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South African National Formula Vee

Advantage Hills

The third round of the 2008 South African National Formula Vee Championship, saw Peter Hills (Rigidek MLS Brokers Rhema2) take full advantage, of the absence of triple champion Alan Holm and come away from the day, with the maximum thirty one points on offer. He did however not have things all his own way. Dennis Johns (Geyser Attorneys Rhema2) took pole position, during Friday afternoon's qualifying session but in the races, he was progressively losing grip at the rear and although he was able to hang onto Hills, in the early stages of both races, pushing Hills to a new lap record, of 1minuite 56.909 seconds, in the second heat, the gap between them began to open up, in the closing stages of each race. Johns, did however secure second place, in both heats, as his season continues to gain momentum.

Starting from second place on the grid, Hills was in the lead at the end of lap one and was never headed again, while development driver Courtney Steenveld (Indy Oils Rhema 2) was already up to twelfth place, having started from the back row of the grid, after a mechanical failure during qualifying, saw him fail to set a time. By the following lap, he was up to ninth, in a drive through the field, that would reward him with an eventual fourth place finish.

Out front, Hills continued to lead, from Johns who was battling to keep up, while Jaco Schriks (  Laser Sprint Rhema 2) was unable to stay with them and do anything about minimizing the damage, to team mate Alan Holm's 2008 Championship hopes, while Holm sweated it out in the South African Iron Man Competition, more than a thousand kilometers away. Behind Schriks, Trevor Bland (Office Direct Rhema 2), Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2), development driver Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Rhema 1) and Johan Gouws (Mantis) where battling it out among themselves, in the early stages, while further back Doug MacDonald (Fantastic Racing Rhema 1) and James Leach (Autofair Rhema1), where headed for a good close finish, as where Ben Pienaar, in a brand new BJ Pro Welding Rhema 2 built during the five weeks, since his Rhema 1 was written off in Port Elizabeth and Jannie Geyser Jnr (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2). Out of the points, but also finishing a mere 0.359 of a second apart, where Alan Eustice (Execuline Rhema 2) and Nicolas Tennent (Tennent Benefit Consultants Tasman), after a race long duel, which saw them change positions up to three times a lap.

In the end, it was Hills who took a comfortable four second victory, ahead of Johns, Schriks, Steenveld, Bland, Essa, Grobler, Gouws, MacDonald, Leach, Gareth Jackson ( Laser Sprint Rhema 2) and Pienaar.

The second heat produced even closer racing, with a couple of good close multi car battles, down the field. Out front, it was once again Hills who led all the way, with Johns hanging on grimly in the early stages, before Hills put in a blistering lap, setting a new lap record and relieving himself of the close attentions, of Johns. Behind them, Schriks had Steenverld, Bland and Essa breathing down his neck for a while, until Bland passed Steenveld and then picked up a problem, just on half distance. This gave Schriks a small breathing space, over Steenveld, while Essa was caught and passed by Grobler, before both of them where passed by Gouws, the following lap.

Not far behind, an even bigger battle raged, involving Leach, Jackson, Pienaar, Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 2) and Geyser Jnr, with Tennant hanging on grimly, at the back of the bunch, leaving Eustice to play on his own this time, ahead of the Chandre Kruger (Gilus IT SAP Sting) and James Evans (Gilus IT SAP Tasman). Then Jackson lost his nosecone, when he and Leach touched and Blignaut had a big spin, dropping him out of the bunch, as they made their way past the ailing Rhema 2, of Bland.

Out front, it was however Hills who claimed his second victory of the day, ahead of, Johns, Schriks, Steenveld, Gouws, Grobler, Essa, MacDonald, Pienaar, Jackson, Geyser Jnr, and Leach, the two of them crossing the line almost side by side, 0.019 of a second apart 

Round two Port Elizabeth

Holm Dominates Port Elizabeth Thriller

After coming away from the first round at Kyalami, virtually all square, Alan Holm (Laser Sprint Rhema 2} declared his intentions of making it four South African National Formula Vee Championships in a row, with two resounding victories at Port Elizabeth's Aldo Scribante Circuit. He was ably supported, by his Laser Sprint team mate Jaco Schriks who took second place in both heats, effectively running as a buffer between Holm and the other leading contenders for the 2008 title, Peter Hills (Rigidek MLS Brokers Rhema 2) and Dennis Johns (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2) and in the process, depriving them of valuable Championship points.

The first heat, saw Holm lead from start to finish, with Schriks in second place, never challenged by Hills who ran third for most of the race, before being passed by Johns, with four laps to go. The only incidents, involved those a little further back, with Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Rhema 1) tagging both Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 1) and Gareth Jackson (Laser Sprint Rhema 2), at the Esses, in two separate incidents, while Alan Eustice (Execuline Rhema 2) ran wide at the Sweep, surrendering a position, to Jannie Geyser Jnr (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2).

Out front, Holm experienced no such problem and led Schriks across the line, followed by Johns, Hills, Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2), Courtney Steenveld (Indy Oil Rhema 2), Trevor Bland (Office Direct Rhema 2), James Leach (Autofaire Rhema 1), Essa, Pienaar, Jackson and Geyser Jnr.

The second heat was a much closer affair. At the head of the field, Holm and Schriks where locked in battle and trading places on a regular basis. Initially Schriks led, with Holm leading across the line for the first time, at the end of the fourth lap. During the ensuing laps, they traded the lead between themselves, while Hills and Johns fought out a torrid battle behind them. The next two were just as tight, with Bland holding Grobler at bay, before Grobler's rear suspension broke and he was forced to retire. The real battle of the race, was however a little further back, with Steenveld, Essa, Pienaar and Jackson, locked in battle for ninth place, while Geyser and Eustice fought out a torrid battle of their own, behind them.

Lap thirteen proved to be the undoing, of both Steenveld and Pienaar, as Steenveld locked a rear brake at the Hairpin and spun and then Pienaar ran wide coming into the pit straight, was launched into the air by the rubber kerb, on the outside of the bend and came crashing down, destroying the car and sending Pienaar to the circuit medical centre, for a checkup. Back on the circuit, it was however Holm who beat Schrils to the line, by 0.179 of a second and they where followed home, by Johns, Hills, Bland, Leach, Essa, Jackson, Eustice, Geyser Jnr, Steenveld and Nichols Tennent (Tennant Life Benefits Tasman), securing his first National Championship point, in his second Formula Vee race meeting.

SAFV Round One _ Kyalami

A Nail Biting Start to the 2008 Formula Vee Season

The opening round of the 2008 Pro Tour South African National Formula Vee Championship produced two thrilling races, which have set the scene for what could be a monumental battle, for the 2008 title. Starting from pole position, Peter Hills (Vacuform MLS Brokers Rhema 2) took the lead but at Turn Two, Courtney Steenveld (Indy Oils Rhema 1) and Andre Van Der Merwe (Atlas Dry Cleaning Latis) touched. Van Der Merwe was pitched sideways and T boned by Steenveld, with both cars ending up in the gravel trap. The safety car was called out and it picked up the field, at the end of the opening lap. Fortunately, the scene of the accident did not take long to clear and racing recommenced, at the end of the second lap.

Alan Holm (Laser Sprint Rhema 2) did not take long, to make his way past Hills and although Hills shadowed him all the way to the line, Holm stayed in control and looked like he would begin 2008, as he did last year, as the dominant driver in the category. Dennis Johns (Geyser Attorneys Goldco Midas Rhema 2) kept them in sight, throughout the race but was never able to put in a challenge and Holm crossed the line 0.632 of a second, ahead of Hills, with Johns a further 1.482 of a second behind. Trevor Bland (Office Direct Rhema 2) and Jaco Schriks (Laser Sprint Rhema 2) had fought a torrid battle, for fourth place but with a couple of laps to go, Bland's clutch plate annihilated itself and he was out of the race, leaving Schriks to finish fourth, ahead of Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2), Johan Gouws (Computer Assembly Mantis), Doug MacDonald (Fantastic Racing Rhema 1), James Leach (Auto Fair Rhema 1), Zaahir Essa (MSA Rhema 1), Gareth Jackson (Laser Sprint Rhema 2) and Jannie Geyser Jnr (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2), with newcomer Alan Eustice (Execuline Rhema 2) picking up the final National Championship Point, on his debut in the category, after Nico. Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 2), was penalized thirty seconds, for a jump start.

The other newcomers Nicholas Tennant (Tennant Benefit Consultants Tasman), Chandre Kruger (Gilus IT SAP Sting) and Andrei Overbeek (Omega) where all classified as finishers, although Overbeek failed to take the flag, after the car cut out, on the final lap, when the cutout switch fell out. After the race, Van Der Merwe's car was returned to the pits but was too badly damaged to take any further part in the day's proceedings and although a lot of work was done on Steenveld's car, between heats and it was ready to go, it cut out on the warm up lap and also failed to make the start.

A lot of work was also done, on both the Hills car and the Johns car, between heats but for Johns, it was all in vain. A new black box was fitted but it turned out to be from a batch, that had been fitted with a rev limiter! He arrived at the grid punching the steering wheel in frustration and at the drop of the flag, raised his hand to indicate to those behind, that he was going to be slow away from the line. I the race he could not do much about it, as car after car passed him but in the end, he did salvage four valuable Championship Points, for a ninth place finish.

At the front it was however a different story, as Hills and Holm fought out a torrid race long battle, swapping places all around the circuit, at every opportunity. On one lap, they entered the Chicane side by side, with smoke pouring off the tyres and earned an ovation from the appreciative crowd, on the slow down lap. Close enough to see what was going on, was Schriks and he must have had some hope, of capitalizing on the situation, should they have taken one another off. A little further back, the battle involving Essa and Gouws was almost as intense, as the one in front, as they two of them fought a no holds barred race long battle.

In the end, it was however Hills who crossed the line 0,477 of a second, ahead of Holm. Third place went to Schriks, ahead of Grobler, Essa, Gouws, Leach, Jackson, a frustrated Johns, an equally frustrated Bland who had made his way up to fourth place, from the back of the grid but was then penalized thirty seconds, for a jump start, Geyser and Blignaut. MacDonald had been looking at another strong points scoring finish but an incident somewhere around the circuit, saw him lose five places, just before half distance. This put him in touch with Eustice and a close encounter between the two of them, saw Eustice fail to finish, after he was forced to go straight on at the Bowl. He kept the car going, through the gravel trap and onto the grass but then rode into an unseen pond, from the previous weeks heavy rains and drowned the engine.

On race wins, Hills and Holm are all square but it was Hills who took the Championship lead, by the single point allocated for the fastest lap, which he set in the final lap, of the second heat. Up until that point, Holm had the first and second fastest laps of the race but his last lap effort, gave the point to Hills by 0.102 of a second!

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