An early start, but an unforgettable day of racing!
Holding qualifying at 7:00 AM on a freezing winter track is always a big ask, but our Legends of the 9 Hour stepped up and opened the day.
Zwartkops’ proud ethos has always been that participatory racing should remain a streamlined, one-day event with optional Friday practice. On this Historic & Inland round, we were blown away—and admittedly a bit overwhelmed by a large turnout of 250+ entries. Despite packed grids, red flags, and some tight scheduling, we got through the full program, so every competitor enjoyed a full race day.
Our Legends category alone boasted 45+ entries, though a few withdrawals occurred due to late tyre deliveries or availability of spares. Because of the sheer size of the field, races had to be split, leaving the Legends as the sole group able to qualify on Saturday morning under a mild, sunny winter sky.
The Big Legends V8’S
The headline battle upfront was an absolute thriller between Ben Morgenrood (Mustang) and Seef Fourie JNR (Cougar). Both cars pushed hard into the high 1.5-second breakout zone super A+ times that certainly call for a review back to the ZA class limit of 72 seconds!
Class Leaders: Mark & Jonathan set the pace for the standard ZA+ class limit, while Allistar Simpson and Jonathan Needham held strong in ZA and ZB, closely followed by Colin Ellison in his striking white Camaro.
U2 and LITTLE Giants
It was a very special day for Rob Beaumont as he debuted his Ford Escort, with Auto and Truck Tyre backing. A very determined Jonty Needham pushed Rob in his Cortina Perana. It was a magnificent sight watching the two Fords matching ZB Legends times, while Djurk Venter in his Escort was certainly not left behind.
We were also thrilled to see our good friend Sophos Pantazis return with his beautiful and effective Datsun 240Z. Mark Miller was back on track in his Alfa Giulia, winning in U2, and it was wonderful to have Page Lindenberg racing an older-spec Escort MK2 in ZB. He was closely followed by Deon Schawabsky in his Escort, who managed to head off Ishmael Baloyi in the 1958 GSM Dart Alfa. Baloyi had a long, hard-fought battle on his hands with John Ten Doeschate, who was piloting the 1959 Dart.
Over in Little Giants Class B, Elke van Vledder took the win in her 1965 Alfa GT Junior, proving that, at last, there is some much-needed reliability in the car. She was followed across the line by Chris du Plooy, who took second in class in his white Volvo.
One truly special appearance was the Bramhill GSM Dart, which finished 7th overall in the 1964 Kyalami 9 Hour. It was driven by David Hoal from KZN, who owns this museum masterpiece and races it with great care.
Rounding out the field were a trio of Alfas driven by Tim Crossland, Gerrit Murray, and Mark du Toit. Unfortunately, it proved to be a tough day at the office for young Joshua du Toit: his Alfa GT broke its clutch right as he left the pre-race paddock, and to make matters worse, his gearbox broke into pieces during the second heat. Joshua learned firsthand that some days in motorsport are just tough.
International Sports Racing & Prototypes (ISP)
Naturally, this time of year sees quite a few competitors away on holiday and handling family commitments, which led to a few absences. Still, as usual, Larry Wilford proved to be the fastest of the bunch, winning both races in his green Lola T70. Jonathan drove the Lola Mk2 T70 for the day, though the car remains prone to teething problems: having never even sat in the car before, his qualifying was cut short to just half a lap. A broken rear wishbone in Heat One forced him to start the second heat from the back of the grid, but he carved his way through the field despite a spin and posted a competitive lap time, proving that some serious sorting will still get the car where it needs to be.
In the Le Mans Sports and GT class, James Temple secured the win, followed closely by Nicky Dicks in his impressive-looking Porsche, and André van der Merwe in his 911 RSR. George Avvakoumides took the GT/ISPC victory in his Porsche, followed by Djurk Venter in the Shelby Cobra after Peter Bailey’s Ford GT40 suffered a broken gearbox.
The Gunton Lola T70 of Colin Frost, driven by Neil Lobb, proved to be a highly competitive machine, though it continues to battle niggling issues that keep it from the front of the field. Another fascinating ISP entrant was Brad Beningfield in an RNB Sports Prototype, a car and driver combination capable of leading the overall field. Marc Miller’s red Daytona is currently in need of fresh rubber on the road, while John Ten put in a strong performance in the Marauder. Meanwhile, Seef Fourie Jnr unfortunately broke the differential in the Astra during the first heat, but bounced back to chase Larry in the second heat, with a blazing lap time just under 70 seconds for Le Mans Sports & GT.
Special Events
Rob Beaumont of Auto and Truck Tyre now boasts a magnificent stable featuring a stunning Chev Can Am alongside his very special Ford Escort Mk1. Both cars are presented in immaculate condition, and with Rob behind the wheel, they are fully capable of winning big events. It is always a pleasure to see machinery prepared to such a high profile and standard.
Looking ahead, three “new” International Sports Prototypes (ISP) are currently being prepared for the 26th annual Passion for Speed in 2027. The International Pre-1966 Formula One category will enjoy a full contingent, including a Pre 1960 car and a 2.5-litre Lancia Reventlou Scrab featured on the entry list.
In an exciting yet undeniably dangerous concept, full racing sidecar super bikes are expected to join the grid at both Zwartkops and Killarney. Full details to be published in September. Additionally, regulations for the 2027 season are currently being drafted and will be submitted for competitor comment over the coming month.
See you at Zwartkops!
Peter Du Toit
