the day
but a rare mechanical glitch
spoilt his second outing.
Shelby Can-Am Association
chairman Brian Algar was
non-committal about
predicting a winner for
2010. “It will be an
interesting year and it’s
highly unlikely that Lobb
will have it all his own
way. There could be some new
faces on the grid but there
aren’t any regulation
changes so we’re set for an
exciting season.” |
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This year’s nine-round
championship kicks off at
East London’s spectacular
circuit which hosted a
number of Grands Prix during
the sixties and there’s a
whole horde of hungry
drivers who also have their
sights on the trophy.
Lobb will be the man to
beat, but don’t discount
Campos, Eve or Algar. Reib
has two wins to his name,
but they’ve both been at
Zwartkops and he is keen to
shake off the Zwartkops
specialist tag. An
interesting addition to the
field is former front-runner
Guy Botterill who makes a
return to the series in the
Bigfoot Express Freight
entry.
Another returnee is Chris
Hart (Etana) who didn’t race
last year, but is a past
race winner. |
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Sean Greve (Vulcania
Reinforcing) is overdue for a
win and when he does take the
flag one day it won’t be a great
surprise. Hanno Pengilly (Azura
Retreats) came on strong last
year and isn’t far off a podium
finish.
Rookies last year, Andrew Strike
and Greg Walker (Indy Oil) will
resume their rivalry. Both know
the track well and enjoy the
fast sweeps. Trevor Frost in the
SMD entry is steady and reliable
while former single seater star
Doug MacDonald
will be making his Shelby Can-Am
debut.
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