Audi S4 quattro a tough act to follow in PE‏, South Africa

Press Release from Audi South Africa

THREE races meant three chances to earn points at round three of the national WesBank Super Series round for the 2012 season. For three of the Audi S4 quattro competitors this event took place at their home circuit – or at least the home circuit for their car.

Defending champion Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun) looked to be in dominant form, making the very best of his home track advantage. Stephen charged into the lead, posting the fastest qualifying time and claiming pole for the first race by 0.3 of a second over his nearest rival, Johan Fourie (A9 – EPS / IndyOil) and his Audi S4 quattro which is garaged and prepared in Port Elizabeth.

“It was a good day at the track,” says Stephen. “The Audi S4 quattro was strong and everything was working well from Friday already. This weekend was a great result.

“The last few race meetings at Zwartkops we have been on the pace – or been the pace – for the series, and we race there next. The previous outing there I had an issue in race three that ended what could have been a weekend just like the one we just had, but I'm confident things will play into our hands again.”

Fourth fastest in qualifying was another Audi S4 quattro, this time that of another Port Elizabeth racer, Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun). Three places behind Sipuka was the Audi S4 quattro of Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sport Medicine).

“We haven't done enough practise, we spent the time between CT and PE fixing the car so we didn't go in expecting too much since we haven't tested. There has been little time because we just got the car back together again but we've already got a test booked for this week. We're looking forward to Zwartkops and I'm good at the track.

“There's a lot to take into account, both from a driver and engineering perspective, and that's what we're working on now, that's our biggest task.”

PE is the first time we've had a chance to get some proper testing time this year and we've made good use of that, things should go much better from this point.”

Technical infringements in terms of how much turbocharger/supercharger boost is allowed in the series saw three of the Audi S4 quattro competitors sent to the back of the starting grid for the first race – leaving only Stephen to retain his qualifying position.

In the first race Stephen made great use of the power of his Audi S4 quattro to keep his pole position advantage and claim victory. It was his teammate, Tschops Sipuka, however that posted the fastest laptime as he concentrated on working his way through the field. Sipuka finished in seventh, just behind the Audi S4 quattro of Fourie.

For Priest the first race saw him cross the line in ninth place – a result he wasn't prepared to repeat with two more races on the day. Priest proved exactly that, posting a sixth place finish in the second race and claiming fifth in the last race of the day.

Fourie's fortunes also improved with two fourth place finishes to off-set his sixth place in race one.

“I wish we could have swopped Friday and Saturday this weekend,” says Fourie. “We were battling with a small splutter in qualifying and that penalty made the first two races very difficult. The handling also wasn't great on the day so there's lots of work to do for the next round.”

The biggest winner on the day was the defending champion, Stephen. Fastest in qualifying, a race victory in the first and third race and a second place in race two, he is now just a single point behind the current leader, the Subaru of Hennie Groenewald.

This means Stephen is the leading Audi S4 quattro racer and he will enter the Zwartkops round with a good chance of claiming the lead at that event. Priest, Fourie and Sipuka currently hold fifth, sixth and seventh in the series, with the Zwartkops event likely to favour their quattro systems and giving them the opportunity of closing the gap to the leaders.

Audi South Africa

Photos hosted at www.motorpics.co.za

More information:

Audi South Africa

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page

Unofficial Audi Sport FB page

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page

Tough weekend for Fourie in PE (Audi S4)

Johan Fourie Racing Press Release  

TOUGH WEEKEND FOR FOURIE IN PE

After taking home two Bridgestone Production Car wins in Cape Town, Johan Fourie was looking forward to much of the same at the second round of the WesBank Super Series held at Aldo Scribante this past weekend. Unfortunately, this was not meant to be.

Friday's practice sessions looked promising and Johan managed to set a great time in qualifying. A time that would have put him on the front row of the grid. The team were however confronted with a huge problem that put the boost pressure of their Audi S4 above the allowed limit. A problem that did not present itself on Friday. Johan, together with two other competitors were moved to the back of the grid for this technical infringement.

After making some mapping changes, the team were ready for the first race, albeit concerned about their pace and the reason for the sudden boost anomaly. The rolling start did not give Johan any advantage over the rear wheel drive BMWs, but he managed to move into seventh place by the end of the first lap. Two laps later, he was into sixth. He drove hard to keep up with the BMWs, but was unable to improve his position.

Johan did not benefit from a reversed grid after only the top four finishers were inverted for the race two rolling start. He had a good start and was up to fifth place by the end of the first lap. The racing was close and three laps from the end, Johan saw an opportunity to pass Anthony Taylor, he executed the move and made it stick taking the flag fourth.

The final race grid was determined by the fastest race two lap times. This put Johan fourth on the grid for the standing start. The Audi got off the line well and Johan moved up to third. Going into turn one however, he found himself being squeezed by Etienne van der Linde (BMW). The two touched and van der Linde spun in front of Johan. This allowed stablemate Tschops Sipuka to get through and into third. Johan held onto fourth place for the remaining 14 laps.

"It was a difficult weekend filled with unexpected problems which we will need to rectify before the next race. The boost will be lower at altitude, but we are very concerned that we may have a problem with our ECU. I was going for the race win, but at the end of the day, we still took some points home and got to race. It could have been worse," commented Johan.


"Once again, the support from our fans has been amazing. Thank you for your support," he concluded.


The team will be back in action at Zwartkops on 26 May. 


More Information:
Johan Fourie Racing website
Johan Fourie Racing FB page
MotorPics


Photos hosted at Motorpics

Bridgestone Production Cars tame Aldo Scribante

Bridgestone Production Cars Press Release

BRIDGESTONE PRODUCTION CARS TAME ALDO SCRIBANTE

The Bridgestone Production Car Championship put up some close racing as part of the third round of the WesBank Super Series held at Aldo Scribante this past weekend.

QUALIFYING:

The weather played along nicely and it was good to see race fans parked around the circuit, despite it being a long weekend. Friday's practice sessions were exceptionally close, but Michael Stephen (Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun Audi S4), Johan Fourie (JFR Audi S4) and Hennie Groenewald (Sasol Subaru WRX STI) all featured very strongly at the top of the charts. This trend continued into Saturday's qualifying session with Stephen taking pole from Fourie and Groenewald. Tschops Sipuka (Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun Audi S4) claimed fourth place, whilst Lee Thompson (Pirtek BMW 335i) was the fastest rear wheel drive competitor in fifth. He was followed on the time sheet by Anthony Taylor (Afrox BMW 335i) and Melvill Priest (Meuller Sports Medicine Audi S4). Although Etienne van der Linde only qualified eighth, he was just a second off the pole position time. Richard Pinard (Sasol Subaru WRX STI) and Nieyaaz Modack (Audi A4) claimed the fifth row of the grid, with BMW 335i drivers, John Mayer (Tricor Signs) and Kishoor Pitamber (Pirtek) a row further back.

Fourie, Priest and Sipuka were later moved to the back of the grid after data showed that their Audis were boosting too high. Whilst the reason for this was likely caused by the coastal altitude and cooler weather, the rules had to be enforced.

Graeme Nathan (IndyOil VW GTI) blitzed the Class T competition, qualifying a full second ahead of the rest of the class. Michael van Rooyen (Williams Hunt Opel Astra OPC) was the best of the rest, qualifying marginally ahead of Jacques Joubert (IndyOil VW GTI). Up next, was Gennaro Bonafede (Ferodo VW GTI) ahead of Castrol Ford Focus ST teammates, Gary Formato and Shaun Duminy. Only seven tenth of a second separated second to sixth. Ebrahim Levy (Jive VW GTI) was the final qualifier. He and his team arrived at the track in the early hours of Saturday morning after their tow vehicle broke down. Levy went straight into qualifying without the benefit of a practice session.

RACE 1:

Race one got under way from a rolling start. Although Stephen had a good start, he couldn't pull away from Groenewald and the two had a race long fight for the lead. Taylor, van der Linde and Thompson were in a tussle of their own, the teammates jostling for third place. In the end, Stephen took the win from Groenewald, Taylor, van der Linde and Thompson. Fourie had worked his way up to sixth, but was never really able to challenge the BMW trio ahead of him. Sipuka finished ahead of Pinard, with Priest struggling down in ninth. Modack had a great race in his older spec A4, taking the flag in front of Pitamber and Mayer.

Graeme Nathan left nothing to chance, taking an unchallenged Class T victory. Behind him, things weren't quite as simple. Joubert managed to get ahead of van Rooyen on the first lap and spent the next seven laps defending the position. The youngster withstood the pressure claiming his third second place finish of the season. Van Rooyen has happy to take the final podium spot ahead of Bonafede, Duminy and Formato. Formato was up to fourth place, before his alternator stopped working, he limped home a lap behind. Levy retired at the end of the first lap.

RACE 2:

The top four finishers in each class we inverted for the start of the second race.

As the pole sitter, Etienne van der Linde had an easy decision and chose to have a rolling start. The field got away cleanly and van der Linde kept his lead from Taylor and Groenewald. Stephen was caught in a five way tussle for fourth but managed to keep Thompson, Sipuka, Fourie and Priest at bay. A lap later, Stephen successfully challenged  Groenewald to take third. Not happy to settle for this position, he closed down Taylor, lining the BMW driver up. He passed Taylor on lap four and chased hard to catch van der Linde. Further back, Taylor was losing ground and slipped down to fifth place, behind Groenewald and Fourie. The chequered flag came out and Stephen made one last ditch effort to pass van der Linde. The BMW driver was wise to Stephen's sprint for the line and held his position, taking the win by one tenth of a second. Groenewald took third with Fourie working his way into fourth. Taylor crossed the line ahead of Priest, Sipuka, Thompson, Pinard and Mayer. Modack was the final runner after Pitamber retired on lap two.

There was some start line confusion in Class T and although Bonafede was meant to take up pole position, van Rooyen crossed the line first. By the end of the first lap, van Rooyen led Bonafede and Nathan. Nathan wasted no time, moving his way into the race lead by the third lap. He went on to take his second unchallenged victory of the day. The positions remained fairly static after that, with van Rooyen crossing the line ahead of Bonafede and Duminy. Van Rooyen was later moved behind Bonafede as a result of the start line confusion. Joubert finished a lap down after a boost pipe came off his GTI. Levy finished sixth, whilst  Formato did not start the race.

RACE 3:

Based on the fastest race two lap times, Stephen took up pole position and opted for a standing start. There was a lot of action on the start line. The lights went out and the four wheel drive cars launched off the line, with the exception of Priest who had inadvertently left his Audi in reverse after lining up in his grid box. As he dropped the clutch, he went flying into Thompson who in turn drove straight into the back of the Audi. Fortunately, Priest's reaction time was exceptional and he quickly snapped to first gear and no major damage was caused. Going into turn one, Fourie and van der Linde were side by side. Fourie was running out of track and the two cars touched. Van der Linde spun in front of Fourie and Sipuka used the opportunity to catapult himself into third. By the end of the race, Stephen lead from Groenewald, Sipuka, Fourie and Priest. Taylor was sixth, ahead of van der Linde, Thompson, Pinard, Modack, Pitamber and Mayer.

Nathan was the Class T pole sitter and took an early lead from van Rooyen, Duminy, Bonafede, Formato and Joubert. On lap four, the mid field was turned upside down. Formato passed Duminy for third, taking Bonafede with him. Duminy and Joubert had a huge tussle, while the status quo up front was also under threat. Van Rooyen took the race lead on lap five and was delighted to take his first win of the season. Nathan took second, with Bonafede passing Formato for third. Duminy ended fifth, with Joubert sixth.

The next round of the championship will take place at Zwartkops on 26 May.

More information:

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page
MotorPics

Photos hosted at Motorpics

Bridgestone Production Cars ready to take on Aldo Scribante‏

Bridgestone Production Cars Press Release

BRIDGESTONE PRODUCTION CARS READY TO TAKE ON ALDO SCRIBANTE ON 28 APRIL

It has been eight months since the WesBank Super Series was in Port Elizabeth and fans can expect the best of what Bridgestone Production Cars has to offer; close, panel crunching action.

Aldo Scribante has become synonymous with huge high speed crashes. The events of the past three years will hopefully weigh heavily on the minds of the Class A drivers, especially those at ADF Motorsport who have borne the brunt of the damage over the years. Flying in Afrox colours, Anthony Taylor and Etienne van der Linde successfully debuted their BMW F30 335is in Cape Town and will be looking to continue their successes.

They will face strong Audi S4 opposition from hometown Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun heroes, Michael Stephen and Tschops Sipuka though. Both drivers have extensive knowledge of the track, possibly matched only by one other driver, Johan Fourie (Audi S4).

Johan Fourie Racing is also based in PE and Fourie will be hungry to continue his winning streak.

Team Sasol Subaru is heavily outnumbered with just two vehicles against Audi and BMWs five. Fans love an underdog however and if anyone can pull a victory out of the bag, it’s the team of Hennie Groenewald and Richard Pinard.

Melvill Priest (Mueller Sports Medicine) is finding the going tough in his new Audi S4 and has been plagued with teething problems. He has a good team behind him though and will be hoping for better luck at Aldo Scribante.

BMW 335i newcomers, Johan Mayer (Tricor Signs) and Kishoor Pitamber (Pirtek) will have yet another new circuit to learn, but are sure to continue to make good progress in their lap times and race craft.

After a solid outings at Killarney, Deon Joubert (Pirtek BMW 335i) and Nieyaaz Modack (Audi A4) will both be in action at Aldo Scribante.

Class T has seen its fair share of mechanical maladies, with Michael van Rooyen (Williams Hunt Opel Astra OPC) having an especially torrid time. He will be more determined than ever for a good result in PE.

The usual protagonists will however have other ideas. Castrol Ford Focus ST drivers, Gary Formato and Shaun Duminy, are having a good run and continue to lay claim to some valuable championship points. They will again be out in force looking to add to their victory tally.

It will be the job of Graeme Nathan and Jacques Joubert to keep them at bay. The IndyOil VW GTI teammates are proving to be a solid combination, with Joubert impressing the more seasoned campaigners.

Gennaro Bonafede (Ferodo VW GTI) has shown tremendous pace in the last two championship rounds and is a certainty for victory barring any further technical maladies.

Ebrahim Levy will complete the field in his Jive Volkswagen GTI. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the new Mini Cooper S, Renault Megane or Chevrolet Cruizes will be ready for this event.

Visit www.productioncars.co.za for live timing of the event or follow the category on FaceBook (Bridgestone Production Cars) and Twitter (@SAProductionCar).

More information:

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page
MotorPics

Photos hosted at Motorpics

Audi S4 quattro racers ready for PE charge‏ (South Africa)

Press Release from Audi South Africa

THE Port Elizabeth round of the WesBank Super Series will see the Audi S4 quattro racers embroiled in a serious battle for honours. Round two saw all four Audi S4 quattro cars compete together for the first time and Scribante will be just the second opportunity for race fans to see this spectacle for themselves.

For defending Bridgestone Production Car Class A champion Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun), the PE round is an important part of his championship as it is his opportunity to compete in front of his home crowd. Stephen wrested the championship title from fellow Audi S4 quattro competitor Johan Fourie (A9 – EPS / IndyOil) at the end of last season, but Fourie is determined to fight back this year.

While Fourie is a Capetonian, his Audi S4 Quattro “lives” in PE and is prepared there. This means that Scribante is also his home track and where he does the bulk of his testing. Two Audi S4 quattros that consider PE to be there home ground is daunting enough for the opposition, but there are three Audi S4 quattros that hail from the friendly city.

Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Tsogo Sun), teammate to Stephen, is also a Port Elizabethan and that makes a trio of Audi S4 quattros that have a very specific knowledge of the circuit – and a claim to homeground advantage. This is not going to make it easy for their opposition.

Factor into this equation Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sport Medicine) who slid in behind the wheel of his Audi S4 quattro for this first time at the start of the 2012 season. Priest has indicated that he does not have quite the pace of the other teams as the development of his race car is a year behind the Audi S4 quattros.

The points don't seem to indicate any lack of pace on Priest's part though as he is currently the second highest scoring Audi S4 quattro entry this year, second only to the defending champion Stephen.

In fact, the Audi S4 quattro entries currently hold consecutive positions in the championship overall, fourth to seventh. This is quite an achievement considering Priest only started with his Audi S4 quattro this season and that Fourie missed the first round of the year completely!

Race fans in Port Elizabeth can look forward to serious action as this quartet of Audi S4 quattro racers push hard for honours and their opposition is going to be under serious pressure trying to keep up.

Audi South Africa

Photos hosted at www.motorpics.co.za

More information:

Audi South Africa

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page

Unofficial Audi Sport FB page

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page

FOURIE HOPES FOR FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS IN PE (Audi S4)

Johan Fourie Racing Press Release



Johan Fourie will be a man on a mission at round three of the WesBank Super Series as he tries to reduce the points deficit between himself and the other Bridgestone Production Car Championship contenders.

Johan is no stranger to Aldo Scribante, putting in many hours of testing in his team’s home town. Whilst his knowledge of the circuit will work in his favour, he will still face some tough opposition.

During the 2012 season, the category made two trips to Aldo Scribante. Michael Stephen (Audi S4) matched Johan in race victories, with each driver claiming three race wins. The other two wins went to Subaru’s Hennie Groenewald. These results indicate that Stephen is likely to be the man to beat, but there is yet another hurdle. The results don’t show what kind of pace the newly launched F30 BMW 335is will have and if the Killarney results are anything to go by, the BMWs will be right on pace.

“It is definitely going to be a challenging weekend with some strong competition. We can’t afford to make any mistakes. At the same time however, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain with a strong set of results. I don’t think I am going to play this one conservatively,” remarked Johan.

As per the 2012 regulations, the pole sitter in all three races can choose whether the race with begin from a standing or rolling start. A standing start together with the tight, twisty nature of the circuit will really swing the results in favour of the four wheel drive cars.

“We always have spectacular racing in PE and I urge all motorsport fans not to miss the action on 28 April,” he concluded.
For more information, please visit www.johanfourieracing.co.za or follow the team on FaceBook (www.facebook.com/JohanFourieRacing) 

Photos by Motorpics (http://www.motorpics.co.za/)

More Information:
Johan Fourie Racing website
Johan Fourie Racing FB page
MotorPics

Johan Fourie - Johan Fourie Racing Audi S4

Nieyaaz Modack - Johan Fourie Racing Audi A4

Audi S4 quattro quartet a force in the Cape‏

Press Release from Audi South Africa

THERE are now four Audi S4 quattros competing in the Bridgestone Production Car championship – and Killarney was the venue for this quartet to compete for the first time. The event was round two of the WesBank Super Series which took place in Cape Town on Saturday.

The four cars are made up of defending Bridgestone Production Car class A champion Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme / Southern Sun), Stephen's Engen Xtreme teammate Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Southern Sun), the Mueller Sport Medicine Audi S4 quattro of Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sport Medicine) and the EPS / IndyOil entry of Johan Fourie (A9 – EPS / IndyOil).

Fourie missed the first round of the championship held at Zwartkops Raceway but appeared determined to make up for it with his Cape Town performance. Fourie kicked off the event with the fastest qualifying performance in the championship, closely followed by Stephen.

Priest and Sipuka qualified seventh and eighth with Priest's team having to do quite a bit of work on his Audi S4 quattro after it was damaged during the practise sessions. A great deal of work later Priest described the car's handling as acceptable but not optimal. It didn't seem to slow him down much though.

In the first race Fourie kept up the performance of his qualifying session to claim the race victory with Stephen right behind him. Here Priest raced home to fifth place with Sipuka one place back. Race two again showed Fourie to be unstoppable in his charge for points and he claimed the chequered flag for a second time. Stephen crossed the finish line for fourth with Sipuka in seventh and Priest unable to complete the race – he missed a gear (second gear) on the start which allowed Stephen to pass. Brief contact between the pair resulted in a broken steering arm which meant Priest had to pull off and could not complete the race.

Race three saw Priest back on form, crossing the line for third with Stephen in fourth. Sipuka finished in ninth place but Fourie had to settle for 13^th when the bonnet clips on his Audi S4 quattro snapped after contact with Stephen earlier in the race. The result was that his bonnet flew open, obscuring his view and smashing his windscreen and roof in the process.

Overall for the day Stephen claimed third place with Sipuka in fifth, Fourie sixth and Priest in eighth. The Audi S4 quattros will contest round three of the WesBank Super Series at Aldo Scribante Raceway in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, 28 April.

Audi South Africa

Photos hosted at www.motorpics.co.za

More information:

Audi South Africa

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page

Unofficial Audi Sport FB page

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page

Johan Fourie - Audi S4 (Johan Fourie Racing)

Michael Stephen - Audi S4 (Terry Moss Racing)

Tschops Sipuka - Audi S4 (Terry Moss Racing)

Melvil Priest - Audi S4 (VMP Motorsport)

Nieyaaz Modack - Audi A4 (Private ex-Johan Fourie Racing A4)

SA Bridgestone Production Cars and the Audi teams returning to Durban streets

2007 Durban Race

By Johan Laubscher

The South African Bridgestone Production Cars championship has provided many action packed race days for the South African fans. With some of the best drivers and teams in the country battling it out on track. The series will have a street race in Durban this year. The event will be part of the Top Gear Festival which will be held on a constructed street circuit in Durban at the end of June 2012. The closing weekend of the festival will see a round of the Wesbank Super Series, of which the Bridgestone Productions Cars is a part of. Seeing the grid of Audis, BMWs, Subarus and the lower classes racing round a tight street circuit will be spectacular.

2012 Top Gear Festival Durban street track

This will not be the first time the series has graced the streets of Durban. In 2007, as part of the A1GP event in Durban on a street circuit, some of the national championships were invited as support events. The Bridgestone Production Cars was one of these series, and the racing it provided was spectacular. The cars battling and sliding around the twisty track made for a great spectacle.

The date for the race weekend is set for June 23. It remains to be seen how similar the 2012 circuit will  be to the A1GP circuit, but one thing is guaranteed, the racing will be close and fast.

Photos hosted at Motorpics.co.za and TopGearFestival.co.za

More information:
MotorPics

Audi South Africa

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page

Unofficial Audi Sport FB page

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page

Top Gear Festival

Footage from the 2007 Durban races:

2007 Brigdestone Production Cars at Durban Race 1

2007 Brigdestone Production Cars at Durban Race 2

2007 Durban Race - Shaun Watson Smith - Terry Moss Racing Audi A4

2007 Durban Race - Melvil Priest - VMP Motorsport Audi A4

2007 Durban Race - Johan Fourie - Johan Fourie Racing Audi A4

Audi S4 quattros ready for Killarney racing action‏

Press Release from Audi South Africa

THE Audi S4 quattros sprang into action this season – which got the 2012 season off to an exciting start at Zwartkops Raceway. Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme / Southern Sun) got into the swing of things from the outset by posting the fastest qualifying time for the Bridgestone Production Cars.

In the process Stephen claimed three bonus points – the highest number available for any one qualifying position. This helped put Stephen at the head of the Audi S4 quattro field of three of these thoroughbred race cars in competition in the WesBank Super Series.

With Stephen leading the trio, he is followed by his teammate Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Southern Sun) and the Audi S4 quattro of Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sport Medicine). The three Audi S4 quattros hold positions four, five and six of class A of the Bridgestone Production Car championship.

Priest joined the Audi marque from the start of this season and has some work to do yet to make his brand new Audi S4 quattro perform on par with the rest of the field. The first outing was still good enough to place him in the top two-thirds of the field.

Round two at Killarney will see the return of Johan Fourie (A9 - IndyOil / EPS) to the field. Fourie did not compete at the opening event of the season as he had still not finalised his sponsor for the year. With this resolved, he will make it to round two – and compete in front of his home crowd.

With Fourie's Audi S4 quattro added to the mix, a quartet of thundering thoroughbred power will thrill the Cape Town crowd and the second round of the WesBank Super Series is sure to be a spectacular event.

Audi South Africa

Photos hosted at www.motorpics.co.za

More information:

Audi South Africa

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page

Unofficial Audi Sport FB page

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page

Michael Stephen - Audi S4 (Terry Moss Racing)

Tschops Sipuka - Audi S4 (Terry Moss Racing)

Melvil Priest - Audi S4 (VMP Motorsport)

Johan Fourie - Audi S4 (Johan Fourie Racing)

  

Nieyaaz Modack - Audi A4 (Private ex-Johan Fourie Racing A4)

Audi S4 quattros in fast-paced opening round‏ in South Africa

Press Release from Audi South Africa

The Audi S4 Quattros got the 2012 season off to an exciting start at Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday. Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme / Southern Sun) got into the swing of things from the outset by posting the fastest qualifying time for the Bridgestone Production Cars.

This put Stephen on pole for the opening race – and he certainly made sure he capitalised on this start. At the driver's briefing Stephen was challenged to select a standing start, rather than the more usual rolling start in this series. Selecting the type of start is the privilege of the fastest qualifying competitor and Stephen did, indeed, choose a standing start.

Stephen's reasoning was that a lot of work had been done on the cars in the off-season and he was confident his Audi S4 quattro would provide the power needed to get off the line first. This proved to be the case and he showed the field a clean pair of heels as he charged off the line and down to the first corner.

The end of the first eight-lap race saw Stephen claim the chequered flag and the first race win of the season. Behind him Melvill Priest (A7 – Mueller Sport Medicine) was involved in his first on-track battle of the season in his brand new Audi S4 quattro. As with all new race cars there have been a few technical niggles and Priest got a real workout as he manually wrestled his race car around the track with no power steering.

“We had good straight line power,” says Priest. “It was in the corners where we were losing time without the power steering. The car is consistent, it has just been a battle to get going. This is all new for us, the other drivers have had a year to get where they are.”

The inverted grid for race two saw Priest take his Audi S4 quattro to the front of the field where he put up a good fight but ultimately had to settle for finishing behind Stephen who crossed the line for fourth place.

Tschops Sipuka (A2 – Engen Xtreme / Southern Sun) campaigned his Audi S4 to eighth position in race one and followed this up with a sixth place finish in race two, putting the trio of Audi S4 quattros cross the line for consecutive finishing positions.

Race three proved dramatic for Stephen when, just four laps into the final race of the day for the Bridgestone Production Cars, flames began licking the underside of his Audi S4 quattro and he was forced to pull off the track. With Stephen off it was up to the remaining two drivers to fly the Audi flag.

Sipuka stepped up to the challenge and battled with a brace of BMWs and a Subaru to fight his way into third place by the end of the race. Priest flexed his muscles and powered his Audi S4 quattro into fifth.

Priest's performance resulted in a fourth place finish overall for the day with Sipuka just one place back in fifth. Stephen, due to his early departure from the race had to settle for 15^th spot overall – despite his first race win.

The Audi S4 quattro competitors have made their intentions very clear for the 2012 season and Stephen is determined to successfully defend his championship title. Priest has the intention to post the very best results he can in his first season of Audi S4 quattro racing so will be a constant worry to every other racer and Sipuka is hungry for a championship title.

This sets the scene for the Audi S4 quattros to feature prominently again this season – and this is going to keep the excitement levels very high for race fans.

Audi South Africa

Photos hosted at www.motorpics.co.za

More information:

Audi South Africa

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page

Unofficial Audi Sport FB page

Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Bridgestone Production Cars FB page

South African Bridgestone Production Cars Round 1 - Audi Teams

By Johan Laubscher

The 2012 South African Bridgestone Production Cars got underway this weekend at Zwartkops near Pretoria in South Africa. The weekend got off to a warm start with very high temperatures for the entire weekend. The pre-event news from the Audi teams was bitter sweet. It had been known that four Audis would be ready for the start of the season, two from Terry Moss Racing and one each from Johan Fourie Racing and VMP Motorsport. Despite all four cars being ready only three took part at Zwartkops. Johan Fourie had lost his main sponsor just weeks before the 2012 season was to begin and without a sponsor for the start of the season the team decided not to travel across the country to the first round. This is a sad blow for the championship and everyone is hoping that Johan Fourie, the 2008 and 2009 champion will be able to find the necessary funding to compete for the rest of the year.

The Friday afternoon practice sessions saw a very competitive field with all the manufactures sharing very fast times. Qualifying on Saturday would see Michael Stephen, the 2011 champion continue on his good form from of last year by taking pole position for race one in his Audi S4. Stephen opted for a standing start for race one, the first standing start in the championship in over two years. When the lights went out the 2012 season got underway and Stephen raced onwards to a flag to flag victory. The rest of the day would prove to be up and down for the Audi drivers. The reverse grid for race two always provides for exciting racing and provided a Team Afrox BMW 1-2 with the highest Audi in fourth.

The third race of the day held over a larger distance again proved to belong to the Afrox BMW team with another 1-2. Tschops Sipuka put in a storming drive to try and catch the second placed BMW but eventually finished in third, the highest placed Audi finisher. Michael Stephen unfortunately retired from Race 3.

VMP Motorsport had a promising first outing with their new car. VMP Motorsport ran Audis from 2005 to 2009 famously taking Audi’s first win in this championship back in 2005. It is a delight for Audi fans to see the team return to the Four Rings. Melvil Priest in the VMP Audi had consistent top 5 finishes on the day in the immaculately prepared S4. The potential of the new car is clear and it will only be a matter of time before VMP takes their first win of the year.

As the race day came to an end the consistency and race wins of the Afrox BMW drivers sees the pair leading the championship with the top Audi driver outside of the top three. The championship now moves onto round two at Killarney in Cape Town on the 31^st of March.

More information at:

Audi Motorsport in South Africa FB page
Bridgestone Production Cars FB Page
Bridgestone Production Cars Website

Race Results:

Bridgestone Production Cars Round 1 Zwartkops Raceway - Race 1 - Class A:

1 Michael Stephen (Audi) Engen Xtreme
2 Hennie Groenewald (Subaru) Team Sasol Subaru
3 Anthony Taylor (BMW) Team Afrox
4 Etienne van der Linde (BMW) Team Afrox
5 Richard Pinard (Subaru) Team Sasol Subaru
6 Melvill Priest (Audi) VMP Motorsport
7 Kishoor Pitamber (BMW) Team Pirtek Racing
8 Tschops Sipuka (Audi) Engen Xtreme
9 John Mayer (BMW)

Bridgestone Production Cars Round 1 Zwartkops Raceway - Race 2  - Class A: 

1 Etienne van der Linde (BMW) Team Afrox
2 Anthony Taylor (BMW)
3 Hennie Groenewald (Subaru) Team Sasol Subaru
4 Michael Stephen (Audi) Engen Xtreme
5 Melvill Priest (Audi) VMP Motorsport
6 Tschops Sipuka (Audi) Engen Xtreme
7 Kishoor Pitamber (BMW) Team Pirtek Racing
8 John Mayer (BMW)
9 Richard Pinard (Subaru) Team Sasol Subaru

Bridgestone Production Cars Round 1 Zwartkops Raceway - Race 3 - Class A:

1 Anthony Taylor (BMW) Team Afrox
2 Etienne van der Linde (BMW) Team Afrox
3 Tschops Sipuka (Audi) Engen Xtreme
4 Hennie Groenewald (Subaru) Team Sasol Subaru
5 Melvill Priest (Audi) VMP Motorsport
6 Richard Pinard (Subaru) Team Sasol Subaru
7 Kishoor Pitamber (BMW) Team Pirtek Racing
8 John Mayer (BMW)
9 Michael Stephen (Audi) Engen Xtreme

2012 South African Bridgestone Production Cars - Audi Teams Preview

Photo hosted at Racepics.co.za

Written by Johan Laubscher

The Bridgestone Production Cars Championship has long been regarded as the premiere racing series in South Africa. Some of the country’s best teams, drivers and machinery compete for this coveted title in South African motorsports. In the last five years the Audi brand has established itself as one of the primary forces in the Class A category, having won four of the last five titles. The A4 (B7) 3.2 quattro became a dominant force first winning the title in 2007 with Shaun Watson-Smith (Terry Moss Racing) and a double of 2008 and 2009 with Johan Fourie (Johan Fourie Racing). 2011 saw the introduction of the first new car model for the Audi teams since 2005 in the form of the new Audi S4 (B8). The season came down to a Johan Fourie S4 vs Michael Stephen S4 battle for the title, with Stephen (Terry Moss Racing) taking his first Class A title.

2012 is shaping up to be another great year for the series and one that holds a lot in store for Audi fans. The Class A grid is growing and so too is the Audi brigade, with four Audi S4 cars on the grid and rumours suggesting even more cars. Strong rumours suggest that Terry Moss Racing will field a third S4 during the year for Terry Moss’ son, Simon Moss. If this is true it will be the largest ever entry for the Audi brand in a single series in its South African motorsport history. As in the past with the Production Car Championship it will be a privateers only effort for the Audi teams. The teams contesting the 2012 Bridgestone Production Cars Championship with Audi machinery includes Terry Moss Racing, Johan Fourie Racing and VMP Motorsport who will be returning to the Audi brand in 2012.

Team Previews:

Terry Moss Racing    

Fresh from their 2011 triumph, Terry Moss Racing will be ready to defend their title this year. Regular drivers Michael Stephen and Tschops Sipuka will again be at the wheel of Audi S4 cars. With the opening round at Zwartkops, Michael Stephen will be seen as a favourite as he won three of the four races there during last year’s finale.

Number one plate for Michael Stephen:

Rumours also suggest that a third S4 is being built for Simon Moss. The potential addition of Simon Moss, the son of Terry Moss provides a case of Déjà vu for South African Audi fans.

Terry Moss S4 GTO (left) and Simon Moss S4 (right):

Photo hosted at Motorpics.co.za

A mere twenty years ago Terry Moss competed with the legendary Audi S4 GTO, with which he won the 1993 South African Wesbank Modifieds Championhip. Fast forward to the present day and Simon Moss might be competing in his first Bridgestone Production Car Championship season, also in an S4. Simon had impressed during 2011 when he shared with Tschops Sipuka during the two Endurance events at Phakisa and Zwartkops.

Michael Stephen will again be in top form, looking to defend his Class A title. He was dubbed Mr Consistency during 2011, a trait that paid dividends at the end of the year. This young engineer who was involved with the building of the team’s cars will once again be a man to watch in 2012. Tschops Sipuka will be looking to improve on strong performances from 2011, the year in which he won his first Class A race. The Audi S4 has the pace and Sipuka will be right up there at the sharp end of the grid.

Michael Stephen S4 (2011):

Photo hosted at Racepics.co.za

Tschops Sipuka S4 (2011):

Photo hosted at Racepics.co.za

Simon Moss S4 (2011):

Photo hosted at Motorpics.co.za

Team website: www.engenxtremeteam.co.za

Johan Fourie Racing

Johan Fourie Racing are aiming to again field their one entry for Johan Fourie in the Audi S4. Johan Fourie has not been officially confirmed for the first round of the season as his primary sponsor has recently pulled out. The team is working hard to ensure that Johan will be on track this year. It is strongly believed that the team will be at Zwartkops for the opening round.

Johan had an amazing mid season in 2011 with exemplary performances catapulting him into the lead of the championship. It was only misfortune at the final two events of the 2011 season, both held at Zwartkops that denied Fourie of his third Class A championship title. Johan Fourie, renowned for being a hard charger and an equally fast driver will as always be a force to be reckoned with in the 2012 Bridgestone Production Car Championship.  

Johan Fourie S4 (2011):

Photos from Racepics.co.za

Team website: www.johanfourieracing.co.za

VMP Motorsport

VMP Motorsport will be making their return to the Audi brand in 2012. They were last seen competing with Audi from 2005-2009 and were always a competitive force in the Class A brigade. Melvil Priest will once again be driving for VMP and will be doing so with a new weapon, the Audi S4.

The VMP Audi S4 build:

The team has been very busy preparing for the new season, and with the team and Vic Maharaj’s brilliant track record one thing is for certain: The new VMP Audi S4 will be fast.

Melvil Priest A4 (2009):

Photo hosted at Motorpics.co.za

Team website: www.vmpmotorsport.co.za

Team Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/VMP-Motorsport/100449663387411
Vic Maharaj on twitter: www.twitter.com/vicmaharaj  

If 2011 is anything to go by, 2012 will be another exciting year in the Bridgestone Production Cars. With a growing gird and more Audis than ever before, the South African race tracks will see a tremendous racing spectacle.

The first round is at Zwartkops on the third of March.

The 2012 Bridgestone Production Cars Calendar:

3 March - Zwartkops
31 March - Killarney
28 April - Port Elizabeth
26 May - Zwartkops
23 June - Durban
4 August - Phakisa
25 August - Zwartkops
22 September - Killarney
27 October - Kyalami

The provisional Class A Entry List for Zwartkops (3 March): 

Michael Stephen - Audi S4
Tschops Sipuka - Audi S4
Richard Pinard - Subaru WRX STI
Melvill Priest - Audi S4
Hennie Groenewald - Subaru WRX STI
Etienne van der Linde - BMW 335i
Johan Fourie - Audi S4
Kishoor Pitamber - BMW 335i E92
Anthony Taylor - BMW 335i
John Mayer - BMW 335i


Watch:

Watch the entire 2011 Class A Championship here:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLECC7689089A88AAB

For more info visit:

Bridgestone Production Cars website: www.productioncars.co.za 

Bridgestone Production Cars Faceook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Bridgestone-Production-Cars/301299066589405

Bridgestone Production Cars twitter: www.twitter.com/SAProductionCar

Audi Motorsport in South Africa Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AudiMotorsportSouthAfrica 

The Unofficial Audi Sport FB page: www.facebook.com/audisportpage

Race Pics:  www.racepics.co.za

Motorpics: www.motorpics.co.za

End