Cape Town - Killarney’s 17th Passion for Speed international historic race meeting got off to a noisy start with the Pre-68 Le Mans class, as British driver Steve Hart took his thundering 1964 Can Am McLaren M1C to a narrow win from Mark du Toit’s almost equally authoritative Chevrolet-engined Lola T70 Spider and Swedish visitor Kennet Persson in a Ford GT40.
Next up were Francesco van Maarschalkerwaart (Shelby Mustang) and Richard Wilson’s 1962 Lightweight Jaguar E-Type - after Wilson dived inside Armand Adriaans’ Shelby Mustang going into the fast double-apex Jaguar Sweep, demoralising the Dutchman so badly that he dropped back behind Tim Boles’ 1968 Chevrolet Camaro to finish seventh!
The 45-minute Tourist Trophy race became something of an demolition derby, with only six cars running at the end out of 13 starters. The big orange McLaren, with Donald Duncan at the wheel, lasted only a few laps before picking up a mechanical gremlin.
That leaving Pretoria brothers Mark and Jonathan du Toit to cruise home to their second TT win in as many weeks as they doubled up on their Zwartkops success the previous Saturday in the Lola, which carried Wall’s Ice Cream livery in a tribute to the great Doug Serrurier and Jackie Pretorius, who thrilled race fans their Wall’s cars in the 1970s.
Second were Swedish visitors Kennet Persson and Lennart Bohlin in Persson’s GT40, followed by Boles’ 1968 Chevrolet Camaro and Dutch Shelby Mustang duo Armand Adriaans and Francesco van Maarschalkerwaart.
Swede Lars Bondesson’s Lotus Elan was classified sixth, ahead of Zimbabwean Denzil Bhana’s impressive Ford Anglia and Hazyview farmer Rodney Green’s MGB Twin Cam.
Pre-74
Steve Humble (Mallock) leads Franco Scribante's ill-fated Chevron B19 in the first International Sports-Car race. Picture: Heinrich Sauer / motorsportmedia.co,za
Local racer Steve Humble took the early lead in the first Pre-’74 International Sports-Car race before his Mallock slowed, allowing Durban driver Franco Scribante (of Simola Hillclimb fame) to take his ex-Springbok Series Chevron B19 to the race win, followed home by the Lola T212’s of Swede Kent Olof Abrahamsson and Briton Robert Brooks.
Donald Duncan was next up in the glorious ’64 Can Am McLaren M1C, ahead of Swede Bernt Andersson, Capetonian Louis de Jager (each in a Lola T212) and Persson’s Ford GT40 in 8th.
Whatever was wrong with Humble’s Mallock, he got it fixed for Race 2, taking the fight to early leader Abrahamsson. Mallock was leading on the final lap from Scribante and Brooks when Scribante’s Chevron seemed to suffer a major mechanical and crashed heavily in Turn 4, bringing out the red flags.
The result was called as at the end of the penultimate lap, with the win going to Mallock, from Scribante, Brooks, Andersson, De Jager and Persson.
Single seaters
The short-lived 1.5-litre Formula One era of the 1960s produced some jewel-like racing cars, which shared the circuit with a variety of Formula Fords, Vees and Juniors as well as one or two home-made single seaters from the 1950s.
Richard Smeeton set the early pace in his rare Waiman Formula Junior, but he was overhauled by fellow Briton Richard Wilson’s Lotus-BRM at mid distance.
Wilson went on to win Race 1 from Smeeton, while Iain Rowley (Lotus) fought off Formula Ford duo Paul Richardson (Dulon) and Alex Morton (Merlyn) for third ahead of Andrew Wareing’s glorious 1.5-litre V8 F1 BRM, Des Hillary in another Dulon and Pretoria racer Pat Dunseith’s Lotus.
The Lotus-BRM held off the Waiman for another close win in Race 2, with Dunseith finding some extra pace to grab third head of Wareing’s BRM, Richardson, Rowley, Morton and Richard Baker in a Formula Ford Titan.
Pre-66 Legends
Brothers Jono (1957 Chevrolet Bel Air) and Mark du Toit (Chevy Nova) are overshadowed by my Michiel Campagne's gynormous Ford Galaxie in the first Legends race. Picture: Heinrich Sauer / motorsportmedia.co,za
Race 1 saw the Du Toit brothers battling for the lead, with Jonathan’s Chevy Nova in front of Mark’s 1957 Bel Air when it counted. Tim Boles moved up to third after Dutch driver Michiel Campagne’s giant Ford Galaxie stopped out on the circuit and held on to come home ahead of Armand Adriaans and Francesco van Maarschalkerwaarts’ Shelby Mustangs.
Campagne got the Galaxie up and running to good effect for Race 2, splitting Jonathan and Mark du Toit over the line with van Maarschalkerwaart fourth from Adriaans, Bhana, Briton Chris O’Neill’s lightweight Jaguar E-Type and Green in the MGB.
Regional Classic 1980s and 1990s
Charles Arton and his Datsun 240Z led home a 35-strong field in Race 1, ahead of Franco Donadio’s indecently quick Ford Escort and Trevor Momberg, close behind in a Ford Capri V6. Richard Prott (Porsche 911 RSR) finished fourth ahead of Wayne Lotter’s Zakspeed Escort, Steve Bekker’s Opel Kadett GTE, Erik Mouton’s monster Chevrolet De Ville and Ian Richards’s Datsun SSS.
Donadio took an easy win in Race 2 from Momberg and Vance Kearney’s Ford Capri Perana V8, Robin Forbes’ Corvette, Lotter, Denzil Bhana’s Anglia and Erik Mouton’s Chevy.