The traditional curtain raiser of the local motorsport season has grown enormously over the years, and this year’s 19th Passion for Speed event takes place at the Zwartkops Raceway on the first 2 days of Feb, celebrating the Golden Age of Motor Racing.
The huge festival of motoring and its varied programme will include the opening round of this year’s Bridgestone BMW Club Racing Series. A clean new slate will see many repeat offenders, who in 2019 thrilled and spilled, come back to do it all over again.
In Class A Rick Loureiro pilots the Combined Racing BMW F30 335I, and is up against fellow stalwart Sav Gualtieri in the SavSpeed BMW F30 335i turbo. Dino Fameliaris has made the jump from Class B to A and will pilot the BMW E36 3.0 turbo, while the ever-improving Jorge Estrela (Jadecon Construction BMW E36 M3 Turbo) will also be on hand to start his season on the right note.
The overall champion in 2019 came from the Class B ranks and Andreas Meier is back to defend his title, buoyed by a slew of accolades bestowed upon him at the recent prize giving. He is the Overall and Class B champion and was also named the Drivers’ Driver of the Year for a second time. The German in the BMW E36 STC Car will be hard to beat, but his fiercest rival should again be Jan Eversteyn (Bavaria 0.0% BMW E46 M3). The pair had some epic battles in 2019 and will be salivating at the prospect of some good scraps in the season ahead. Oz Biagioni (Bio Pool Maintenance BMW E46 M3) is another old hand who will fancy his chances in Class B, after some good performances in the last year, and he will be joined in Class B by Carlo Garbini (Kimbo Coffee BMW E46 330 Turbo).
The busiest of kitchens, Class C, will again serve up some delectable fare. Champion Nek Makris (BMW E46 328i Turbo) will take on all comers willing to wrestle the title from him, chief among whom should be Shane Grobler (Mayfair Gearbox BMW E36 330i) runner up in 2019. Others who will challenge for top honours at Zwartkops and over the next 9 months include Neil Reynolds (Valve Hospital BMW E36 M3), Shaun Lamprecht (Wildthings BMW E36 318is Turbo), Troy Cochran (Arrow Automotive BMW E36 M3), and William Einkamerer (BMW E92 335i). Season newcomer, Ian Kotwal (Retoria BMW F22 M235i) has also entered the fray, alongside Rui Campos (BMW E36 328I) and Salvi Gualtieri (Eataly Foods BMW E36 328i Turbo).
Class D evergreen Allan Hilligenn (C3 Shared Services BMW E36 328i) was mighty in 2019 leading the overall classification for much of the season. A variety of issues thwarted his progress and he had to settle for third place in the final standings, although he won the class convincingly, and returns for another attempt at greater glory. He will be challenged by Rob Gearing (diebels Alt BMW E30 325is) who reigned supreme in the latter part of last season, and Varish Ganpath (Prodigy E46 325ci) who is also seeking to put together a strong season. Bernard de Gouveia (de Gouveia Accountants BMW E36 328i) posed a threat at times in 2019, but engine maladies kept him from being a threat. He will chase more consistent results in 2020. The ever popular Klippies Krigge (BMW E36 M3) is a late entry, who will add more spice to the expected Class D battle.
In Class E, Nicholas van Zyl (Luxury Fragrances for Rides BMW E87 128i) starts his title defence against runner up Carlos Gameiro (Lapace Racing BMW E30 325i) Colin van Son (Bridgestone/BMW Car Club E36 328i) and Manny Ribeiro (Bridgestone/BMW Car Club E46 325i Touring). Season newcomers, father and son duo Craig and Nicholas Herbst will do a race apiece in their Greenhouse Solar BMW E46 330i. After one race in 2019, Bertie Rietveld (Bertie Rietveld Knives BMW E36 328I) is back alongside Andy Smith (Driveshaft Clinic BMW E36 328i)
The Passion for Speed event runs from Friday the 31st of January to Sunday the 2nd of February. Racing apart, there will be activities like helicopter flips, drifting demonstrations, passenger drives on the kart circuit, skidpan activities and some rough stuff on the venue’s 4×4 track. There will be food and drink on sale, while the circuit’s kiddie’s entertainment area will offer youngsters clowns, face painting, pedal car rides and the like.
Spectators will be welcome to bring their own food and drink, cooler boxes, gas braais and gazebos. The venue’s open pit policy will mean everybody is invited to visit the pits on foot at any time. You do not have to walk far to do that. Zwartkops’s Mini Moke trains will run throughout the event, operating continuously between the pit gate and the various vantage points.
Tickets can be purchased on iTickets.co.za at a discounted price or at the gate on the day.
Report and Event Photographs: www.RacePics.co.za
Media requests can be directed to: media@racepics.co.za
BMW Car Club Gauteng
Website: www.bmwcarclub.co.za
Facebook: BMW Car Club Gauteng
Twitter: @BMWCarClubGP
