BPCC: Audi S4 Quattro Racers Set the Pace at Scribante

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattro racers set the pace at Aldo Scribante Raceway in Port Elizabeth. The qualifying session for round three of their championship in the Super Series saw the top four positions all claimed by Audi S4 quattro drivers.

Right at the top of the qualifying results is championship leader Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) who made good use of home-track advantage to qualify at the head of the field. Stephen then turned this front row start into a race victory – knowing he faced starting at the back of the grid for race two as the championship leader.

“The goal for the weekend was to qualify on pole,” says Stephen. “It doesn't make things easy, but it does help to boost your chances. In the second race Gennaro and I had a tussle once or twice, but I managed to get past – the same as with Gavin Cronje. He did hold me up a bit, but I managed to get past although it did mean I couldn't catch Johan Fourie.”

Stephen's last place start in the second race was transformed into a second place finish as he fought his way through the pack and claimed the overall race win for the day – extending his championship lead in the process.

Just behind Stephen on the qualifying sheets was Simon Moss (A38 – Engen Xtreme) who showed his pace in an extremely close qualifying session just 0.157 of a second slower than the champion.

“In the first race I tucked in behind Michael and tried to get away from the field,” says Moss who crossed the line for second place in that first event. “In race two things got very interesting. I started the race in pole position and tried some late-braking to prevent the BMWs from getting past me, but I got that wrong and went off.”

“I got back on track behind the field and managed to catch them again. I could have won, but that mistake cost me.”

Moss' fight from the back saw him overtake the entire Class T field and claw his way up to fourth place in Class A to finish the day in fourth place overall.

Audi's strength in qualifying continued with the Audi Sasolracing's Hennie Groenewald (A8) third quickest and just marginally behind Stephen and Moss.

“The track is far more abrasive here,” says Groenewald. “We had to make changes to ensure better use of the tyres and we found a setup that worked better – making a change for race day that brought better balance to the car.”

“Unable to get past Gavin Cronje in the first race allowed the leaders to get away. I finally managed it in the last corners of the first race but an issue with oil on Cronje's tyres saw him run off the track, taking me with him. In the second race, something went wrong with the engine – a highly unusual problem with the Audi S4 quattro – but it meant we only did a few laps of the long race and we weren't classified as a finisher.”

“We look to East London now as an opportunity to see a change in our fortunes, I just want to go and win some races – have some solid race days and get our championship back on track,” says Groenewald who finished sixth overall on the day.

For Gennaro Bonafede, the PE race day saw him produce a valuable and consistent performance. Bonafede qualified as the fourth fastest driver on the day, working his way into third place – and on to the podium for race one, repeating the performance in a hard-fought second race and finished in third overall for the day.

“Our pace was quite close in qualifying, but with Cronje ahead of us it really affected our race,” says Bonafede. “Just before the start of the second race we discovered a hole in the charge cooler so we had to try make some quick repairs. They didn't work too well and it drained in just a few laps so I had to manage it for the rest of the race.”

With no coolant, it affected engine temperatures and Bonafede had to drive defensively rather than challenge for position. Bonafede managed to effectively fend off the opposition and did not give up too much during the race to claim his second third place finish of the day.

The Audi S4 quattro racers now turn their attention to the East London Grand Prix Circuit which will hold the mid-season race for the 2014 season on Saturday, 5 July. Famed for its high speed layout, it is a driver favourite which demands dedication, preparation and total commitment from the racers.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za

BPCC: Audi S4 Quattro Racers Ready to Race in PE

Audi South Africa Press Release 

THE Bridgestone Production Car Championship moves to Port Elizabeth for round three of the Super Series on Saturday, 3 May. The fight for points has built in intensity with the PE event promising to be the most challenging yet.

Four Audi S4 quattro racers will take to the track, two of whom are right at the front of the pack and leading the national championship.

At Killarney, round two of the season, PE's Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) wrestled the lead away from Gennaro Bonafede (A32 – Audi Sasolracing). Stephen now enters his home event seven points ahead – but knowing he has to start from the back of the grid in race two.

The Bridgestone Production Car rules state that the championship leader must start the feature race from the back, irrespective of their qualifying result. This is going to make Stephen's qualifying for a good race one starting position vital.

Bonafede is determined to put pressure on and improve his chances of either closing the gap on Stephen or to push ahead and regain the championship lead. Using the feature race to his advantage could see either scenario play out – but even these are not guaranteed.

Bonafede's teammate, Hennie Groenewald (A8 – Audi Sasolracing) needs three points to make it into the top three of the championship. This incentive will keep him poised to take advantage of any opportunities – and perhaps create some of his own as he races to the finish line in his first year behind the wheel of an Audi S4 quattro.

For Simon Moss (A38 – Engen Xtreme) the PE round is the chance to race on his home track – where he has done most of his testing and the setup of his Audi S4 quattro. Moss will favour his chances of producing perhaps his best result of the season at this event.

The mix of four Audi S4 quattros fighting for position out on track will provide plenty of racing action for fans at Aldo Scribante Raceway. Two action-packed races and four talented drivers will continue the dominance of the Audi brand in the Bridgestone Production Car series.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za

BPCC: Audi Sasolracing consolidate championship challenge at Cape Town races

Sasolracing Press Release

Gennaro Bonafede and Hennie Groenewald remain well in contention for the 2014 Bridgestone Production Car Championship title after round two at the Killarney race track in Cape Town having claimed the overall 3rd and 4th places respectively after a pair of tough, no-holds-barred races.

The pair of Sasolracing Audi S4 quattros qualified in 3rd and 4th positions on the grid where the top class A contenders were covered by a mere 0.6 second.  Hennie was sent to the back of the class A grid after his engine was found to be over-boosting by 0.1%.

Hennie made a storming start in the first 7 lap race, passing two of his rivals on the opening lap to jump into 4th place from the back of the grid.  He was involved in a huge fight with Gennaro, passing the #32 Sasolracing car on lap 5.  The two Ingolstadt machines held position over the final laps.

Race two saw Hennie start from 4th and Gennaro from the back of the grid (as a result of leading the championship going into the Cape Town races).

A very physical 17 lap race saw the Audi Sasolracing team give as good as they got in the rough and tumble of the class A field. Hennie moved up one place on the first lap, but by his own admission, was scared to pass Simon Moss (Audi) as he is a wildcard rookie in the series.

As Hennie picked his moment, Moss pushed them both off the track onto the grass, allowing both Gennaro and Johan Fourie (BMW) to sweep past.  Hennie ran in 5th place, matching the class-leading lap times but unable to close the gap significantly.

Gennaro was in the thick of the action, running three-abreast on the opening laps before Michal Stephen (Audi) and Fourie muscled their way past the Sasol Audi.

Hennie Groenewald: “In race one, I had a gap to jump Gavin Cronje (BMW) and Simon Moss into 4th place.  Gennaro and I had a great scrap until I found a way past into 3rd place.

In race 2, I was worried about passing Moss on the first lap as he gets a bit crazy.  When I made my move, he had us both off the track and I lost two places.  I concentrated on setting consistently fast times and matched the leaders but I couldn’t close the gap”.

Gennaro Bonafede: “It was a tough weekend with some very hard racing. It’s the nature of the championship that I started at the back of the grid for the double-points feature race which is not ideal.  The racing was frenetic and the result was not ideal but there’s still a long way to go in the championship, where I am ranked second”.

Team Manager, Vic Maharaj: “The weekend wasn’t up to our usual high standards.  Sea level circuits don’t suit us all that well.  Our focus for the year is on the championship and not winning every race.  The Sasol Audis are reliable and we took home the points we could salvage.  Our pace was strong but Hennie’s race was compromised by being knocked off by Moss.

Before the next race, we are sending an engine to the Sasol Fuels Technical Centre to optimize some of the finer details.  That’s a very exciting development for us”.

The next outing for the Audi Sasolracing team is at Aldo Scribante in Port Elizabeth on May 3.

Photo credit: David Ledbitter 

BPCC: Another Strong Showing for Audi S4 Quattro Racers

Audi South Africa Press Release

ROUND two of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship at Killarney proved another intense race meeting for the Audi S4 quattro competitors. Incredibly close racing with no quarter asked nor given was the order of the day.

Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) opted to play a strategic game of chess in his chase for points, leaving the other racers to court Lady Luck in a game of poker. The result is that Stephen has moved into the lead of the championship before he heads into his home territory.

“In practise I was within the top two in terms of laptimes, fastest in qualifying, won the first race and finished in third in race two – from a fifth place start on the reverse grid,” says defending champion Stephen. “PE should be a strong round, we know the track and the setup, but the second race will see me start sixth on the grid and Scribante is not one of the easiest tracks to overtake on.”

Stephen's last place start in the double-points feature race is part of the championship's rules which sees the leading racer automatically start from the final spot on the grid for the long race.

With Stephen second overall for the day, this has nudged Gennaro Bonafede (A32 – Audi Sasolracing) off of the top spot on the podium – but not by much as he claimed third overall at this second round of the season. This was thanks to a consistent pair of twin fourth-place finishes.

“We weren't the fastest this weekend, we had good pace, but not race-winning pace,” says Bonafede. “Starting race two in last place played into the hands of the championship rules which are specifically created to avoid any one racer easily running off with the lead. It isn't always going to be easy days and lots of victories, the championship is a very long thing and this is some of the hardest racing I've had in my life. Hopefully the work we do before the next round will pay off.”

Bonafede is optimistic about round three and that the team will have the pace for the second coastal round of the season to be in the fight for the podium. For Hennie Groenewald (A8 – Audi Sasolracing) the event in the Cape was a bit of a mixed bag.

“The grid was very close overall,” says Groenewald. “The racing was close and very interesting, even if we were that 0.2 of a second down by comparison. Starting sixth in race one and finishing third was good. I got a good start in race two but a number of factors worked against me and then I simply couldn't close the gap. I was quick enough to maintain pace with the field, but simply couldn't close on the lead cars.”

Groenewald's confidence in the Audi S4 quattro continues to grow. As a newcomer to the brand this season, he has just completed his second event for 2014 and expects his results to improve with every passing round.

“It was a difficult weekend,” says Moss. “I take a lot of good from this though, I was a lot quicker at this event that at the previous round. In the first race I touched Johan Fourie and that affected my wheel alignment and scrubbed half the rubber off the tyre on the fender. In the second race my rear suspension snapped, I think from an incident earlier in the race.”

Moss finished the day in sixth place overall, but his confidence is high as he continues to grow in his new formula – and heads to his home track for the third round of the season.

The Audi S4 quattro competitors head to Aldo Scribante Raceway in Port Elizabeth for round three of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship on Saturday, 3 May. This event is the second of three consecutive coastal rounds in the series, with East London following in July.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za

BPCC: Audi Racers Have Eye on Another Dominant Display

Audi South Africa Press Release

THE Audi S4 quattro entries were a force to be reckoned with the opening round of the Bridgestone Production Car season. At Zwartkops Raceway in early March the four racers proved untouchable.

As a result, the Audi S4 quattro competitors head into the second round of the Super Series holding the top four positions in Class A and Audi leading the Manufacturers' Championship as well.

There are two cars in each of the Audi S4 quattro-powered teams. The current championship leader is Gennaro Bonafede (A32 – Audi Sasolracing) who put in an excellent performance to claim a slim lead in the first round of the season.

Defending champion Michael Stephen (A1 – Engen Xtreme) is just two points behind Bonafede and will be looking to Killarney to close that gap and dial up the pressure on his rival in the Sasol camp. Stephen's measured approach to racing has seen him claim three titles in this series already so a wild dash in order to claim the lead is unlikely.

Behind Stephen is Hennie Groenewald (A8 – Audi Sasolracing), Bonafede's teammate in the series. Groenewald is a seasoned racer in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship, but this is his first season behind the wheel of the Audi S4 quattro. He showed good pace at the first round but still has a bit of work to do to become accustomed to the Audi S4 quattro.

Rounding out the Audi S4 quattro entries is the newest member to the Bridgestone Production Car series, Simon Moss (A38 – Engen Xtreme). Moss has multiple champion Stephen as his team leader and mentor – and this showed in his first race meeting. Instead of pushing hard for the podium, risking disaster in the process, Moss opted to maximise seat time and claimed fourth spot in the championship in the process.

Race fans can expect another strong performance at the Audi S4 quattro racers tackle the opposition at Killarney – and fight for their own personal best results in the process.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za

BPCC: Audi Sasolracing aiming for top results at Killarney Racetrack‏

Sasolracing Press Release

AUDI SASOLRACING AIMS TO EXTEND PRODUCTION CAR CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT KILLARNEY RACES

Gennaro Bonafede and Hennie Groenewald head into the second round of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship at Killarney in Cape Town in first and third places respectively in the early season championship standings, fully intending to give Audi Sasolracing another set of results to further entrench their title aspirations.

The Killarney Racetrack features completely different characteristics to Zwartkops Raceway, host of the first round that saw Hennie and Gennaro dominate practice and the first race; two very long straights with fast, flowing corners are the order of the day, features that Team Manager Vic Maharaj believes will suit the blue, yellow and white Sasolracing Audi S4 quattros.

Whatever the outcome of qualifying and race 1 at the 3.3km long circuit, Gennaro Bonafede will start from the back of the Class A grid; new rules for 2014, designed to spice up the show, dictate that the championship leader starts from the back of the class for the longer, double points scoring feature race.

Gennaro Bonafede: “The five very long corners will definitely favour the Audi racers but I am concerned about tyre wear in the longer, second race.  It doesn’t help me starting from the back of the grid but I expect the race fans will enjoy the battle as I try every trick in the book to get to the front.

I’m in a much better place than I was last season.  It’s great to be part of such a vibrant team supported by Sasol.  They are fully involved in our campaign and leverage their sponsorship in a dynamic way”.

Hennie Groenewald: “Killarney has always been one of my favourite tracks.  Its design lends itself to close racing and the fans pack the stands.  Looking at our performance, I think it is realistic to target race wins.  The track is less familiar to us as we don’t do any testing at the circuit, but that is the same for everyone.

The car feels great and I’m looking forward to a great day’s racing”.

Vic Maharaj: “Historically, Killarney has been kind to Audi so we are optimistic.  The engine breathes better at the coast and I expect a strong weekend from the team.  The brakes come under huge pressure because of the braking zones at the end of the two long straights.  It is critical to have stability in the corners, a consistent brake pedal and good traction out of the corners.  Tyre wear is not an issue, although Gennaro has expressed some reservation as the race length is split over two races, and not three as was the case last year.

We need eight consistent points-scoring race weekends for our championship and to put on a good show for the spectators while achieving our goal”.

Race fans are invited to the pits area to meet the team and chat to the drivers between the races.

Photo credit: David Ledbitter

BPCC: Audi dominates at opening round of Super Series season‏

Audi South AfricaPress Release

THE four Audi S4 quattro entries in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship produced a dominant start to the 2014 season, clearly stamping their authority on the Super Series right from the outset.

Race one on Saturday at Zwartkops Raceway saw the Audi Sasolracing entries of Hennie Groenewald (A8) and Gennaro Bonafede (A32) filling the top two spots on the starting grid. In third place it was defending champion Michael Stephen (A1) and in fifth Stephen's Engen Xtreme teammate, Simon Moss (A38).

This event was Groenewald's first outing in the Audi S4 quattro and for Moss it was his first race meeting in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship – as well as his first national race meeting in the Audi S4 quattro. Both showed good pace in qualifying with Groenewald proving the fastest car in the field.

The Audi Sasolracing entries made good use of their qualifying pace to claim first and second place in the first race of the season, with the Engen Xtreme Audi S4 quattros in fourth and fifth place across the line.

“I'm extremely satisfied,” says Groenewald. “You always want to prove yourself in the wet, but it doesn't always work out the way you want. The Audi S4 quattro is very satisfying to drive in terms of feel and grip, it really does what you want it to do. We set the pace this weekend and I'm satisfied with where we are as a team after this first round.”

“I'm very, very happy today,” says Bonafede. “Consistency has really paid off at this event and qualifying in second place, achieving second in race one and again in the feature race, this is a great way to start the season.”

With a reverse grid for race two – and wet weather setting in to make conditions interesting – it took no time at all for defending champion Stephen to show why he has claimed three consecutive titles in this series. A red flag just one lap into the 17 lap feature race saw the field assemble for a re-start and here Stephen wasted no time showing the other racers just how things are done in the wet.

By the time the chequered flag made an appearance, Stephen's lead was almost a second ahead of a hard-charging Bonafede. Groenewald put in a good performance to claim third spot and Moss rounded out the leading positions, ensuring a clean sweep for the Audi S4 quattro racers by finishing in fourth.

“Qualifying and race one didn't go quite according to plan,” says Stephen. “We didn't have quite the horsepower as our competition in the first race but the wet conditions of race two, for double points, was very different and being able to win in the wet put our championship on a good footing. It is a good start to what is going to be a very challenging season.”

Stephen's teammate, Moss, found himself right in the thick of the action from the outset of the race weekend and he proved himself up to the task ahead.

“From Saturday morning things have been working well, I even managed to be a bit quicker than Michael at one point,” says Moss. “I got a few things a bit wrong in the second race in the rain, but I finished both races today, have fourth overall in my first event and kept my pace close to that of Michael. I decided a fourth in race two was the better option, rather than taking a risk and pushing too hard.”

Moss' fourth place result also provided the Audi S4 quattro competitors with the top four spots overall for the day, with Bonafede taking an early lead in the championship. Between them, the first round of the season finishes with an Audi S4 quattro winning each of the races, two second places, a third place in race two, the top four spots overall for the day and the championship leader is also behind the wheel of an Audi S4 quattro.

Photo credit: MotorPress.co.za

BPCC: Sensational start to Audi Sasolracing's season

Sasolracing Press Release

SENSATIONAL START TO AUDI SASOLRACING’S SEASON

BRIDGESTONE PRODUCTION CAR CHAMPIONSHIP RD 1 REVIEW

•        Gennaro Bonafede 1^stoverall. Hennie Groenewald 3^rd overall
•        Qualified 1^st and 2^nd
•        Race 1: 1^st and 2^nd
•        Race 2: 2^nd and 3^rd
•        Two fastest laps
•        Championship standing: 1^stand 3^rd

The Sasolracing Circuit Team enjoyed their most successful outing in the Production Car championship since inception, with both racers never out of the top three after qualifying their Audi S4 quattros in first and second place, separated by five hundredths of a second around the 2.4km long Zwartkops Raceway west of Pretoria.

Hennie Groenewald and teammate Gennaro Bonafede followed-up their super-charged qualifying performance by dominating the first race, circulating nose-to-tail throughout the ten lap sprint race, the experienced multiple racing champion Groenewald ahead by under a second as the flag fell. 

Hennie Groenewald: “I drove seven laps at ten tenths, inch perfect.  The Audi handled as if on rails. I knew Gennaro was right behind me and he had the rest of the pack snapping at his heels.  As we caught slower traffic, I eased out a small gap.  It’s a perfect start for the 2014 Sasolracing campaign”.

Gennaro Bonafede: “There was some pushing and shoving as the pack headed through the first corners.  I got tapped from behind and had a bit of a moment.  After that, I pushed very hard for three laps before consolidating my position”.

Race 2, a longer 17 lap sprint with double-points on offer, started with an inverted grid that saw Groenewald and Bonafede start in 6^th and 5^thplaces respectively under leaden grey skies with rain falling.

Groenewald rocketed through the slithering pack into second place by Turn 2 before the race was red-flagged due to an accident.  The track got wetter during the 15 minute delay which didn’t stop Groenewald and Bonafede making another demon start, passing both BMWs by Turn 2. As their rivals scrabbled for grip, Bonafede and Groenewald moved up in to 2^ndand 3^rd places behind the Audi of the current champion Michael Stephen.

Bonafede continued to push hard, slowly reeling in the race leader but was held up in traffic in the treacherous conditions, edging ever closer to cross the line two car-lengths behind the winner.

Groenewald had a huge off-track moment but held his nerve to recover the car without losing a position and crossed the line 4 seconds behind Bonafede.

Gennaro Bonafede: “It was difficult to catch Michael (Stephen) in the rain.  I was stuck in traffic halfway through the race so he pulled a bit of a gap.  I kept the pressure on him and closed right up but ran out of race distance.  Conditions were treacherous and I didn’t want to throw it all away.

I’m over the moon to give Sasol an overall win on my first outing with the team and lead the championship”

Hennie Groenewald: “When I slipped into 2^nd place, I thought this looked good, but it didn’t last long as the race was stopped after a car rolled.  On the re-start, I moved straight into 4^th place behind Gennaro who started ahead of me on the inverted grid.  Simon Moss went off so the Sasolracing team was second and third.  I had a big off at Turn 1 but held the car, trying different lines through the corners to find some extra grip.

I am very impressed with the team and I’ve settled in well.  They have amazing attention to detail are very focused”.

Team Manager, Vic Maharaj: “The team has integrated exceptionally well and performed like a well-oiled machine.  A strong start to the season is exactly what we needed but there is still a long way to go so we have to keep our focus on the job at hand”.

The next outing for the Audi Sasolracing Team is at the Killarney Circuit in Cape Town on March 29.

Photo credit: David Ledbitter 

BPCC: Stephen leads Audi S4 1-2-3-4 in quattro weather at Zwartkops

By Johan Laubscher

The first race meeting of the 2014 South African Bridgestone Production Cars Championship was very successful for the Audi teams. Both races at Zwartkops were won by Audi S4 drivers.

The Audi Sasolracing duo of Hennie Groenewald and Gennaro Bonafede converted their front row lockout during qualifying into a dominant one-two victory during race one. Pole-sitter Hennie Groenewald took the first race win of the year. Michael Stephen and Simon Moss finished fourth and fifth respectively in the Terry Moss Racing Audi S4s.

The second and final race took place later on Saturday afternoon. It was a case of wet quattro weather and the scene for yet another Class A Audi victory. The reverse grid saw Gavin Cronje starting on pole, ahead of the two Terry Moss Racing Audi S4 cars of Simon Moss and Michael Stephen. Johan Fourie's BMW lined up fourth, followed by the race one winning Audi Sasolracing duo of Gennaro Bonafede and Hennie Groenewald.

By the end of the second race it was a quartet of Audis at the top of Class A. Reigning champion, Michael Stephen, lead home the Audi squad. Gennaro Bonafede finished second in the race and took the overall win for the day. Hennie Groenewald finished third, ahead of Simon Moss in fourth.

The next round of the South African Bridgestone Production Cars Championship will be taking place at Killarney in Cape Town, 29 March.

Photo credit: 
SPCC.co.za [Paul Bedford]
Production Cars

BPCC: Audi Sasolracing dominated the first race at Zwartkops

By Johan Laubscher

The first race of the 2014 South African Bridgestone Production Cars Championship concluded with race victory for Audi Sasolracing this afternoon.

The Audi Sasolracing duo of Hennie Groenewald and Gennaro Bonafede locked out the front row during qualifying, with Groenewald taking pole position. The Terry Moss Racing squad qualified fourth with Michael Stephen and sixth with Simon Moss. 

The first race got underway with overcast weather in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon. The two Audi Sasolracing Audi S4s lead the way to a dominant one-two victory, a tremendous result for the newly sponsored team on their debut. Hennie Groenewald took the first win of the year ahead of teammate, Gennaro Bonafede.

Third place was taken by Johan Fourie in the ADF Motorsport BMW 335i, ahead of the two Terry Moss Racing Audi S4 cars. Reigning champion, Michael Stephen, finished fourth, right ahead of this new teammate, Simon Moss. Gavin Cronje rounded out the Class A field by placing sixth in the second ADF Motorsport BMW.

The second and final race is scheduled for later this afternoon. We wish the best of luck to the Audi drivers and teams to repeat the success from race one.

Photo credit: SPCC.co.za [Paul Bedford]

BPCC: Audi Sasolracing S4 quattro 1-2 pole position at Zwartkops

By Johan Laubscher

The 2014 South African Bridgestone Production Cars Championship is getting underway at Zwartkops this weekend. Four Audi S4 cars are being fielded by two different teams. The cars showed well during practice and pole position went to the Audi squad.

Terry Moss Racing is back with their two-car Audi S4 Engen Xtreme team. Reigning three-time Class A champion, Michael Stephen, is racing alongside his new teammate, Simon Moss.

The new look to the Audi squad is Sasolracing, who is sponsoring two Audi S4 cars prepared by VM Innovations. Gennaro Bonafede and Hennie Groenewald will be behind the wheel of the two Audi Sasolracing S4s.

The first of three practice sessions got the ball rolling early on Friday morning. The first session concluded with the two ADF Motorsport BMW 335i cars of Johan Fourie and Gavin Cronje topping the time sheets. The Audi squad was headed by Gennaro Bonafede in third, ahead of Hennie Groenewald, Michael Stephen and Simon Moss.

The second session saw the two Audi Sasolracing Audi S4 cars jumping to the top, with Hennie Groenewald leading Gennaro Bonafede. Johan Fourie was third fastest in his BMW, ahead of Michael Stephen's S4, Gavin Cronje's BMW and Simon Moss' S4.

The third and final session was again headed by an Audi S4, that of reigning champion, Michael Stephen. He was followed by Gavin Cronje's BMW, the Audi Sasolracing duo of Bonafede and Groenewald, Simon Moss' S4 and Johan Fourie's BMW.

Qualifying concluded the track running on Friday. The qualifying session was dominated by Audi Sasolracing. Hennie Groenewald took pole position on his debut in the Audi S4. He qualified ahead of his teammate, Gennaro Bonafede. Gavin Cronje qualified third, ahead of Michael Stephen, Johan Fourie and Simon Moss. The entire Class A field was separated by less than 0.8 seconds.

Race day gets underway with a warm up session and two races on Saturday. Races one and two are scheduled to begin at 13:45 and 15:55 local time.

We wish the best of luck to the Audi teams and drivers. 

Photo credit: 

Production Cars

Vic Maharaj

BPCC: Sasolracing adds “Vorsprung” to its Production Car Championship challenge

Sasolracing Press Release

Sasolracing enters a new era as they mount a concerted effort to capture to Bridgestone Production Car Championship in 2014. Hennie Groenewald and Gennaro Bonafede will race a pair of Sasolracing-liveried Audi S4 Quattros in the eight-round series, which gets underway on 1st March at Zwartkops Raceway.

Carel Pienaar is the Team Principal and owner of the respected SP Race Engineering outfit responsible for fielding the all-new privateer Audi Sasolracing team while Vic Maharaj assumes the role of Team Manager and is responsible for the day-to-day engineering and preparation of the Audi racers. Whammy Haddad adds strength to the team’s expertise as an engineering consultant.

“The Audi is a beautifully engineered machine with great reliability and consistency over a race distance. There are no surprises nor anything to fear in the package, which has proven itself over the past few seasons”, said Carel Pienaar of his new racers. “We’re going flat out for the championship”.

Hennie Groenewald is no stranger to championship teams having claimed four V8 saloon racing titles while Gennaro Bonafede is the most exciting new talent in the premier tin-top series and a proven race winner.

For Hennie Groenewald, the Audi Sasolracing campaign offers a chance to fight for the ultimate prize – the Production Car Championship. “The Audi is a superb, well sorted and developed car that is ready to win races”, said Hennie after his initial test.

“The highlight for me so far is the front-end grip and immediate throttle response from the six-cylinder engine. The S4 is mechanically sound and has everything I need. Basically, it does what I ask of it”.

“I am proud to continue as a Sasol brand ambassador and the opportunity to forge strong links with Audi is an exciting prospect”.

Racing against his young, lightning fast team mate will also be a new experience. “Gennaro has natural speed and ability and we are going to be pushing each other to the limit out on the track. In the process, the whole team will move forward. It’s going to be quite a challenge and create exciting racing for the spectators”.

23 year-old BComm student Gennaro Bonafede has a wealth of racing experience, both locally and overseas, having started racing at the age of 6. He has raced saloon cars for the past six years, winning the VW Polo Cup Rookie Championship along the way.

“I’m excited to be racing with such a well-respected brand – it’s a real honour. I smile to myself when I drive past a Sasol garage”, he laughed. “I’ve never raced in a team where I have a team-mate but we will be rivals out on the track. The Sasolracing partnership brings a new dynamic. I like to think I will be able to help Hennie unlock some of the Audi’s secrets and I’m sure he will help me in other ways”.

“Class A in the Bridgestone Production Car Championship features the best seven racers in the country. I’m not intimidated by any of them – I may be younger than all of them but they know I’m there to race”, Gennaro added as a word of warning to his heavy metal rivals.

Photo credit: sasol