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South African National Formula Vee

Orr Shows the Way

Team South Africa A1GP rookie driver Wesleigh Orr (Rhema 2), dominated Saturday's Pro Tour National Championship Formula Vee race, at Kyalami but was penalized for a jump start, in the second heat, dropping him down the order in the final results. Friday afternoon's qualifying session, saw Orr qualify second, behind Peter Hills (Vacuform Rhema 2), on a circuit he had never driven on, until Friday morning. In the first race, Hills was soon in trouble and began dropping back with a clutch problem, as well a problem with his rear suspension.

Having started eleventh, after experiencing problems in qualifying, Dennis Johns (Geyser Attorneys Goldco Midas Rhema 2) was up to sixth place, by the end of the first lap and continued to make rapid progress, moving into second place, by the end of lap four. Anthony Taylor (Rigidek Rhema 2) had gone in the opposite direction, on the opening lap, dropping from sixth to ninth but then set about carving his way back up the field, to what would eventually be a second place finish. In the meantime Azeem Boomberg (Rhema 1) had retired, with a lose battery terminal and Jaco Schriks (Laser Sprint Rhema 2), with a broken rose joint, on the rear suspension. A little later in the race, Gert Van Den Berg (Rhema 1) became the only other retirement, when he got out of shape at Turn 5, went off the road and got bogged down, in the gravel trap.

With a lap to go, Taylor was on Johns' tail, passing him half way through the lap but Johns slotted in behind Taylor and was right on his tail, into the Chicane for the last time. The next moment the front of Johns car reared into the air, as the two cars collided. Taylor's progress was unaffected, by the incident but Johns lost a couple of places before he could get going again. In the meantime, Orr had continued to maintain a healthy lead and went on to win the race, by just over six seconds, from Taylor, Alan Holm (Laser Sprint Rhema 2), Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2), Johns, Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Rhema 1), Hills, Trevor Bland (Office Direct Rhema 2), Jannie Geyser Snr (Geyser Attorneys Vision), Gareth Jackson (Laser Sprint Rhema 2), Andre Van Der Merwe (Atlas Dry Cleaners Lantis) and Jannie Geyser Jnr (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2).

At the start of the second heat, basing his data on the first start, Orr tried to anticipate the starter's actions but this time, the red light stayed on a little bit longer. He had moved before the light went out and everyone, including himself, knew he was going to be penalized. For the rest of the race, he would run as hard as he could, in an effort to minimize the damage, while Taylor concentrated more on staying ahead of those behind him. Boomberg's luck, once again deserted him and he retired without completing a lap, when a rose joint on the gear linkage broke.

Geyser Snr had a couple of incidents, dropping from eighth, at the end of the first lap, to fourteenth and by the following lap, he was second last. He then set about climbing back up the field, to score the last championship point on offer. In the meantime, Andre Van Tonder (Tasman) had retired with an electrical problem and soon after that, Denver Pienaar (Vision) retired as well, when his motor lost compression. His father, Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 1) was also having a torrid time, losing four places, just after half distance. Then, at the final corner of the race, he was hit by Bradley Martin (Rhema 2) and was forced to retire, with a broken rear suspension, within sight of the finish line. The only other retirement, had come just on half distance, when Van Der Merwe pulled off at Turn 5, with a broken throttle cable.

Out front, Orr continued at the head of the field but in spite of setting the fastest lap of the race and crossing the line a good nine seconds ahead of Taylor, the thirty second penalty, for the jumped start, saw him pushed back to seventh place. That gave the victory to Taylor who finished ahead of Holm, Johns, Hills, Grobler, Schriks, Orr, Bland, James Leach (Auto Fair Rhema 1), Geyser Jnr, Van Den Berg and Geyser Snr.

Holm's results, secured him his third successive National title. The first time this has been achieved, in the forty two year history of the category. in this country. For the young development drivers, it was however a weekend they would rather forget. In the second heat Essa had crossed the line, for what would have been a sixth place finish, only to discover that he had been excluded from the results, for passing under a yellow flag. Boomberg's father, stating that it had been one of their worst race days ever, while Courtney Steenveld (NLDTF Rhema 1) did not even get to start a race, after rolling and writing off his car, in the morning warm up and only returned, from the hospital, after the first heat had been run.

-credit: safv/tcgroup.co.za

A Double Victory for Hills at Zwartkops

He was chased all the way by, Alan Holm (Laser Sprint Rhema 2) but in the end, it was Peter Hills (Vacuform Rhema 2) who secured both victories, by the narrowest of margins, during the penultimate round of the Pro Tour South African National Formula Vee Championship at Zwartkops World of Motoring. After winning the first seven heats of the year, Holm has now failed to win a race, in the past seven heats, with the victories either going to Hills or Dennis Johns (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2). During that time, Holm has secured six second places and one third and although there is still a mathematical chance that Holm can be beaten, only a total disaster, in the final event at Kyalami, on the 3rd November, can prevent Holm from becoming the first driver in the forty two year history of the category, to secure three back to back National Championships.

Starting from pole position in the first heat, Hills took the lead and although he opened a small gap early on, Holm chased him down, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process. Behind them, there was a good close battle for third, involving Johns, Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2) and Azeem Boomberg (Rhema 1), competing in only his second Formula Vee event! Unfortunately Boomberg missed a gear, over revved the motor and was relegated to the roll of spectator for the rest of the day. Grobler then had a venturie come loose, in one of the carburetors and started falling back, with a misfire. He was soon swallowed by the next group, where Jaco Schriks (Lasersprint Rhema 2) Courtney Steenveld (NLDTF Indy Oil Rhema 1) and Trevor Bland (Rhema 2) where engaged in an even more furious battle, swapping places on a regular basis, all around the circuit.

There where other battles further down the field as well, with Jannie Geyser Jnr (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2), Gareth Jackson (Laser Sprint Rhema 2), Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 1) and Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 1) fighting it out, until Pienaar spun at the Top of the Hill. Even John Lerm (Racing for Wild Life Sting) and Charles Roets (Sting) had a bit of a battle, at the back og the field for a while. In the end, it was however Hills who took the first race victory, 0.588 of a second, ahead of Holm. Third place went to Johns and he was followed home, by Schriks, Bland and Steenveld, the three of them crossing the line within 0.433 of a second. Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Rhema 1), finished just over a second behind them and he was followed across the line, by James Leach (Auto Fair Rhema 1), Jannie Geyser (Geyser Attorneys Vision), Jackson, Blignaut and Geyser Jnr.

The second heat, saw Hills chased all the way, by Holm and although Holm put his nose inside Hills at Turn Two, on a number of occasions, the door was always firmly shut in his face. Behind them, Johns had things pretty much under control, in third place, ahead of Schriks but Schriks retired early in the race, handing the position to Steenveld. Then, trying to close the gap to Johns, Steenveld spun at Turn Two, losing a number of places in the process. By this time, Grobler had made his way up, from thirteenth place on the grid, to fifth and inherited fourth, when Steenveld spun.

Also carving his way up the field, from the back of the grid, was Bradley Martin (Rhema 2), while Denver Pienaar (Vision) was struggling with a miss fire and dropping back down the field. Leach had lost his nose cone in an early scuffle. He soon found himself running on his own and with no real pressure, he was not too badly affected by it. Once again there where a number of battles raging further down the field and Lerm and Roets where once once again locked in battle as well.

At the end of the race, Hills secured his second victory of the day, 0.270 of a second, ahead of Holm and they where followed across the line, by Johns, Grobler. Bland, Essa, Steenveld, Leach, Blignaut, Geyser, Martin and Pienaar.

Another Double Win for Johns

SAFV: Kyalami round six summary

The sixth round of the Pro Tour South African National Formula Vee Championship, at The Citizen Kyalami Pro Tour race meeting, produced another double win for Dennis Johns (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2) but he had to work very hard, for both of them. The man on fire, at Kyalami, was however Peter Hills (Vacuform Rhema 2). In Friday afternoon's qualifying session, he was visibly trying harder than anyone else on the circuit and claimed Pole Position, ahead of Johns, Trevor Bland (Rhema 2), Alan Holm (Laser Sprint Rhema 2), Jaco Schriks (Laser Sprint Rhema 2) and Johan Gouws (Computer Associates Mantis). Newcomer Azeem Boomberg, was still getting to know the car and qualified well down the field, while starting from the back on race day, would be sixteen year old development driver Courtney Steenveld (NLDTF Indy Oil Rhema 1) who had exams to write at school on Friday and could only fly up from Cape Town, to Gauteng, on Friday evening.

In the first heat, it was Hills who lead the field away from the line and he soon asserted his authority on the race, with a bunch of cars squabbling over second place behind him, including Bland, Holm, Schriks, Johns and Grobler, while Steenveld was already up to twelfth place by the end of the opening lap, bringing Boomberg with him. Alan Kernick (Randburg Distributor Services Tasman) was however way back, in twenty first place, having started eleventh and with three laps completed, he retired with a blown motor.

The second lap had produced a number of incidents, with Bobby Nel in the USN / Ayanda Solutions Mantis, going off the road and losing a number of laps before he could get going again. Gert van Den Berg (Rhema 1) spun and had to wait for the marshals to push him back from the wall, before he could get going again and Nico Blignaut was also in trouble, in the Gilus IT SAP Rhema 1 but struggled on for five laps, before retiring from the race, along with Denver Pienaar (Vision) who suffered a rear suspension failure. By this time, Steenveld and Boomberg had made their way up to ninth and tenth place, behind Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Rhema 1).

Then with two laps to go and the race seemingly in the bag, Hills suffered a cut out switch failure and he was left stranded at the side of the circuit, as everyone streamed past. The battle for second place had suddenly became the battle for the lead and after a couple of hectic closing laps, it was Johns who took the first heat victory, 0.377 of a second ahead of log leader Holm, with Bland a further 0.289 of a second behind, in third place and they where followed across the line, by Grobler, Schriks, Gouws, Essa, Steenveld, Boomberg, James Leach (Auto Fair Rhema1), Jannie Geyser Jnr (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2) and Bradley Martin (Rhema 2).

In the second heat, Johns made a break early on, leaving those behind, to battle it out for second place. That battle was extremely close, with Steenveld involved as well. Then Blignaut became the only retirement, of the second heat, when his rear suspension collapsed, two laps into the race, while Jannie Geyser (Geyser Attorneys Vision) survived a spin entering Nashua for the third time but escaped unscathed and was able to resume a little further back.

Hills was however the man on the move. Having started nineteenth, after his first heat retirement, he was already up to eight, by the end of the first lap. By the following lap, he was into the bunch, passing Steenveld and Schriks, then Bland and by the end of the fourth lap, he had disposed of Grobler and Holm as well. Trying to go with him, Bland went off the road, rejoining in seventeenth place and breaking up the bunch a bit. Then Gouws also had a moment, dropping from seventh to thirteenth place and by the end of the race, he would lose another position, with Bland re passing him, during the final lap of the race

Even by half distance, Johns still looked to be running away to a comfortable victory but that was not to be. Having already carved his way up through the field, Hills then set about closing the gap to Johns but eventually had to settle for second place, finishing 0.074 of a second behind Johns who secured his second victory of the day. Holm finished third and he was followed home, by Grobler, Schriks, Steenveld, Essa, Boomberg, Leach, Geyser Jnr, Martin and Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 1).

South African Formula Vee

A Double Win for Johns at Phakisa

Ex Local boy Dennis Johns (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2) made the best of his superior knowledge, of local conditions, to secure a double win in the Formula Vee Pro Tour South African National Championship race, at Welkom's Phakisa Freeway. Starting from pole position, Johns had a relatively easy win in the first heat, after Jaco Schriks (Laser Sprint Rhema 2) had held everyone else up, when he spun out of second position, at the Heel of the Boot, during the opening lap of the race. The second heat was a much closer affair, as Johns and Alan Holm (Laser Sprint Rhema 2) swapped places, in a race long battle for the lead. . A number of top competitors where strangely off the pace in qualifying, with Schriks starting the first heat, from fourth place on the grid, log leader Holm fifth, Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2) sixth and Peter Hills (Vacuform Rhema 2), way back in seventh place on the grid. Schriks made the best start and was right on John's tail, going into the Heel of the Boot, for the first time but he spun and as every one else took avoiding action, Johns opened up an immediate advantage, of somewhere in the region of four to five seconds, while Schriks rejoined at the back of the field. Having started from second place on the grid, sixteen year old ex Karter Dean Lester (Rigidek Rhema 2), spun out of third place, during the second lap of the race and rejoined in seventh place.

As the race settled down, Johns was maintaining his sizeable lead, with Holm now in second place and being shadowed all the way by Trevor Bland (Rhema 2), while behind them, Hills and sixteen year old development driver Courtney Steenveld (NLDTF Indy Oils Rhema 1) were locked in a furious race long duel, for fourth place. A little further back Gareth Jackson (Laser Sprint Rhema 2), James Leach (Autofair Rhema 1), Nico Blignaught (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 1) and Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 1) where involved in a good close battle, as Schriks carved his way back up through the field, setting the fastest lap of the race, in the process. There was however no catching the flying Johns and he went on to win the heat, by over four seconds, from Holm, Bland, Hills, Steenveld, Schriks, Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Rhema 1), Grobler, Lester, Jackson, Leach and Pienaar, while relative newcomer Charles Roets (Sting), finished unlapped, for the first time in his relatively short Formula Vee career.

Starting the second heat, from the front row of the grid, Johns and Holm proceeded to engage in a race long battle for the lead, as they swapped the first two positions between themselves. By the second lap, young Steenveld was up to third place but the exuberance of youth got the better of him and the following lap, he spun, rejoining in ninth place. This left Hills to take up the chase, in third place but as the race progressed, he was hunted down and eventually passed by Schriks. In the meantime, Lester was picking people off one by one, as he moved from ninth to fifth, by half distance. Another man on the move, was Doug MacDonald (Fantastic Racing Rhema 1), as he passed Pienaar and Gert Van Den Berg (Rhema 1) early on, before setting off after Leach, Blignaut and Jackson. He then worked his way past Jackson and Blignaut and was lining up Leach, when Leach spun, rejoining back in fourteenth place.

As the battle for the lead raged on, another battle developed a little further back, as Bland, Grobler and Lester got together and they were later joined by Steenveld, as well. In the end, it was however Johns who had his nose ahead of Holm at the flag, to win the race by 0.112 of a second, handing Holm his first double defeat of the year and the third, in a row. Third place went to Schriks, and he was followed home, by Hills, Lester, Bland, Grobler, Steenveld, Essa, MacDonald, Jackson and Leach. Making a promising National Formula Vee debut and finishing both races on the lead lap, was Jannie Geyser Jnr (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2), deputizing for his father and Association Chairman Jannie Geyser who had snapped a tendon in his ankle, climbing onto a horse, a couple of weeks before the Phakisa event. The overall victory went to Johns, ahead of Holm, while Bland picked up the third place trophy for the day.  

Holm's Winning Streak Ends at Zwartkops

SAFV: Zwartkops round four summary

The fourth round of the 2007 South African National Formula Vee Championship, saw Alan Holm (Lasersprint Rhema 2) beaten for the first time this year, after Peter Hills (Vacuform Rhema 2) picked up his first win of the year, in the second heat, at the Zwartkops World of Motoring. Earlier in the day, it had looked as if Holm was invincible, after he had picked up his seventh straight win of the year. From the outside, it had looked like a dominant victory, as he cruised home with a victory margin of over three seconds, while those behind fought it out for second place. Little did they know, that Holm had lost the use of fourth gear as early as one third distance and had been restricted to second and third gears, for the remainder of the race.

The first heat, saw Holm lead from start to finish and within a couple of laps, he had already opened a small gap over the perusing pack, as they squabbled among themselves. This advantage was to prove invaluable, oncer he lost the use of fourth gear, although with the tight nature of the Zwartkops circuit, it was not as big a handicap as it would have been, on most of the other circuits in the country. Those behind, where still busy scraping it out amongst themselves and did not realize that Holm had a problem, which they may have been able to capitalize on. The race long battle behind Holm, involved Hills, Symm Grobler (Automeca Rhema 2), Dennis Johns (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2) and Jaco Schriks (Lasersprint Rhema 2), while in the closing stages of the race, they where caught by Dean Lester (Rhema 2), who had earlier been involved in a duel with Trevor Bland (Rhema 2).

Other battles raged all the way down the field, as well and the complexion of the race changed constantly, as cars slowed with mechanical problems, while others made their way back up through the field, after spins and off course excursions. Lester lost a few places, with a moment early on and then Kyle Bennett (AIE Plastics Rhema 1) spun at Turn Two, avoiding Courtney Steenveld (NLDTF Indy Oils Rhema 1). Bennett lost fourteen positions, in the process but had already regained seven of them, by the time he retired from the race with the car spitting flames from both the carburetors and the exhaust. Then Steenveld also went off, at Turn One, while chasing Bland but only lost two places, to Lester and Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Rhema 1). Another spinner was Johan Gouws (Computer Assemblies Mantis) who lost ten places, when he went off at Turn Four, four laps into the race.

Further back, Kevin Cartmell (Rand Brake Sting) soldered on with a bad misfire, losing poositins on a regular basis, while the James Leach (AutoFair Rhema 1) was hampered by fuel starvation, each lap, entering the pit straight and ended up battling it out with Jannie Geyser (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2) who was battling with a gear selection problem. Then with a couple of laps to go, Doug MacDonald had a problem at Turn Five, lost it, hit Denver Pienaar (Vision) and then clipped the back wheel of the Jack Valadas Rhema1. MacDonald and Pienaar retired on the spot but Valadas continued, with the back of his car dragging on the ground, to complete the race. It was however Holm, who went on to win the heat, from Hills, Grobler, Johns, Schriks, Lester, Bland, Steenveld, Essa, Bradley Martin (Rhema 2), Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 1) and Gareth Jackson (Lasersprint Rhema 2).

At the start of the second heat, Hills slipped inside Holm, into Turn One, forcing Holm to hold the dirtier outside line. Hills retained his lead, in the run down to Turn Two and again took the inside line, to consolidate his position at the head of the field. Four laps into the race, Holm had still not found a way past. Then in desperation, he tried a different line but only succeeded in opening the door to Grobler who pounced at the opportunity to relieve Holm, of second place. Grobler then defended his position, for all he was worth and by the time Holm eventually forced his way back into second place, Hills had the race in the bag.

Once again, there where a number of good close battles raging all the way down the field, with positions changing on a regular basis. Gert Van Den Berg had only lasted a lap before he retired, while the only retirement came from Steenveld. With less than three laps to go, he pulled of with a broken gear linkage, after a couple of good close battles, first with Bland and then with Essa, In the end, it was however Hills who beat Holm to the line, by just over two and a half seconds, followed by Grobler, with Schriks, Johns, Lester and Bland crossing the line within just over half a second, followed by Essa, Martin, Gouws, Pienaar and Jackson.

In only his third Vee outing, sixteen year old Ex Karter Dean Lester, had set the fastest lap in each heat, after qualifying third and in the process, set the new Formula Vee Lap Record for the circuit, at 1min 09.384 seconds, while no less than seven cars broke the old record in the first heat, including development driver, sixteen year old Courtney Steenveld.

East London Treated to Some Spectacular Formula Vee Racing.

The first lap prodvided some anxious moments for those further back, as the field concertinaed into Cocabana, under braking. Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 1) locked up and spun in the pack, forcing Courtney Steenveld (NLDTF Indy Oil Rhema 1) to go straight on off the circuit. Steenveld then suffered a clutch failure and was forced to retire, after three laps, along with Gert Van Der Berg who had pulled off at the complex, having run the bearings of his motor.

As the battle for the lead continued, Holm at one stage slipped as low as fourth, while an inspired Bennett had worked his way up, from ninth on the grid, to second, with three laps to go. Then on the penultimate lap, Holm took both Bennett and Johns, to retake the lead. Into Beacon for the second last time, Bennett tried to snatch second place, from Johns. He was however over committed, touched Johns, got a wheel on the grass and spun.

A little further back Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Rhema 1), Jannie Geyser (Geyser Attorneys Vision) and Trevor Bland (Rhema 2) had been involved in their own private battle, until Bland lost the use of second gear and dropped back, while Geyser lost touch with Essa, tying to find a way past Bland. In the end it was however Holm who once again claimed the win, 0.211 of a second ahead of Johns, Schriks, Hills and Grobler, while Bennett had to be content with a sixth place finish, ahead of Leach, Essa, Geyser, Bland, Dean Lester (Rigidek Rhema 2) and Gareth Jackson (Lasersprint Rhema 2).

The second race was a slightly more mundane affair, as Holm, Schriks and Johns fought it out for the lead, while Hills and Grobler where left to fight their own private duel, for fourth place. Early on, Steenveld gave Geyser a big moment at Potter's Pass, when Steenveld tried to go through on the inside but his car was drifting across the circuit and Geyser was forced to run off the road, at over two hundred kilometers per hour, to avoid contact. Bouncing across the grass, Geyser lost five places before he was able to regain the circuit.

Bennett was dropping back all the time, until his motor gave up on him completely and he retired from the race. Also out of the race by that time, was Lester, after he had been hit from behind by Steenveld at Beacon Bend. Lester's gear linkage was damaged and he retired to the pits, while Steenveld continued, without his nosecone and spent the rest of the race in a good close battle with Bland, for eighth place. Then shortly after passing Leach, Essa went missing from sixth place, with a couple of laps to go, after his throttle cable broke.

Out front the battle for the lead was continueing unabated but in the end, the final results saw Holm retain his unbeaten record this year, as he took the victory from Johns, Schriks, Grobler, Hills, Leach, Bland, Steenveld, Geyser, Jackson, Pienaar and Andre Van Der Merwe (Atlas Dry Cleaners Lantis). However the fastest lap in both heats, went not to Holm but to Schriks who set a new Formula Vee lap record for the East London Grand Prix Circuit, with a time of 1 min 32.343 seconds, in the second heat.

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