 |
|
|
Gennaro Bonafede and Hennie Groenewald head into the 6th round of the Bridgestone Production Car Championship – the Sasol Race Day at Zwartkops Raceway – with fond memories of their outing at the Pretoria circuit at the opening round of the series, where the team scored a 1-3 result on debut.
|
|
|
| In the first of two repeat visits to circuits this season, the Audi Sasolracing team is mindful that the tin-top landscape has changed and the competition has become more intense as teams constantly develop their race cars. |
| Lying third on the points log, 23-year-old Gennaro Bonafede is looking to build on his points tally as the season heads towards a thrilling climax. With points on offer for qualifying as well as the fastest lap in each heat, the Tuks student is out to grab his share. |
| Racing is a cruel mistress and Hennie Groenewald has borne the brunt of the team’s misfortunes, including an accident at East London that saw the former multiple champion seated in a brand new quattro S4 racer in Goldfields last month. |
| The new car, in spite of zero testing before the Free State round, comfortably led the feature race before new-car gremlins dropped him down the order. Intense testing before the Sasol Race Day has sorted several issues, leaving the team quietly confident of a strong showing. |
|
|
From the pit wall:
|
| Vic Maharaj, Team Manager: “We’re feeling the pressure to give our partners a good result at their event. The Phakisa races showed we can race competitively against our closest rivals. |
| Qualifying is crucial at Zwartkops: when you secure pole position, 99% of the job is done. We’re well prepared for the most important race of our season”. |
| Gennaro Bonafede #32: “This is my first Sasol Race Day as a Sasol driver so I don’t know what the pressure is like to deliver a great result on the day. I’ll try to do what I did at the start of the season. Qualifying is very important. If we can get ahead of our rear-wheel drive rivals, they won’t get past. |
| We made some good progress at Phakisa which should transfer to our set-up at Zwartkops. I can’t wait to get out there”. |
| Hennie Groenewald #8: “I’m expecting to do well at Zwartkops – it’s our home track where we do the bulk of our testing. I struggled with the handling of my new car last month so the team has gone through everything with a fine toothcomb to fine-tune the handling more to my liking. |
| I will start Heat 2 from pole position and will make the most of it. I’m looking forward to interacting with Sasol’s guests and staff as well as the strong crowd of race fans that traditionally attend the Zwartkops races”. |
| Race fans are invited to visit the Audi Sasolracing pits during the day and view their racers from close quarters and collect a souvenir poster. |
| Media by: David Ledbitter |
| See you at Zwartkops on Saturday the 30th of August 2014! |
