Wet-and-wild finish to National Endurance six-hours of Killarney
Conditions became so bad that the race had to be halted for nearly an hour.
Saturday's overall winners of the Killarney Six Hour race were Xolile Letlaka, Stuart White and Axcil Jefferies, with their Into African Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter.
The weather was lousy, but the racing was incredibly good.
That is how enthusiasts will remember round three of the South African Endurance Championship connected by Vodacom 4U, at the Western Cape Killarney circuit on Saturday.
Race halted
The Killarney Six-Hour race was held in almost never-ending rain, with icy cold conditions adding to participants' challenges.
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In fact the event, scheduled to run for six hours, had to be suspended for 40 minutes in the middle due to near zero visibility.
After all of which the top three cars were covered by less than 30 seconds when the chequered flag fell, making this the closest South African Endurance racing finish on record.
Overall results
The eventual overall winners were Xolile Letlaka, Stuart White and Axcil Jeffries in the Into Africa team's all-new Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2.
They were followed by the Adjust for Sleep/Rico Barlow Nova Proto NP2 of Nick Adcock, Michael Stephen, Louis Maurice and Jonathan Thomas, with the Stradale Audi R8 GT3 Evo of Charl Arangies, Arnold Neveling and Brad Liebenberg completing the podium.
All three crews survived spins and lurid aquaplane episodes, while slowly but surely pulling away from the rest of the field.
The Index of Performance winners were Denver Branders, Mark Futcher and Robert Maudant (Bluff Meat Supply Backdraft Roadster). Photograph: Dave Ledbitter.
The lead changed numerous times depending on pitstop strategies and safety car interventions, of which there were eight in all, as the conditions challenged drivers.
The weather cleared for just more than two hours in the late afternoon, but the rain returned with a vengeance as darkness descended over Killarney.
With 30 minutes to go, Jefferies pitted the Lamborghini from the lead due to a puncture, and the team dropped to third with the Nova leading followed by the Audi in second.
The V8 Roadster Championship winners were Harm and Barend Pretorius (Pesty Backdraft Roadster). Photograph: Dave Ledbitter.
When the Lamborghini returned, a final safety car came out with 15 minutes remaining, the clock ticking down and the top three covered by 2.7 seconds.
When the safety car was withdrawn, Jeffries immediately pounced on the Audi, snatching second and set off after the leading RBR Nova.
Lap by lap, he closed in until, with 20 seconds remaining until the end of the race, Jefferies passed the Nova for the lead, with the Audi crossing the line third.
The Class B winners were Sergio Alvares, Marco da Cunha and Pieter van Heerden (Sphere Toyota Altezza) Photograph: Dave Ledbitter.
Behind the leading trio, the father-and-son team of Albert and Oliver Hintenaus brought their Coastal Engineering Supplies Ligier P4 home in fourth place overall despite numerous spins.
They led home the factory Backdraft Roadster of Steve Clark and Mike McLaughlin, plus the Pesty Backdraft of Harm and Barend Pretorius, whose sixth place overall brought them the Class D honours.
Gavin Rooke and Richard van Heerde brought their Dutchman Browndeck Backdraft home in seventh position.
The Class C winners were Paulo and Ricardo Loueiro in their Combined Racing Honda Civic Type R. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter
Eighth place overall gave Denver Branders, Robert Maudant and Mark Futcher (Bluff Meat Supply Backdraft Roadster) the coveted Index of Performance trophy.
Ninth overall after a remarkable run on semi-slick tyres throughout the race, the Combined Honda Civic Type R of brothers Paulo and Ricardo Loureiro took the class C honours, a lap ahead of the G-Rasteirinho Backdraft of Andre Bettencourt, Pedro Garcia, Remi Guigue and Cristian Bouche.
A brilliant maiden Class B win and 11th overall was just reward for Sergio Alvares, Pieter van Heerden and Marco da Cunha, who enjoyed a trouble-free run in their Sphere Toyota Altezza.
Mario da Silva and Fabienne Lanz brought their Backdraft Roadster home in 12th overall, comfortably ahead of Dan Hirsch and Stuart Kidgell's similar machine.
The Scuderia Rossi Alfa Romeo Guilia QV of Mario Rossi, Werner Vonk and Regard van Zyl suffered a broken differential bracket just after the two-hour mark, which took 50 minutes to repair.
They soldiered on and salvaged 13th place and second in Class B.
Fourteenth overall was the father-and-son duo of Roberto and David Franco in their Graphix Supply World Volkswagen Polo GTI.
The final classified runner was the Team Qhubani Backdraft of Fikile Holomisa and Xolela Njumbuxa who suffered a slipping clutch.
One-hour sprint
Damian Hammond (Liqui Moly Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo 2) won the One-Hour Dash from Andrew Horne (Xena Chemicals Ligier JS49).
The One Hour Dash winner was Damian Hammond in his Liqui Moly Lamborghini Huracan. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter.
Taking third was Wayne Roach (Samlin Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo), ahead of Marius Jackson (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup), Mo Mia (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) and Byron Mitchell in his Old Boys Ligier JS53 Evo.
Kyalami next
The next round of the Southern African Endurance Series connected by Vodacom 4U will be the Four Hours of Kyalami on 26 July.
The Southern African Endurance Series is proudly supported by Vodacom 4U, Foton and Proton, Dunlop Tyres, ATS Motorsport, Silverlakes Farm Hotel and SuperSport.
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