SAFV: Series Lichtenburg preview

2010 Title Battle Resumes In The North West Province

On the 3rd July 2010, the North West Province, hosts it's only circuit racing National Championship event of the year, when the 1.6Km Lichtenburg circuit, hosts the fifth round of the 2010 Execuline South African National Formula Vee Championship. The two National Championship heats take top billing, on a race day program, which also includes Regional Championship races, for the Aucor Lotus Challenge and Club Championship events, for Formula M, as well as, Silver Cup, Super Hatch and BMW Racing League saloon cars and an invitation race, for HRCR Saloons, Sports and GT cars.

With a mere eight points separating the top four, on the Formula Vee National Championship log, none of them can afford to be sidelined by mechanical failure, or an on track incident, around the tight, challenging Lichtenburg circuit. The only circuit in the country, where the Vee drivers end the day with blisters on their gear change hand, after forty laps of close racing and gearing up and down, for the two second gear corners, per 1.6Km lap. Certainly a circuit, which sorts the men from the boys.

Heading the field, will be the four log leaders, ex National Champions, Peter Hills (Renexcon Rhema 2) and Symm Grobler (Auto Mecca Rhema 2), along with current log leader, development driver Zaahir Essa (NLDTF Reflex Solutions Rhema 2) and young gun Nicholas Tennant (Tennant Life Benefits Rhema 2). Challenging them, at the head of the field, could be Paul Venter who having secured support for the rest of the season, from Nashua Mobile, has also swapped his Laser, for a Rhema 1 and could well establish himself, as a fifth contender in the battle for the 2010 National Title.

Others to watch out for, on the day, include Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 2), Dennis Johns (Reflex Solutions Rhema 2), Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 2), Alan Eustice (Execuline Rhema 2), Henk Swanepoel (Renexcon Rhema 2), Keegan Campos (Campos Transport Carrera Sunglasses Rhema 2), Mile Stewart (Direction Group Rhema 2) and Hugo Wallendorf (BJ Pro Welding Lantis). Making her National Formula Vee debut, at Lichtenburg, will be Mariaan Brits in the Nedbank Motor Finance Corporation MSA Women in Motorsport Panel Rhema 1. She made her debut in the car, at the recent Midvaal Formula Libra race and on the day, improved her lap time by about five seconds and it will be interesting to see where she slots into the National field, at Lichtenburg.

Others who could be in the field as well, include Hano Van der Spy (Vision), newcomer Shaun Van Der Linde (Len Schoen Estates Rhema 1) and if she can get her car back in time, Tasj Van Dyk (Body Art SA Omega).

A unique opportunity, for anyone living in, or reasonably near Lichtenburg, to experience the thrill of seeing, a tough, exiting, hard fought National Championship battle unfold, in their own back yard.

-source: safv