Campos extends
championship lead |
|
South Africa’s only stand alone sports car series
thrilled a small but appreciative crowd at a wet Kyalami circuit
for round three of the championship on Saturday. Thanks to a never say die attitude, hard charging 2008 champion Rui Campos (Hugo Boss) extended his championship lead with a display of controlled aggression. Heavy rain on Friday say qualifying abandoned and rescheduled for Saturday morning, which turned out to be just as wet. Campos found the best set-up and put in a lap that was nearly three seconds faster than Brian Algar in the Etana sponsored car. Guest driver David Trollip headed the second row with young Nicholas Walker (Eco Constructions/ Sunoco Race Fuel) starting from fourth for only his third Shelby Can-Am event. The top six was completed by Greg Walker (Indy Oil/Sunoco Race Fuel) and London based Hanno Pengilly (Azura Retreats). Campos led off the line in race one, but an early spin dropped him down the order and it was Algar who then looked set to win. The racing gods were not on his side and he too spun which handed the lead to Trollip. Meanwhile Campos got the bit between his teeth and was scything through the field. A quick safety car period helped his cause to no end as it bunched up the field for a final two lap sprint. Trollip could do little to hang on to the lead and a lap from the end it was all over as Campos swept into the lead to win by a car length. Third place went the way of the recovering Algar as Alan Eve (Metal Used Spares) shadowed across the line. A steady drive saw Greg Walker take fifth ahead of newcomer Allistair Brown. Light was fading fast when the cars came out for race two, but the track was damp, almost dry in parts but there were wet patches off line to catch the unwary. Tyre choice was crucial as it was neither wet enough for full wets nor dry enough for slicks. On wets Eve built a handy lead in the early laps but it was not enough and by half distance he knew he was in trouble and on lap four Campos took the lead as the rest of the field closed up. Trollip then closed up top Campos quickly and had the race been half a lap longer victory would surely have been Trollip’s. Third was Pengilly who passed Eve shortly before the end. “These tyres must be about seven years old and I just didn’t have the grip,” rued Eve. Justin Allison and Capetonian Doug MacDonald in the Fantastic Racing entry completed the top six after sensible drives in tricky conditions. The series move to Cape Town’s picturesque Killarney circuit for round 4 on 14 May. |