BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series – Round 09 – Zwartkops Raceway – 2022-11-12

A huge 43 car entry for the BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series required a split into two separate races for Classes A, B, and C, and Classes D and E. On a weekend when the weather held sway most of the time, drivers had to be at their most cautious and brilliant best right from the start of proceedings in Friday practice. A downpour before qualifying threw a huge spanner in the works and although lap times determined the starting order for each class, the grid would be arranged by class which meant that William Einkamerer (BTAS BMW E92 335i) would lead Class A and the field.

In Class B Lyle Ramsay (Rich Racing/Fuchs Lubricants BMW E36 325i Turbo) beat Lorenzo Gualtieri (SavSpeed/Pick and Pay Oakfield BMW E46 328i Turbo) to fastest lap before the rain came, with championship contenders Carlo Garbini (Kimbo Coffee BMW E46 330i Turbo) and Andreas Meier (#TrainedAmateurs BMW E36 STC) at the back. In Class C Hein van der Merwe (BMW E36 325i Turbo) got the better of Troy Cochran (Arrow Automotive/NGK/ATE BMW E36 M3)  and Dewit Oosthuizen (Spanjaard, Jonnesway Tools, Share Tracking BMW E92 M3). Class D would have a pole sitter of its own for the separate race and that was Eugene Gows (Master Mowers BMW E36 Turbo), with Bernard de Gouveia (de Gouveia Accountants BMW E46 330cs) behind him. Bennie Luyt (ITA Security BMW E46 M3), who set the fastest time in the class, was moved to the back of the group that participated in the session. This penalty was due to him taking to the circuit with the wrong group. In Class E Dave Rehse (D&K Racing BMW E36 328i) recorded the fastest lap ahead of Arri van Heerden (V-Tech Motorsport BMW E30 318i) and Farhaad Ebrahim (The Car Collector BMW E36 328i).

Saturday morning dawned intermittently wet and miserable, but the prospect of some top-quality driving and race craft in the day ahead somehow offset the gloom, at least for spectators.  Race 1 for Classes A, B and C started uneventfully with Einkamerer jumping into an immediate lead ahead of Thomas Potgieter (Stone Hill Properties BMW F82 M4) and Leon Loubser (Bid Wheels BMW E92 335i). A lap later Loubser passed Potgieter doing same to Einkamerer the next lap taking over the lead of the race. In Class B Gualtieri led Ramsay and Jan Eversteyn (African Surprise BMW E46 M3). The championship contenders Garbini and Meier were, as expected, quickly trying to get on terms with the front runners.

In Class C Hein van der Merwe held a small lead but Cochran and Oosthuizen were getting closer. Behind them Trevor Long (Roof Surgeon/Big Boss Auto BMW E36 M3) had a fast-charging Renier Smith (BMW E36 M3) to deal with, the latter an overall championship contender driving in a hurry with an eye on an unlikely race win. At the front Loubser then retired with broken flywheel bolts, and that left Einkamerer to take a comfortable win. In Class B Garbini also retired with a faulty battery, which left Gualtieri to win from Meier who had clawed his way from the back. Renier Smith was mighty in pulling off a Class C win after he too had to carve his way through the field.

The race for Classes D and E started a while later by which time fast moving clouds would bring more rain with them. Eugene Gouws took the lead ahead of de Gouveia. Luyt slipped back into the clutches of championship contender Shane Grobler (Mayfair Gearbox BMW E30 325i) and Nicholas Herbst (Greenhouse Solar E46 330i) both of whom then passed de Gouveia and set off after the race leader.

In Class E Dave Rehse led Shaun Dodd (AMTEC BMW E90 325i) who was keen to repeat his Kyalami antics where he’d posted a double win. Arri van Heerden led newcomer Johan Miller (Hei-Jo Millon BMW E36 328i) with overall championship leader Nicholas Fischer (InsideActive Group BMW E36 328i) just trying not to fall foul of the worsening conditions. When a sudden downpour left the track awash halfway through the race, things really got tricky. Nicholas Herbst drove superbly to take the lead and win the race from Gouws and Grobler.

In Class E another newcomer Anthony Pretorius (BMW E87 130i), whose father Freddie is the man behind Fast Developments who prepare among others Andreas Meiers’ car, took the win in the trickiest conditions when everybody was just trying to stay on the black stuff. Young Pretorius has experience in other formulae and put it to good use.  Shaun Dodd followed him home with Dave Rehse in third place.

Fastest Lap: Leon Loubser – 01:03.608 on Lap 4

A break in the gloomy conditions came early in the afternoon as the organisers did a good job of getting the programme back on track after numerous delays. Race 2 for Class A, B and C started almost at the allotted time and Leon Loubser made the most of his front row start in the inverted by class grid to lead into turns 1 and 2. Thomas Potgieter followed him in the early laps.

In Class B Garbini too had soon got the better of Ramsay and was in the lead. In Class C Nick Naidoo (Wardens Cartage BMW E82 1M) initially led Varish Ganpath (Prodigy BMW E46 330ci Turbo) although the big guns were all in hot pursuit. While Loubser started eeking out a lead at the front, Einkamerer passed Potgieter and set off after him. In Class B Garbini was hastily making amends for his race 1 retirement, but Gualtieri and Meier were not far behind with Ramsay also in the reckoning. Jan Eversteyn was a delight to watch, power-sliding his way out of turn 2 as he tried to keep in touch.

In Class C Trevor Long had worked his way to the front with Cochran, Oosthuizen and van der Merwe hot on his heels. After his monster drive in the morning, Renier Smith then broke out into Class B times in his haste to get to the front. Loubser took an untroubled win from Einkamerer, with Garbini doing what he had to do and winning the Class B race. Gualtieri claimed the runner up spot ahead of The German Meier. In Class C an exciting battle went the way of Dewit Oosthuizen, with van der Merwe second and Troy Cochran ending his season on a high with a solid third.

Class D and E took to the track a little later in the afternoon and although ominous clouds hovered throughout, rain did not affect the race adversely. Bernard de Gouveia got the jump on the field and led into turn 1 with Manny Ribeiro (BMW Car Club Gauteng BMW E46 330i Touring) right behind him. Neil Pillay (Paradigm Motorsport BMW F80 M3)  was also in close attendance and soon to mount a serious challenge for the lead. In a crowded Class E field, championship contender Nicholas Fischer led Mike Grobler (Grobler Motorsport BMW E36/7 Z3) but Arri van Heerden and Shaun Dodd had plans of their own and soon took over at the front.

As the laps played out Neil Pillay took the outright lead of the race and inexorably pulled away with lap times which subsequently would put him in Class C. He took a 30sec penalty post-race which meant Manny Ribeiro won from Eugene Gouws and another overall championship hopeful Shane Grobler. Dodd won Class E from van Heerden, with Nicholas Fischer finishing third. The recent upsurge in entries in the class augurs well for the forthcoming season and the series generally.

The coveted driver of the day award went to Dewit Oosthuizen for his consistent performance throughout the weekend.

Reuslts per class

Fastest Lap: Leon Loubser – 01:04.949 on Lap 7

In the overall championship picture, drivers dropped their worst result of the season after all 9 rounds had been scored and Nicholas Fischer won the championship and Class E which he led for most of the season, with a tally of 142 points. Andreas Meier finished second with 125 points and Shane Grobler was third with 122 points. In the class championships, William Einkamerer took Class A, by virtue of more wins, after tying with Fabio Fedetto on 120 points. Andreas Meier won Class B with 125 points, Trevor Long did brilliantly to win Class C with 96 points, with Shane Grobler the winner in Class D on 122 points and Nicholas Fischer as mentioned the winner in Class E and overall with 142 points.

After an exciting season, new developments and new sponsors for 2023, to be announced in due course, will see the BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series grow ever more popular with the opening round to take place at the traditional season opener the Passion for Speed Festival at Zwartkops in January.

Story by Tony Alves.

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