Two FVW podiums for SAM Racing at Kyalami
A third in race one for Wesleigh Orr (Global Consulting Solutions FVW) and a second for Belgian visitor Maxime Soulet (Tubular FVW) in a wet race two were the highlights for SAM Racing of the penultimate round of the inaugural Formula VW Challenge at Kyalami on Saturday.
Orr qualified third for Saturday’s first race behind championship leader Gavin Cronje and Cristiano Morgado and the team was confident it had the pace to challenge for a race win. Team-mates Paulo da Cunha (Tubular FVW) and Belgian Belcar GT3 champion Soulet (in a second Tubular-backed car rented from Volkswagen) qualified ninth and eighth respectively. Soulet, on his first racing appearance in his adopted country, was frustrated by a lack of seat time in the rented car following an electrical fault that the SAM Racing team battled throughout Friday’s practice sessions to identify and fix.
Orr initially had the pace to stay with Cronje and Morgado at the front of the field in race one, but dropped back to finish a comfortable third, three seconds adrift of the winner and nearly a second ahead of Michael Stephen. Soulet did well to finish seventh despite the limited time he spent behind the wheel and his lack of confidence in the car as a result. Da Cunha was delayed by a spin at Wesbank corner, but recovered to finish 10th in an otherwise uneventful race.
Changes made to the three cars for race two had to be hurriedly revised when the race was declared a wet one after a Highveld thunderstorm and heavy downpour. Orr made an excellent start and was challenging race leader Morgado at the start of lap two when he hit a river of water running across turn one and spun. Cronje, following close behind, hit him while he was facing in the wrong direction (the tyres made heavy contact) and both were out on the spot. The race was stopped to clear the wreckage and Orr was taken to hospital for a check-up after hurting his neck.
Morgado went on to win the restarted race, which was reduced to six laps, with Soulet just six tenths of a second behind him at the finish. The Belgian showed his class in this race and felt he could have caught and passed Morgado had it lasted longer. His best lap time was just two tenths off that of the winner.
Orr, who suffered a mild whiplash, was disappointed as he was sure he could have taken the fight to Morgado and recorded his first Formula VW win. Da Cunha had an oil pressure problem on the opening lap of the second race and parked the car to preserve the engine after a spin. Soulet was fourth overall for the day.
“With a bit of luck we could have had two of our cars on the podium in race two, even a first victory,” said SAM Racing team principal Lee Philips. “We’re grateful to Volkswagen for the opportunity to hire one of their cars for Maxime. Unfortunately it took us most of Friday and all three practice sessions to find and fix an electrical glitch that limited the engine revs and prevented Maxime from valuable seat time in the car before qualifying.
“As it was, he only managed five laps and did well to qualify seventh and less than two seconds off pole position on his very first outing in a Formula VW at Kyalami. He’s a talented driver and showed throughout the weekend that he’s a consummate professional. His performance in wet conditions in race two was top drawer. Fortunately, Wes escaped from his accident with what appears to be minor whiplash and we wish him a speedy recovery. He drove as well as he could under the circumstances and was looking very good in the wet race until he lost control.
“There were several reasons for ‘importing’ a driver like Maxime for this weekend’s event,” explained Philips. “We wanted to demonstrate just how competitive our local drivers are when compared with established and credible world class drivers like Maxime; we wanted to find a Formula VW ambassador in Europe; and we hoped to lend credibility to the FVW series and hopefully attracting overseas attention and participation.
“Maxime will be leaving SA with a really positive perspective on the FVW series and its drivers. He felt that the cars were professionally presented and that the drivers were competitive. He wants to return for the final round in Cape Town!
There were mixed fortunes for SAM Racing in the penultimate round of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship. Marco da Cunha qualified his Tubular-backed Nissan Dealer Team 350Z in a good fourth place on Friday, ahead of both factory Nissans and team-mate Darryn Lobb, who was 10th. Race one saw Da Cunha run fourth in the early stages and he eventually finished fifth, ahead of all the other Nissans. Lobb ran as high as seventh behind Da Cunha until lap five, when he experienced problems with his throttle sticking open and he fell back to finish 11th.
Da Cunha finished seventh in race two and was classified sixth overall for the day. He had an uneventful race, staying with the Audi Quattro of Johan Fourie, but unable to challenge, and keeping the BMW 330i of Etienne van der Linde at bay throughout the 10-lap race.
Lobb was caught out by a red flag on the opening lap of the race after two class T cars had clashed at the start. He went through Clubhouse side-by-side with Lee Thompson (BMW 330i) and crashed into Thompson when the BMW driver slowed as he saw the red flag. Lobb was unsighted and accelerated into the BMW, damaging his radiator and popping the bonnet open. He limped back to the pits and retirement with the bonnet obscuring his view through the windscreen.
“Unfortunately there was serious radiator damage, so we couldn’t just secure the bonnet and send Darryn on his way,” explained Philips. It was the end of a difficult weekend for the reigning Shelby can Am champion, but he and Da Cunha are confident of a strong showing in the final two races of the championship at Killarney in cape Town on November 15.
SAM Racing acknowledges and thanks its sponsors for their continued support: Tubular Technical Construction, Exa Motor Group, Global Consulting Solutions, Imperial Chauffeur Drive, Ferodo, Exa Platinum Rentals, GP Windscreens and Signs For You.