Poulter 2nd & da Cunha 3rd for Nissan Dealer Team at Phakisa
Second place in race one by Leeroy Poulter (GP Windscreens Nissan 350Z) and a third in race two for Marco da Cunha (Tubular Nissan 350Z) were the highlights for the Nissan Dealer Team in round seven of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship at Phakisa Freeway in the Free State on Saturday.
Former champion Poulter, who qualified a fine second just 0,060 sec behind polesitter and race winner Michael Stephen (Audi A4 quattro), contested second place for much of the race with defending champion, Johan Fourie, finally getting the better of Fourie on the last lap of the eight-lap race down the back straight to record his fifth podium finish of the season.
Team-mate Marco da Cunha (Tubular Nissan 350Z) finished eighth in race one after contact with Shaun Watson-Smith (Audi A4 quattro) on the opening lap saw him spin off the circuit and into the tyre wall at the entrance to the pits. Although the SAM Racing-prepared Nissan sustained front bodywork damage, Da Cunha was able to continue and make up two places by the time the chequered flag was shown.
With the reverse grid in place for race two, Da Cunha started from the outside of the front row and was involved in a thrilling race-long battle for second with the BMW 330i pair of former champion Anthony Taylor and Robert Wolk, Taylor finally finishing second ahead of Da Cunha and Wolk. Watson-Smith led the race from the end of the first lap to the finish.
Poulter's chances of improving his third place in the championship were dealt a cruel blow when he was the victim of an incident involving BMW driver Lee Thompson, who spun in his path on the opening lap. The resulting bodywork damage to the Nissan fouled a front wheel and Poulter was forced into the pits and retirement for a rare DNF.
Taylor continues to lead the championship and now has 91 points to the 89 of Fourie and the 83 of Stephen. Poulter drops to fourth with 81 points.
Lee Philips, SAM Racing and Nissan Dealer Team principal: "It was a weekend that promised much, but didn't deliver what we expected. Incidents not of their own making prevented both of our drivers from achieving the results they deserved. The incident that took Leeroy out of race two has now made our job that much more difficult in the remaining two rounds, but the challenge is not insurmountable. We are still in this championship."
SAM Racing's Paulo da Cunha (Tubular Volkswagen) was fifth overall for the day in the seventh round of the Formula Volkswagen national championship. After a disappointing qualifying session on Saturday morning where he was at odds with the handling of his car, he only managed to qualify eighth for both of the day's 12-lap races.
Changes to the set up before each of the races saw an improvement and Da Cunha finished fifth in race one and sixth in race two.
Sixteen-year-old James Temple made a guest appearance for the team in a car made available by Volkswagen and impressed all with an exceptional Formula Volkswagen debut. The former karter and current competitor in the Formula Ford championship qualified fourth and sixth for the two races and finished his first ever FVW race in a fine third place. He was fourth in race two and fourth overall for the day.
"A very mature drive for a 16-year-old," said team principal Philips. "I'd like to see this young man continue in the formula for the rest of the season."
Both races were won by 31-year-old Tschops Sipuka, VW Polo Cup champion in 2002 and 2003, who made history by becoming the first driver of colour to win a national championship single seater race. Jayde Kruger was second in both races with Temple and Gordon Connelly sharing third place honours.
SAM Racing acknowledges and thanks its other corporate partners for their continued support: Tubular Technical Construction, Exa Motor Group, Ferodo, GP Windscreens, Exa Platinum Rentals, Top Car Paint & Panel, Tri Dent Middelburg, Hi Tech Mag Repairs, Sax Shocks, Signs For You, Rob Green Motorsport, Serbco Distributors and mobicars.