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 2010 South African National Formula Vee Championship

Last throw of the dice nets the title for Hills

The final round of the 2010 Execuline South African National Formula Vee Championship, proved to be a dramatic event, as fortunes swung back and fourth. Hopes where dashed, revived and hung in the balance for most of the day but in the end, it was the veteran ex Champion Peter Hills who took the 2010 title, by a single point, from development driver Zaahir Essa.

Starting form pole position, for the first heat, Essa lost the advantage and by Turn Six, the second row of Hills and Symm Grobler had the advantage over Essa and Alan Holm who had also started from the front row of the grid. The following lap Essa had passed Grobler and then made short work of Hills, passing him around the outside of Turn Four during the fourth lap of the race. The top four where still locked together when suddenly Hills stopped out on the circuit with a gear selector problem. His hopes of another title had been shattered and he could only watch in despair as Essa continued to lead from Holm, who had eventually made his way past Grobbler.

Behind the lead pack Johan Gouws held a secure fourth place ahead of Paul while behind them a furious no holds barred battle raged involving Greg Wilson, Nico Blignaut , Nick Tennant  and Gareth Jackson while Henk Swanepoel had to deal with the close attentions of Shaun Van Der Linde .

Bringing up the rear, was Mariaan Brits after an early spin had put her out of touch, with the rest of the field.

Into the closing stages of the race, Holm had closed right up onto Essa's tail and was putting him under increasing pressure. Then with just over three laps to go Holm made a run up the inside at Turn Five which Essa defended vigorously, retaining his lead. The following lap, Holm tried again and once again Essa tried to fend him off but the cars touched and as Holm exited the corner, Essa left the circuit backwards into the gravel trap! He was unable to get going again and walked away in utter despair, as the advantage tilted back in favour of Hills who could not believe his eyes when Essa failed to come past again.

On the final lap Wilson, heading for his best ever finish, had the motor cut out momentarily and spun exiting Turn Five leaving the two Reflex Solutions Rhema 2s, parked in formation on the outside of the bend as Holm took the victory from Grobler, Gouws, Venter, Tennant, Blignaut, Jackson, Jannie Geyser, Swanepoel, Van Der Linde and Ben Pienaar (.

For the second heat, Essa and Hills would both be starting behind Brits along with Mile Stewart who had failed to complete a lap in the first heat. Again Hills got the jump on Essa at the start, as they began the task of threading their way through the traffic. Initially Holm had taken the lead, from pole position but Grobler soon took over, while Van Der Linde took a trip through the Turn One gravel trap on his first flying lap and Hills, was soon reeling in the Venter, Tennant, Blignaut, Jackson, Wilson bunch.

Then Wilson went down the inside of Jackson into Turn Eight but Wilson could not get the gear he was looking for and hit the Lasersprint Rhema 2 hard enough to put Jackson out of the race. Soon after that, Swanepoel pulled off the circuit with mechanical failure.

Out front, Holm and Grobler had swapped the lead again while Hills had made it through the bunch unscathed.  Essa meanwhile was already into the bunch and only three places behind Hills.

It was long however before Essa was free of the bunch and was reeling in Hills to pick him off as well. Grobler meanwhile had retaken the lead from Holm.

Further back Geyser, Van Der Linde, Stewart and Wilson had all made their way past Hugo Wallendorf but then Stewart spun exiting Turn Two to rejoin behind Wallendorf but just ahead of Brits.

All eyes were however on Essa and Hills as they closed in on Gouws in third place. Essa dived past first and they exited Turn Two for the last time withj the  top five in astern. Grobler was leading from Holm, Essa, Gouws and Hills.

Next Essa dived past Holm and looked odds-on for the title as he crossed the line 0.413secs behiind Grobler but at the final corner, Holm had run wide, taking Gouws with him, allowing Hills to sweep past on the inside and beat Gouws to the line by 0.342s, with Holm finishing 0,104s later in fifth. They where followed home, by Blignaut, Tennant, Venter, Pienaar, Geyser, Wilson and Van Der Linde.

Fastest lap of the day went to Essa but it was not enough. He needed just one more point and while a shattered Essa looked on in disbelief, reflecting on what could have been, an ecstatic Hills celebrated what could well be, the biggest ‘get out of jail’ Championship victory in the 45 year history of the category in South Africa.

Hills and Essa Share The Points At Kyalami

The penultimate round, of the 2010 Execuline South African National Formula Vee Championship, saw very little change at the top of the log. It is however, becoming increasingly difficult, for Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Reflex Solutions Rhema 2) to claim the title. It would now require a mechanical failure, or some other problem, for Peter Hills (Renexcon Rhema 2) to surrender the title to Essa, at the final National event if the year. Each of them picked up a win and a second place, at Kyalami and Essa only closed the gap, by a single point, for fastest lap in the second heat.

Both cars bore the scars of battle, with Hills finishing the first heat, with Essa's tire marks on the side of his nose cone, while in the second heat Essa lost his nose cone completely, after contact with Hills. Throughout both races, they where never more that a couple of meters apart and although it was Hills who completed most laps, at the head of the field, Essa led across the line twice in heat one (laps six and seven) but had shown his hand too early and in the crucial eighth and final lap of the heat, Hills swept past again, to take the victory. In the second heat, Essa left his move to the last lap and the only time he lead Hills across the line, was to take the Checkered Flag and keep his title hopes within reach, provided Hills has a bad day at the final event of the year.

There was plenty of action all the way down the field, as well. In the first lap, of heat one, Keegan Campos (Campos Transport GP Energy Drink Rhema 2) stuck his nose down the inside of Nicholas Tennant (Tennant Life Benefits Rhema 2), at Nashua. As Tennant turned into the bend, Campos' right front wheel slammed into Tennant's left rear and Tennant spun in the middle of the pack, sending everyone scattering in all directions. Paul Venter (Nashua Mobile Rhema 1) lost his nose cone, through the gravel trap and Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 2) spun, rejoining at the back of the field. In trouble right from the start, was Mariaan Brits (Nedbank Women in Motorsport Rhema 1) who had lost the use of fourth gear but soldiered on, to still finish the race, on the lead lap. Formula Vee runs a four speed Beetle gearbox and on the faster sections, she was limited to what the car would do, at seven thousand revs, in third gear!

Apart from the lead battle, Johan Gouws Indwe Risk Management Menlyn Motor Service E-Car Mantis) and Symm Grobler Auto Mecca Rhema 2) engaged in a race lone duel, both struggling with minor mechanical problems which saw them losing ground to Campos, in third place. Greg Wilson (Reflex Solutions Rhema 2), fought a torrid battle with Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 2) and Venter, as Tennant and Pienaar carved their way up through the field, with Tennant catching the Blignaut, Wilson Venter bunch, while Pienaar ended up battling it out, with Alan Eustice (Execuline Rhema 2). Shaun Van Der Linde (Len Schoen Estates Rhema 1) had tagged onto the back of Henk Swanepoel (Renexcon Rhema 2), while behind them, Hugo Walendorf BJ Pro Welding Lantis) was battling to hold off the attentions of Mile Stewart (Direction Group Rhema 2), until Stewart locked up on the last lap and stalled the motor.

In the end, it was Hills who took the first heat victory, by 0.503 of a second, from Essa who was followed across the line, by Campos, Gouws, Grobler, Blignaut, Wilson, Tennant, Venter, Pienaar, Eustice and Swanepoel, after Jannie Geyser (Vision) fell away, during the final lap, when something broke on his front suspension, making his car almost un-drivable.

The second heat produced more of the same, at the head of the field. Further back Eustice spun early on and spent the rest of the race playing catch up, while Hano Van Der Spy (Vision) had also lost a lot of time, due to a first lap incident. Then Tennant slammed into the back of Blignaut, going up the hill to Wesbank, after he misjudged his closing speed and before the lap was completed, Venter got out of shape under braking for Turn Fourteen and tangled with Tennant as well. Gouws and Grobler resumed their first heat battle, this time at a faster pace, while a little further back, a number of race long battles developed. One of these involved Blignaut, Pienaar and Venter, while behind them, Wilson and Swanepoel where involved in their own private duel. Wallendorf, Van Der Linde and Stewart where also all over one another, until Stewart spun, exiting the old Clubhouse Bend. By then Gouws had been pulled off, due to a small oil leak, hile Campos had also retired, around about the same time, due to a seized motor.

With less than a lap to go, Essa and Hills where side by side into Clubhouse. Essa's had already lost his nose cone, on the back of Hills' car but at the line, it was Essa who took the victory from Hills, by 0.368 of a second. This time, Grobler who took third place, ahead of Tennant and they where followed home by, Blignaut, Venter, Wilson, Swanepoel, Pienaar, Eustice, Wallendorf and Van Der Linde. Brits again ran the whole race, without the use of fourth gear, to finish between Andri Overbeek (Rhema 1) and Van Der Spy, in fifteenth place.

Drama, Drama And Still More Drama

The sixth round of the 2010 Execuline South African National Formula Vee Championship, produced more than it's fair share of drama, at the Phakisa Circuit near Welkom. In the end, it was however Peter Hills (Renexcon Rhema 2) who came away with his Championship lead intact, despite his closest rival, development driver Zaahir Essa (Reflex Solutions NLDTF Rhema 2) being first across the line, at the end of both heats. Essa was then penalized thirty seconds, for passing under a yellow flag in the second race, which could hardly be considered a race at all, with the field spending close to seventy five percent of the race, behind the Safety Car. Nicholas Tennant (Tennant Life Benefits Rhema 2) suffered the same fate, in the first heat, while for the other two Championship hopefuls Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2) and Paul Venter (Nashua Mobile Rhema 1) it was a weekend they would rather forget .

The day's drama started before the first corner, as Essa and Grobler contested the same piece of road, on the approach to Turn One. Grobler's left back wheel, rode over Essa's right front wheel, pitching Grobler into the pit wall and out of the race. The Safety Car was deployed but most of the drivers did not appear to pick up on the information and cars scattered in all directions, as they powered through the final corner of the lap, to find the Safety Car in the middle of the road, ahead of them. Essa went up and over the back wheel, of the Keegan Campos (Campos Transport GP Energy Rhema 2) and landed very heavily on all four wheels. He was however still able to slot back into his position, behind the Safety Car, along with the rest of the field.

The Safety Car was withdrawn, the following lap, with Johan Gouws (Indwe Menlyn Motor Services E-Car Mantis) challenging Hills at the head of the field. Essa was soon up there with them, as well and as the three of them dived into Turn One together Gouws, on the outside, was forced off onto the grass, on the exit of the bend and lost touch. One of the more intriguing battles was the one at the back of the field. 2010 rookies Shaun Van Der Linde (Len Schoen Estates Rhema 1) and Mariaan Brits (Nedbank Women in Motor Sport Rhema 1), along with relative newcomer Mile Stewart (Direction Group Rhema 2), found themselves in the company of veteran double National Champion Dennis Johns, deputizing for Hugo Wallendorf in the BJ Pro Welding Lantis. School was in session, as the rookies picked up valuable lessons, from a driver with a wealth of experience and all of them, posted fastest laps in the race, which where considerably quicker, than their fastest times in qualifying.

Brits stuck to John's tail, for a while and then he let her through, to see how she would do on her own. He then passed her again but she came straight back at him and retook the position, so he settled down to hold Van Der Linde and Stewart at bay. Then Van Der Linde spun, with Stewart right on his tail. Stewart jumped on the brakes and although he avoided contact, he stalled the motor and as Van Der Linde selected first gear and drove off. Stewart was left sitting on the outside of the bend, cranking the motor, until it eventually fired up again and he was able to rejoin the race, behind Venter who had earlier been delayed, by a faulty cut out switch.

Hills had lead for most of the race, when Essa dived down the inside of him at the second last bend. Not realizing that they where on the last lap, Hills did not block the move, thinking he would just slipstream past again, down the back straight. Entering the last corner Hills could not understand why Essa was defending the inside line, so aggressively, until he saw the Checkered Flag awaiting them, a hundred meters down the road. They where followed across the line, by Gouws, Tennant, Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Nashua Mobile Rhema 2), Campos, struggling along with no clutch, Greg Wilson (Reflex Solutions Rhema 2), Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 2), Shelby Can Am driver, Greg Walker, deputizing for Alan Eustice in the Execuline Rhema 2, Henk Swanepoel (Renexcon Rhema 2), Brits, Johns, Van Der Linde, Venter and Stewart, with the thirty second penalty, dropping Tennant to eighth place In the official result..

The second heat got underway, without incident but as the field streamed into the fast sweep, at the end of the back straight, one of the cars got a bit out of shape. Right on his tail, Walker reacted and although the other car made it through, without incident, Walker had the Execuline Rhema 2 sliding side on the traffic, exiting a 180 KM per hour sweep! Two or three made it past unscathed but then Venter slammed into the side of Walker's car, spinning Walker around in the other direction. Venter careered of the circuit, toward the barriers on the inside, in a cloud of dust, without his left front wheel, while Walker ended up in the middle of the road, facing the traffic, as the back markers made their way past on either side.

For the second time in the day, the Safety Car was called into action, for a first lap incident and the race was already at half distance, before the scene of the accident had been cleared. The Safety Car was withdrawn but then had to come straight back out again. Shortly after the green flag, Stewart dived down the inside of Van Der Linde under braking, locked up and went straight on, taking Van Der Linde off with him. Van Der Linde eventually got going again but Stewart's car was well and truly stuck in the gravel trap and in the end, the Safety Car only entered the pit lane, to allow the field to stream through the final corner and take the checkered flag, a couple of hundred meters down the road. Two laps earlier, Gouws had retired, due to a loose gear selector and although Essa led the field across the line, the thirty second penalty, with the field having been bunched up behind the Safety Car, put him behind every one, who took the flag, so Hills won the race, from Campos, Tennant, Grobler, Pienaar, Blignaut, Swanepoel, Johns, Brits, Wilson, Van Der Linde, Essa and Gouws.

Advantage Hills

The fifth round of the 2010 Execuline South African National Formula Vee Championship, saw Peter Hills (Renexcon Rhema 2) revive his challenge for the 2010 National Title, with a double victory, plus the bonus point for fastest lap of the day, on the short challenging 1.6KM Lichtenburg circuit. The wins where his first of the year and propel him back to the top of the Championship, two points ahead of development driver Zaahir Essa (Reflex Systems Rhema 2). It was however a day of drama for others, particularly the second Renexcon Rhema 2, of Henk Swanepoel. Swanepoel's day took a turn for the worse, when he went off at Turn 1, during qualifying and hit the embankment with the left front wheel. With a lot of help from his friends, the car only just made it onto the grid, for the first heat but for Swanepoel, the worst was yet to come. Shaun Van Der Linde (Len Schoen Estates Rhema 1) also sustained some damage during qualifying but that too, was repaired and the full field came to the line, for the start of the first heat.

Starting from pole position, Hills took the lead immediately and was never challenged, for the rest of the race. Starting second on the grid, for the first time in his Formula Vee career, Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 2) initially slotted into second place before he was passed by Essa. Blignaut was then pushed wide, at Turn 5, losing a number of places in the process. Keegan Campos (Campos Transport Carrera Sunglasses Rhema 2) had also had a moment, during the first lap of the race, rejoinimg right at the back of the field but was soon picking off those ahead of him, one by one.

As the race settled down a number of battles developed. One of then involved Dennis Johns, deputizing for Greg Wilson, in the second Reflex Solutions Rhema 2, Paul Venter (Nashua Mobile Rhema 1), Blignaut and Nicholas Tenant (Tenant Life Benefits Rhema 2), who was struggling with all sorts of handling problems. Behind them, there was a really hectic battle, involving Alan Eustice (Execuline Racing Rhema 2), Hugo Wallendorf (BJ Pro Welding Lantis) and Henk Swanepoel (Renexcon Rhema 2), the three of them locked together and swapping places on a regular basis. while even Van Der Linde, Mile Stewart (Direction Group Rhema 2) and Mariaan Brits (Nedbank MFC Women in Motorsport Rhema 1), kept in touch with one another, for a while. Then Brits spun at Turn 1, going off the circuit backwards but stopped the car before the embankment and was able to rejoin the race, with the car unharmed.

Still locked in battle, Eustice, Wallendorf and Swanepoel, commenced their fourteenth lap of the race but as they braked for Turn 2, Wallendorf saw the back of Eustice's car drop on the one side, as a suspension rod gave way. Wallendorf turned in as late as possible going right around the outside of the bend but thinking that Wallendorf had made a mistake, Swanepoel seized the opportunity and followed Eustice into the bend but the back of the Execuline Racing Rhema 2 let go and as Wallendorf squeezed past on the outside, Swanepoel was trapped. Eustice's car was almost backwards, by the time the Renexcon Rhema 2 was launched over Eustice's back wheel and barrel rolled a full 360 degrees, before it came to rest back on it's wheels, in the outfield, with a shaken but otherwise relatively unharmed Swanepoel, wondering what on earth had happened.

With Swanepoel's car sitting a meter or two beyond the outside of the bend and Eustice backwards in the middle of the road, on the exit of the bend, the Safety Car was deployed. Eustice was then able to turn around and trundle along, at the back of the queue before the Chequered Flag came out three laps early and the race ended behind the Safety Car, with Hills taking the victory, from Essa, Symm Grobler ( Auto Mecca Rhema 2), Venter, Tennant, Johns, Blignaut, Campos, Wallendorf, Stewart, Eustice and Brits, while Swanepoel was also classified as a finisher, having completed more that two thirds of the race.

The second heat, was also destined to produce it's fair share of drama. Swanepoel would be a non starter, together with Johns who had struggled with a clutch problem during the first heat. Hills lead the rest of the field away, from the line but Stewart did not get far and retired after two laps, when the throttle stuck open at Turn 2. Then after another couple of laps, Venter went off the road, bent the rear shock absorber, and parked the Nashua Mobile Rhema 1, at Turn 4. Tennant then, only lasted a couple more laps, before he locked up all four wheels, in front of Blignaut at Turn 5 and went straight on in a cloud of dust. The car ended up not to far from the circuit but could not be moved, as the wheels where all locked solid and after a few laps under a waved yellow flag, the flag was withdrawn but it came back out again, after Van Der Linde run wide, while being lapped, by Grobler and got stuck, not far off the circuit, on the exit of the bend.

Turn 5 is the main overtaking point, at Lichtenburg, and with that under yellow, Campos had to look elsewhere, for a way past Grobler who he had been harrying for many laps but he then went off the road at Turn 1, in the same way that Swanepoel had done in qualifying, with the same consequences, losing his front wheel against the embankment as well, three laps before the end of the race. There where no such problems for Hills and he came through to take his second victory of the day, ahead of Essa, Grobler, Blignaut, Eustice and Wallendorf who had once again been locked in battle, the entire race. Brits finished next, having kept out of trouble and ended up reaping the rewards, for her efforts, in her first Formula Vee race, while Campos and Van Der Linda, had both completed enough laps, to also be classified as finishers

Fierce PE Battle Fails To Resolve Formula Vee table Congestion.

The 2010 South African National Formula Vee Championship table after the Port Elizabeth round on the 8th May, still gives no clear indication, as to the eventual outcome of the 2010 title chase. Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Reflex Solutions Rhema 2) is however, starting to establish himself as a strong contender, to become the first South African Formula Vee development driver, to secure the South African National Formula Vee title. With the season having reached the midway mark, at Port Elizabeth, a mere eight points separate the first four drivers, including two ex Champions and Essa can not afford to slack off, for one second.

Essa propelled himself to the top of the table, with two victories at Port Elizabeth but had to work very hard, for both of them and was pushed all the way, by Nicholas Tennant (Tennant Life Benefits Rhema 2), who celebrated his twentieth birthday at the event and the two ex National Champions in the field, Peter Hills (Renexcon Rhema 2) and Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2). Initially, Paul Venter (Lantis) hung onto the bunch as well but as the race progressed, he lost touch and slipped off the back of the bunch.

At the start of the first heat, Greg Wilson (Reflex Solutions Rhema 2) had been forced onto the grass in the run down to Turn One, which briefly dropped him to the back of the field. A little later in the race, Association Chairman Alan Eustice (Execuline Rhema 2) had a big moment coming out of the Esses. Eustice got all crossed up, before charging across the grass, making light contact with the tire wall. He then battled to keep the car pointing in the right direction, as he accelerated across the grass, in an effort to make his way back onto the circuit, a little further down the road.

In the end, Essa secured the first heat victory, by 0.105 of a second, ahead of Tennant and they where followed across the line, by Hills, Grobler, Venter, Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 2), Wilson, Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 2), Eustice and Mile Stewart (Direction Group Rhema 2).

The start of the second heat, almost saw Wilson go into the back of Venter, when Venter's car jumped out of gear as he tried to accelerate away from the line. Everyone however urvived the first lap, unscathed and the race would develop, with the same lead bunch battling it out at the head of the field. Then the pressure plate packed up, on Hills' car and he slowly sliped back down the field.

The battle, involving Essa, Tennant and Grobler, would however continue unabated. Having been unsuccessful in finding a way past Essa, for lap after lap, under braking at the end of the main straight, Tennant then decided to follow Essa into the corner and try to find another way of getting by, during the closing stages of the race. Tennant was however following too close and as Essa braked at the end of the main straight, Tennant's nose cone slammed into the back of Essa's car. The impact knocked Essa's car out of gear but he was still able to reselect the right gear, before the corner and maintain his advantage. For the next couple of laps, Tennant's nose cone hung on by a thread but then it tore lose and with the extra drag enabled Grobler to come out of Tennant's slipstream at the end of the main straight, on the last lap and demote Tennant to third place. Tennant was in turn, followed across the line, by Venter, Wilson, Hills and Pienaar who was penalized thirty seconds for jumping the start, while Eustice had pitted two laps before the end of the race, after another off course excursion, at the Esses. He still qualified as a finisher, while Blignaut and Stewart had both retired earlier, due to mechanical problems.

Grobler and Essa Secure Victory At Zwartkops

After a week of incessant rain, race day produced a warm, dry, sunny, day, perfect weather for racing and the two Execuline Motor Insurance Formula Vee races did not disappoint, with good, close, action packed racing, throughout both twelve lap heats. Pole position for Heat One went to development driver Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Reflex Solutions Rhema 2) but before the end of the session, the motor blew. A decision was made to switch to the Rhema 1 but the car had to be fetched from the other side of Pretoria, along with two gearboxes, for Johan Gouws (Indwe Risk Services Mantis) and Henk Swanepoel (Renexcon Rhema 2). Gouws was destined, not to make the first race but with a lot of help, Swanepoel made it into the pre race paddock, with less than a minute to spare. Not so lucky, was Essa. Once the car had arrived at the circuit, it still had to be prepared for the race and the field where already into the second lap of the race, before Essa exited the pit lane.

At the head of the field, where the two veteran ex Champions, Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2) and Peter Hills (Renexcon Rhema 2), followed by Trevor Bland, deputizing for Mark Stewart in the Direction Group Rhema 2 and Jannie Geyser Snr (Vision). Behind them, there was a mighty squabble among the new young guns, with Hugo Wallendorf (BJ Pro Welding Lantis) losing his nose cone when Greg Wilson (Reflex Solutions Rhema 2) closed the door on him. The following lap, Nicholas Tennant (Tennant Life Benefits Rhema 2) lost his nose cone as well, in an incident with Jannie Geyser Jnr (Rhema 2)..

Out front, Hills pushed Grobler all the way to the checkered flag but could not find a way past, with Grobler's car having a slight advantage, accelerating out of the tighter bends. Bland kept station behind them, until a misfire dropped him into the clutches of those behind. Victory would however go to Grobler 0.184 of a second, ahead of Hills, Geyser Snr came home third, closely followed by Tennant, Bland and Paul Venter (Laser), the four of them crossing the line, in a fraction over a second. Geyser Jnr had earlier run wide, filling the side pods with grass, causing the motor to overheat dropping him out of the bunch and he retired with a lap to go. Keegan Campos (Campos Transport Carrera Sunglasses Rhema 2) who had also been running with the bunch and Alan Eustice (Execuline Rhema 2) who had moved up through the field, to tag onto the back of the bunch, then had a moment, dropping them behind a race long duel, between Swanepoel and Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 2), with Eustice recovering to split the two of them, at the flag and Campos finishing right on Pienaar's tail, as the four of them crossed the line, nose to tail. Wilson and Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 2) completed the top twelve finishers.

There was also some good close racing, further down the field as well, involving Andrei Overbeek (Rhema 1) and Mile Stewart ( Direction Group Rhema 1) and saw the two of them swap positions a few times, before Overbeek spun and the battle was finally resolved, in favor of Stewart. Newcomer Shaun Van Der Linde (Len Schoen Estates Rhema 1), finished his first race one lap down, while both Wallendorf and Huno Van Der Spy (Vision) failed to qualify as finishers, after both of them had retired, before two thirds distance.

In the second heat, Stewart dropped out early on, while Tennant lost a lot of time, after he touched wheels with Bland, spun and beached the car on the inside curb, at Turn Two. Moments earlier, Hills had come down the inside of Grobler, to take the lead, while Essa was carving his way up through the field, after starting from the back of the grid. Soon, there was a four car train at the head of the field, with Hills leading, from Essa, Grobler and Bland but then the late afternoon sun caught Hills out. Momentarily blinded by the sun, he ran wide on the exit of Turn One and careered across the grass, still flat out but then got the car sideways, while trying to ease it back toward the circuit and ended up facing the wrong way, on the curb, at the entrance to Turn Two, as Essa swept past, to take the lead. Then with a couple of laps to go, Blignaut and Campos, touched wheels, entering Turn Four. Blignaut's car was launched into the air, spun around and landed backwards, bending the rear suspension. Blignaut retired on the spot but still qualified as a finisher, behind Gouws and Van Der Linde. Having made his way though more than half the field, after starting from the back of the grid, Gouws then had the clutch fail and he had been forced to retire, with a lap to go.

In the end, the second heat victory went to Essa, from Grobler, Bland, Venter, Hills, Eustice, Geyser Jnr, Geyser Snr, Pienaar, Swanepoel, Wilson and Campos, with Grobler taking first place overall, ahead of Hills and Bland.  

Essa Takes First Victory

The second round, of the 2010 Execuline South African National Formula Vee Championship, saw Development Driver, Zaahir Essa, secure the first victory of his Formula Vee career, when he won both heats, at the Execuline Historic Tour Aucor Race Day, at Midvaal Raceway.

The first heat, started in dramatic fashion, with a three car pile up at Turn One. Newcomer Keegan Campos (Campos Transport Rhema 2) underestimated the concertina effect, on the field, as everyone braked for the ninety degree left hander and Campos went over the top of Paul Venter (Lantis) before crashing into log leader Nicholas Tennant (Tennant Life Benefits Rhema 2). Those behind where also delayed, by the incident and by the end of the first lap, it was Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2), who led from Essa (NLDTF Rhema 2), Peter Hills (MLS Brokers Rhema 2) and Johan Gouws (Indwe Risk Services Mantis). The four of them where well ahead of the rest of the field, after the first corner incident and they where followed across the line, by Alan Eustice (Execuline Rhema 2), Hugo Wallendorf (Lantis), Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Silverton Plating Rhema 2), Jannie Geyser Snr (Vision) and Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 2) who was one of the worst affected, by the first corner incident. He was however, not in as bad a shape as Tennant who came through in last place and although he would pick off a few of the back markers, over the next few laps, Tennant pulled in to retire, at the end of the fifth lap, while Campos and Venter had both failed to complete a lap.

For a while, there was a good three car battle, involving Pienaar, Geyser and Blignaut, with the three of them catching Eustice, as the race progressed. Having his second Formula Vee race, Mark Stewart (Direction Group Rhema 2) had to fight off the attentions of another newcomer Hano Van Der Spy (Vision), while the other debutant, lady driver Tasj Van Dyk (Body Art SA Omega), had to be content to circulate on her own. Some of the cars, where however looking increasingly twitchy, exiting Turn One and eventually, it was Mile Stewart (Direction Group Rhema 1) who threw it away completely, when the car swapped ends and he splashed across the wet outfield, coming to a standstill, millimeters from the tire barrier.

Grobler had led for a while, before Essa slipped past. Behind Essa, Grobler and Hills then traded places for a while and the four of them remained locked in battle, swapping positions at the head of the field, for most of the race. Then Grobler made a do or die effort, to out brake everyone, at the end of the main straight, in the closing stages of the race. It did not come off and at the checkered flag, it was Essa, who took the victory, from Hills, Gouws, Grobler, Geyser Snr, Eustice, Blignaut, Pienaar, Henk Swanepoel, having his first outing, in his brand new Rhema 2, Wallendorf , Mark Stewart, Van Der Spy and Van Dyk.

The second heat, saw Essa and Hills fighting out a race long duel, for first place, This time, Grobler and Gouws where left to fight it out among themselves, for third and fourth place, while the other feature of the second heat, was the drive up through the field, by Tennant and Venter. One by one, they picked off those ahead of them, as the two of them circulated, nose to tail. Venter, even managed to pass Tennant but when Tennant was able to pass Geyser Snr, in the closing stages of the race, Geyser Snr was able to respond and keep Venter behind him, to the flag.

At one stage a good close battle had developed, between Pienaar, Blignaugt and Swanepoell who was getting the hang of the new car and eventually Swanepoel passed both of them and caught Eustice who must have then been involved in a incident, or picked up a problem and Eustice then fell back, down the order.

Out front, Hills was still looking for a way past Essa but then Hills' gearbox packed up, on the last lap and while the rest of the field went through, to take the flag, Hills coasted to a standstill, at the entrance to the pit lane, There where however no such problems for Essa who took his second victory of the day, comfortably ahead of Grobler and they where followed home, by Gouws, Tennant, Geyser Snr, Venter, Swanepoel, Pienaar, Blignaut, Eustice, Campos and Wallendorf. Hills, picked up twelfth place, one lap down, with Van Der Spy and Van Dyk, completing the finishers.

Tennant Victorious in East London

The historic East London Grand Prix circuit, proved to be a happy hunting ground, for nineteen year old Nicolas Tennant and he came away from the first round of the 2010 South African National Formula Vee Championship, with two wins and the Championship lead, for the first time in his brief Formula Vee career.

As expected, seasoned campaigner Peter Hills (MLS Brokers Rhema 2) took pole position, for race one, while Tennant lined up alongside in his recently acquired ex Chad Van Beurden Rhema 2, with Paul Venter (Nashua Mobile Laser) and Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 2), occupying the second row of the grid, for the first time in their National Formula Vee careers.

Everyone was expecting Hills to dominate the race but after leading for the first few laps, his motor started overheating and he was forced to surrender the lead, to Tennant. Venter had a moment early on, losing a number of positions in the process and then proceeded to battle it out with Greg Wilson (Reflex Technology Rhema 2). They swapped places, on a regular basis and Venter managed to use Wilson's tow to good effect and set the fastest lap of the race, to secure the bonus point for the day. Also swapping places, a little further back, where Hugo Wallendorf (Lantis) and Mile Stewart (Rhema 1), with Formula Vee debutant Mark Stewart (Rhema 2), having to play second fiddle, to his more experienced son.

It was however Tennant who came home, to record the first victory of his Formula Vee career, ahead of a struggling Hills, while Alan Eustice (Tennant Life Benefits Execuline Rhema 2) had passed Blignaut, who had picked up a problem selecting fourth gear, to finish third. In the end, Eustice beat Blignaut to the line, by less than a second and they where followed home, by Venter, Wilson, Mile Stewart, Wallendorf and Mark Stewart.

A change of motor between heats, did not resolve Hills' problem and although he also led for the first couple of laps, of the second heat, the overheating problem persisted and Tennant swept by, to take the lead again. This time the problem was even worse than before and Hills was soon passed by Venter. The following lap, Hills regained the position but the next time around, Eustice, Venter and Blignaut had all slipped past. Then Wilson and Wallendorf, went by as well and Hills retired, with a couple of laps to go. Wilson was also in trouble, retiring just ahead of Hills, when his carburetors came loose.