Mashigo rules Aldo Scribante as TimesLIVE finishes second

After the fender-bending shenanigans at Zwartkops last time out, the Toyota GR86 Cup was a much more civilised affair at Aldo Scribante in Gqeberha this past weekend.

Toyota’s management laid down the law following the expensive bumping and barging in Pretoria, and it had the desired effect on the six motoring journalists competing in the series. The “rubbing is racing” credo took a back seat as the drivers put on their best behaviour, and the GR86 cars all left Saturday’s National Extreme Festival at Also Scribante without a scratch.

The journos were joined for this round of the one-make racing challenge by Toyota executive Anand Pather, who showed he wasn’t just there just to make up the numbers when he set the pace in Friday’s first practice session on a partially wet track. The former Group N racer went quickest with a time of 1:16.2 on the slippery circuit, and I was third in the TimesLIVE car, a second behind.

The laptimes tumbled in Saturday morning’s qualifying session held in the dry, with Zwartkops winner Setshaba Mashigo (ASAMM) taking pole with a 1:12.6, ahead of Chad Lückhoff (AutoTrader) and myself.

At the start of the first race I moved into second at the first turn and set off after Mashigo, a sim racer who has gained in pace and confidence in each outing since making the transition to real-world racing this year.

At sea level our normally-aspirated Toyota GR86 cars were a lot closer in pace to the turbocharged Yaris cars that share the track with us, and are raced by youngsters coming up through the motor racing ranks.

Mashigo edged away and was nipping at the heels of  the Yaris tail-enders as I focused on a hard-charging Lückhoff in my mirrors, until he suffered a puncture halfway through the race and dropped back. After that I had an uneventful run to second, with a comfortable gap to third-placed Mark Jones in The Citizen car.

I was determined to give Mashigo more of a hard time in heat two, which was the final race of the day and took place at dusk. I had the problem of having to pass Lückhoff first, as the starting order for the second race is determined not by the finishing positions but by the best laptimes set in heat one, and he had just pipped me.

I managed to find a gap past him in the first turn again and glued myself to Mashigo’s bumper. I hounded him for the first lap but made a mistake and went wide on a corner, and that was all she wrote. It allowed Mashigo to open a gap that he gradually stretched out and took his second victory of the day.

For a while I was chased by the ever-improving Reuben van Niekerk in the News24/Jumping Kids car who had made a good start, but he later fell back into the clutches of Lückhoff who nabbed third.

Van Niekerk then got involved in a close dice for fourth with Jones and Brendon Staniforth (Maroela Media) with the three separated by less than a second across the line. Pather was also part of the battle until he spun out in the hairpin and rejoined last.

Race two podium result: Mashigo, Droppa, Luckhoff.

The GR86 cars have acquitted themselves very well in the rigours of racing this season. After four rounds of hard driving (and often thumping) the rear-wheel drive coupes have had no mechanical issues. It's impressive as the cars are standard except for being outfitted with roll cages, racing brakes and semi-slick tyres.

Onward to the next race on July 22 at East London, where the cars’ legs will be properly stretched at the country’s fastest circuit.

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