The drivers of the province’s fastest cars over the standing quarter-mile lined up at the weekend to settle scores and secure a place in the finals of the “Bragging Rights: The National Series” drag-racing championship.
And the Detroit of Africa did not disappoint — 19 of the quickest cars in the Eastern Cape qualified for the finals at Gqeberha’s Aldo Scribante Raceway.
If you missed the smell of race fuel, the screeching of tyres and dedication of the drivers and their teams, do not despair — the national finals will be held at the same venue on November 5.
The weekend event was the third round of four qualifiers with the first two being held at the Killarney International Raceway and Midvaal Raceway.
The final qualifying round is at Dezzi Raceway in Port Shepstone in September.
When event organisers Nazeer Loonat, Harry Naidoo, Prethiven Naidoo and Raziek Rajah decided, during the lockdown, to establish a national drag-racing series, the idea was to pit SA’s fastest cars and drivers shoulder to shoulder at the lights.
Racers are placed in classes ranging from 13-second cars all the way to an exhibition class.
Drivers draw a competitor’s name from a hat and the pair then race, with the winners advancing to the next round in a knockout format.
Loonat said in addition to the drag-racing finals being hosted in the Bay, so too would the event’s spinning and drifting finals.
“It’s a full regional series — the first final last year was held in Cape Town and as organisers we thought it unfair to let everyone travel to Cape Town again.
“Hence annually the final will move to ensure it is fair on participants from all regions.
“With regard to the Aldo [Scribante Raceway] I was able prep the track on my own accord.
“I just see a lot potential at Aldo and it could very likely become one of the country’s premier drag strips.
“And there are some truly fast cars and dedicated drivers in the region, about 80% of whom set personal best times at the weekend and broke a few records in the process,” Loonat said.
This year’s qualifiers included Shurud Jacobs in his turbocharged 2JZ Toyota Hilux, Christo Engelbrecht in his Honda CRX and Nazeem Sirkhotte, who qualified in two classes with two cars — his renowned turbocharged BMW and Motoronix’s C63 Mercedes-Benz.
Hermann Mostert in his turbocharged Nissan also qualified and posted the fastest time down the straight strip, crossing the line in 7.8 seconds.
The other qualifiers were Glen Leonie (Mazda rotary), Viswanathan Williams (Nissan GTR), BMW drivers Naseem Ahmed and Rashaad Obaray, Paresh Williams in his C63, Cheston Pilcher and Niethaam Surtie in their Nissan Sentras, Leroy October (Nissan), Aldon Gouws (Toyota), Kevin Isaacs (Opel Corsa), Edwill Dean (VW Golf) as well as Kuvenderen Govender (Audi S3).
Cobus Van Wyk and Michael Louw both qualified in the bike class on their respective BMW S1000 RR machines.
As the tyres tore into the tarmac, a host of records fell and positions on the “Quickest in the Land” list shifted almost as fast as the gear changes.
Most notable was Sirkhotte, who in his C63 moved to 8th spot on the list in the category of eight cylinder naturally aspirated.
He also set the world record for the fastest time — 10.448 seconds — in a naturally aspirated W204 C63 AMG over a standing quarter-mile.
Naseem Ahmed is now SA’s fastest racer over a quarter-mile in a six cylinder naturally aspirated vehicle after he ran an 11.111 second pass at the weekend in his BMW E36 328.
Govender also moved into the top 10 on the list in the four-cylinder all wheel drive class.
In addition to being added to the list, his Audi S3 clocked a time of 10.082 seconds, making it the fastest S3 in SA over the standing quarter-mile.
HeraldLIVE
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