Silvio Scribante laid down a statement of intent at Aldo Scribante Raceway, producing a scintillating performance in a Cemza-backed Audi RS3 to claim top honours at the inaugural FAW Trucks Eastern Cape Time-Attack over the weekend.
The event brought competitors from across the country to the Gqeberha circuit and served up a brilliant showcase of speed, precision and machinery.
With a strong turnout of spectators across both days, the meeting proved to be a major success and looks well placed to become a regular fixture on the Motorsport SA calendar.
The battle for supremacy was especially intense within the Scribante family as Silvio’s brother Aldo kept the pressure on throughout the day, with the pair separated by just 0.7 seconds after the final qualifying run on Sunday.
Unfortunately, Aldo suffered a mechanical problem on the right-rear wheel of his brutal Audi TT during the final shoot-out and nursed the car home to finish in ninth place, while Silvio went on to secure the headline victory.
The large group of spectators that attended both days were treated to a wide array of vehicles that took up the challenge of going in the reverse direction of the 2km stretch of track.
The unusual layout put the drivers and riders’ precision and adaptability to the test, adding another layer of excitement to the weekend’s action.
Michael Stephen proved his versatility as a racing driver once again on Saturday when he stormed to victory in the Classic Street & Race Car final shoot-out driving a Scuderia Scribante Alfa Romeo 156 GTA, while Timothy Ball claimed the win in the single seater class in a Formula VW GTI by the narrowest of margins, beating the Lotus 7 of Clinton Thorne by just 0.035 seconds.
There is a strong move to build a national Time-Attack series that will see drivers and riders competing at Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria, Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town, Aldo Scribante Raceway and possibly Dezi Raceway in Port Shepstone.
With close finishes, an impressive variety of machinery and a headline win for Silvio Scribante, the first FAW Trucks Eastern Cape Time-Attack delivered a memorable weekend of motorsport action and a promising launchpad for this discipline’s future in SA.
Results from Saturday and Sunday:
Classic Street & Race Car Shoot-out
1st Michael Stephen (Alfa Romeo 156 GTA)
2nd Silvio Scribante (Ford Sierra XR8)
3rd Craig Czank (Nissan R32)
Classic Single Seater & sports Car Shoot-out
1st Timothy Ball (Formula VW GTI)
2nd Clinton Thorne (Lotus 7)
3rd Anre’ Cordier (Sports 2000)
Modified Saloons Shoot-out
1st Silvio Scribante (Audi RS3)
2nd Nick Davidson (VW SupaPolo)
3rd Ian Riddle (VW SupaPolo)
1st Ruan van Zyl (Honda CBR 600RR)
2nd Darryl Barrington (Kawasaki ZX10)
Road & Super Car Shoot-out
1st Ian Howell (Porsche 911 Turbo S)
2nd Aqil Singh (Audi TTS)
3rd Gordon Nicholson (Audi R8)
Single Seater & Sports Car Shoot-out
1st Clinton Thorne (Lotus 7)
2nd Dean Ball (Formula VW GTI)
3rd Juan van Rooyen (Speads)
