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SAFV: Round one Kyalami preview

2008 Formula Vee Racing Season Makes Early Start For the two hundred odd Pro Tour competitors, the 2008 season gets off to an early start. The first race meeting of the year, will be run at Kyalami on the 26th January 2008, with National ...

Edited: Jan 22, 2008, 4:33 AM

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2008 Formula Vee Racing Season Makes Early Start

For the two hundred odd Pro Tour competitors, the 2008 season gets off to an early start. The first race meeting of the year, will be run at Kyalami on the 26th January 2008, with National Championship races, for Execuline Shelby Can Am Sports Cars, Investchem Formula Ford Zetec and Formula Vee, Regional Championship races, for Altech Porsche Unlimited and Goldwagen Volkswagen Challenge and Club Championship events, for Altech Kawasaki ZX10R Masters Cup and Altech Porsche 924.

The big question on everyone's mind, is that having succeeded in becoming the first driver in forty two years, to secure three consecutive South African National Formula Vee Championship titles, can Alan Holm (No1 Laser Sprint Rhema 2) make it four in a row? Out to make sure that he does not, will be Dennis Johns (No2 Geyser Attorneys Goldco Midas Rhema 2), Peter Hills (No3 Vacuform Rhema 2) and possibly A1 Team South Africa Rookie Driver Wesleigh Orr (Rhema 2). The talk is that Orr, will run selected South African Formula Vee events, where these do not clash with his international racing commitments. It is therefore highly unlikely that he will race at Kyalami, on the 26th January, as the New Zealand A1 Grand Prix takes place, the Sunday before the Kyalami event and the first practice sessions, for the Australian A1 Grand Prix, take place the Friday after the Kyalami event. Holm's 2008 title campaign could also have an added distraction, after the recent birth of a son, the Holm's first child.

The battle for the lead at Kyalami, should therefore be a repeat of the 2007 opening round, between the four current and ex National Champions Holm, Johns, Hills and Symm Grobler (No4 Auto Mecca Rhema 2) but possibly, with a different outcome. Snapping at their heels and eager to produce an upset, will be the likes of Jaco Schriks (No5 Laser Sprint Rhema 2), Trevor Bland (No6 Office Direct Rhema 2) and the two Development Drivers, Zaahir Essa (Rhema 1) and Courtney Steenveld, in a brand new Rhema 2, to replace the Rhema 1 he rolled during morning warm up, at the final Kyalami event of the 2007 season. Azeem Bomberg (Rhema 1) has shown that he also has the pace to get up among them, as well. An unknown quantity for 2008, at this stage, is Nico Blignaut (Gilus IT SAP Rhema 2), with Blignaut having upgraded to the new car, during the off season.

Joining other regulars, like Jannie Geyser (Geyser Attorneys Vision), Gareth Jackson (Laser Sprint Rhema 2), Ben Pienaar (BJ Pro Welding Rhema 1), Johan Gouws (Computer Associates Mantis), Jannie Geyser Jnr (Geyser Attorneys Rhema 2), Gert Van Den Berg (Rhema1), Doug MacDonald (Fantastic Racing Rhema 1) and Denver Pienaar (Vision), during the course of 2008, will be newcomers Alan Eustice (Execuline Rhema 2), Andrei Overbeek (Omega), Stephen Holly (Arrow), Nicholas Tennant (Tasman) and Chandre Kruger (Sting).

John Lerm (Racing for Wildlife Sting), will be hoping to have a more active season in 2008, along with Andre Van Der Merwe (Atlas Dry Cleaners Lantis) who will be joined by his son, Shaun, in a similar car. Others who should be back, after sporadic appearances in 2007, will be Kevin Cartmell (Rand Brake Sting), Bobby Nel (USN Rhema 2), and possibly Kyle Bennett (Rhema 1) and Jack Valadas (Racing for Jesus Rhema 1), while James Evans (Tasman) and Hugo Wallendorf (Lantis) should join in, as regular competitors, as the season progresses. If his car is not sold by then, James Leach (Auto Fair Rhema 1) could be in the Kyalami field as well.

See You at Kyalami.

-credit: safv/tcgroup.co.za

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