Successful day's racing at Killarney
SAM Racing completed a successful visit to Cape Town’s Killarney circuit on Saturday with second and fifth overall for drivers Leeroy Poulter (Tubular/mobicars Nissan 350Z) and Marco da Cunha (Tubular/Exa Motor Group Nissan 350Z) in the second round of the Bridgestone Production car Championship.
Former national production car champion Poulter was fourth and second in the two back-to-back sprint races and finished third in the feature race, while Da Cunha enjoyed his first ever race win in the second six-lap sprint after finishing sixth in race one. He was again sixth in the feature race after a tyre started delaminating and he eventually completed the 10-lapper with no tread.
After struggling to match the pace of the new twin-turbo BMW 335i at the opening round at Kyalami, the two Nissan drivers were again off the pace in practice and qualifying in Cape Town. Poulter qualified fifth, 0,81 sec behind pole-sitter Melvill Priest (BMW) with Da Cunha sixth and 1,29 sec back.
Poulter held off a challenge from Michael Stephen (Audi A4 Quattro) in the opening laps of the first race to occupy fourth place until the Audi driver went past under a yellow flag on lap three. Poulter finished fifth, 2,28 sec behind Priest, Anthony Taylor (BMW), Johan Fourie (Audi) and Stephen, but was elevated to fourth after Stephen was penalised two places for his rules infringement. Da Cunha remained in sixth place throughout the six laps, finishing three tenths of a second behind his team-mate.
With the partially-inverted grid for race two (the first six across the line in race one start the next race in reverse order), Da Cunha found himself on pole with Poulter alongside. Poulter went round the outside of his team-mate into the first corner but two laps later was demoted to fourth after Fourie hit Da Cunha, who in turn hit Poulter causing him to go off the circuit. Da Cunha went on to take his maiden Bridgestone Production Car win by seven tenths of a second from Stephen, with Poulter recovering to finish third.
Poulter started the feature race from fourth on the grid and got past Taylor’s BMW on the first lap to occupy third place throughout the race, finishing 3,70 sec behind race winner Fourie and sixth tenths of a second behind second-placed Priest.
“We came to Killarney not expecting much, but determined to score as many points as we could,” said team principal Lee Philips. “Second overall for the day for Leeroy was a real bonus; he drove very well and again showed his class. The whole team was delighted with Marco’s win in race two. He was unlucky to have the tyre problem in the feature race.”
The next round of the series is at Phakisa Freeway in the Free State on April 16 and 17.
SAM Racing acknowledges and thanks its corporate partners for their continued support: Tubular Group (www.tubular.co.za), Exa Motor Group (www.examotors.co.za), mobicars (www.mobicars.co.za), Atlas Copco, Exa Platinum Rentals, Tri Dent Panel Middelburg, Hi Tech Mag Repairs, Nissan Diesel, Valid Value, GP Windscreens, Rob Green Motorsport, Hydro Shop, Serbco Distributors and MIR clothing.