Ferodo Racing’s young guns Gennaro Bonafede (class T Ferodo Volkswagen Golf GTi) and Devin Robertson (Ferodo Volkswagen Polo Vivo) both emerged from the fourth round of the WesBank Super Series of national championships at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit on Saturday with their second places in their respective championships intact.
Bonafede, racing in the senior Bridgestone South African Production Car Championship for the first time this year after stepping up from the Engen Volkswagen Cup, finished third overall for the day in class T behind Kieren Quarmby (VW Golf GTi) and defending champion Gary Formato (Ford Focus). He is now just one point behind championship leader Graeme Nathan (113-112), who crashed his VW Golf GTi heavily in race one and didn’t take part in the rest of the day’s proceedings, and eight ahead of Formato.
Despite only finishing sixth in the first of the two 6-lap sprint races after contact with Formato while lying fourth on the final lap, the 19-year-old university student from Dainfern in Gauteng went on to take a fighting second behind Formato in race two and a battling fourth in the 12-lap feature race behind Formato, Quarmby and Michael van Rooyen (Ford Focus).
“We didn’t have the pace to really challenge for a win this weekend and we got off to a bad start in qualifying when an engine manifold sensor became unplugged and restricted us to only sixth on the grid,” said the always-cheerful Bonafede at the end of a long day that ended with the final race completing in the dark. “I wasn’t too happy with Gary’s overtaking manoeuvre in turn 13 on the last lap of race one, but that’s motor racing. Graeme didn’t score today, so that helped me big time. There’s always a balance.”
He is now second in the championship with 91 points, 19 behind leader Nathan and 26 ahead of Formato.
Robertson, competing for the second year in the Engen Volkswagen Cup for Polo Vivos, finished second overall for the day behind reigning champion Mathew Hodges after a second place behind championship leader Hodges in race one and a fourth in race two. Hodges, with back-to-back race wins for the day, now leads the championship with 112 points to the 87 of Robertson. Kosie Weyers is third with 71 points.
The weekend started well for the 17-year-old Alberton matric student with a bonus point for fastest in qualifying. However, he drew sixth place for the start of the first 8-lap race and had to work hard to get up to second place by lap two, finishing 1.8 sec behind Hodges.
He dropped from second on the grid in race two to the back of the field after an off-course excursion on the opening lap left him beached in a sand trap. He battled his way back to fourth by lap 7 (“With much gnashing of teeth and missed gear-changes,” he sheepishly admitted afterwards) and finished fourth behind Hodges, Brian Morgan and Kyle Barnes.
Long time supporters of motor sport in South Africa, Federal-Mogul's Ferodo brake pad and Champion spark plug brands are world famous and used by top competitors in all branches of motor sport. They are official suppliers to both the Engen Volkswagen Cup series and the Formula Volkswagen single-seater championship. The factory Volkswagen Polo team, winners of the last five national rally championships, rely on Champion spark plugs.
STORY BY Peter Burroughes Communications
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