AA Kyalami Rounds 7 and 8 preview

The Midas Group N roadshow will visit AA Kyalami for Rounds 7 and 8 of their 2000 national championship next Saturday (May 13) with scores to settle in most of the five contested classes.

The near-standard production car formula will bring 38 entries to the AA Kyalami grid, ensuring many highlights of an action-packed raceday programme.

Topping the entry list in Class A will be Kaye-Eddie BMW 328i drivers Reghardt Roets and Steve Wyndham.

Though team mates, Roets and Wyndham have been given free reign to fight for this year's Class A title.

Thus far they have responded with brilliant displays of sideways, side-by-side racing and the Kyalami events should be no exception.

They will be joined by impressive newcomer Rob Hulme, who drove a privateer BMW 325iS extremely well during his inaugural race meeting at the Phakisa Raceway two weekends ago. Behind them the day's top spectacle might well be produced in Class B, with the Toyota Corolla RSi and Honda Ballade V-TEC brigades resuming a season-long war.

The current class points leader is Martin Steyn in his Team Total Honda, narrowly ahead of Charl Wilken in his works Castrol Toyota Corolla RSi. Steyn will have the support of Team Total Honda's Curt Alchin and Clinton Weston in identical Ballade V-TEC models, while Wilken will rely on backup from Mark Cronje in a Dealer Team Toyota Corolla RSi.

Following some robust racing tactics from both teams at the previous race meeting, there will be no love lost at AA Kyalami. The Class B Privateer's Cup challenge will see veteran tin-top exponent Brian Luyt start as the favourite in his Rapid Imola Racing Opel Astra 200iE.

He will face a tough challenge from Honda Ballade V-TEC drivers Lawrence Boshoff, Dave Kopke and Chris Boucher, plus Peter Lanz in his Opel Astra 200iE. Another category with scores to be settled will be Class D, which saw the Opel Corsa 160 GSi/Honda Ballade 160i rivalry explode into a full-scale panel-bashing war at Phakisa Freeway two weekends ago.

Leading the Opel onslaught will be Delta Parts Corsa racers Stephen Taylor and LeeRoy Poulter, assisted by Petronas Opel Corsa 160 GSi driver Grant Fletcher. Challenging them and right on the winning pace should be Delon Williams and Fanie de Bruin in identical Honda Ballade 160i models. The Opels should have the legs down the straights with the Hondas quicker through AA Kyalami's twisty bits, setting the scene for a potentially violent high-speed chess game of note.

Rounding out the class and possibly able to surprise some of the front-runners will be Phillip Kekana and Michael Benjamin, racing Toyota Conquest 160iRS models under the respective Sasol and Rand Stadium banners.

Class E for 1400cc cars will see a total of 13 cars take to the circuit. Topping the current points ladder is James Menin in his Auto Bonn Opel Corsa 130iS and he will hope to capitalise on his position at AA Kyalami.

That will be no easy task, with tough competition expected from the likes of Opel Kadett 140S racers Douglas Reekie, Cor Kraamwinkel and Greg Wilford, plus Opel Corsa driver Bert Grogor.

Expected to challenge for the class podium placings will be the Team Total Tazz entries of Miguel Pasqualli, Etienne du Toit and Dave Compton. Earlier this year the Toyotas dominated proceedings at AA Kyalami, which tight infield seems to suit the Tazz's handling characteristics down to the tarmac.

With most of the drivers in the class also fighting for the prestigious CAR Magazine Rookie of the Day award, brilliant on-track action should be the name of the game right through the Kyalami field.