Red Star hosts a scintillating day’s racing for BMW Series

BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series – Round 04 – Red Star Raceway – 2022-05-14

The BMW M Performance Parts Race Series rolled out its biggest field to date at the Delmas venue on Saturday 14 May and did not disappoint its growing fan base with two pulsating heats of racing.

No less than 38 cars roared onto the track for qualifying early in the autumn morning and Sav Gualtieri and Adrian Dalton soon mesmerized everyone with their speed. The Italian veteran put his monster SavSpeed BMW F30 365 V8 Turbo on pole with a comfortable margin to Dalton’s Xtra Shoes and Clothing BMW E46 M3 CSL. William Einkamerer (BTAS BMW E92 335i) and Fabio Fedetto (BMW F82 M4) completed the Class A grid.

Young Jagger Robertson (Big Boss Auto / Liqui Moly / Viking Mining BMW E46 M3) led the Class B field, with Andreas Meier (#TrainedAmateurs BMW E36 STC) and Nicholas van Zyl (Black Jack Pawn & Bargain BMW E36 328i Turbo) right behind him.  In Class C Matthew Wadeley was in pole position in his Groupworx BMW E36 M3, sporting a welcome colourful new look. Old sparring partner Renier Smith (BMW E36 M3) was next up.

In Class D Shane Grobler (Mayfair Gearbox BMW E30 330i) headed Nicholas Herbst (GreenHouse Solar BMW E90 330i) and Varish Ganpath (Prodigy BMW E46 330ci Turbo) while in Class E Bernard de Gouveia (de Gouveia Accountants BMW E46 330 cs) gave his new machine the perfect debut by taking pole ahead of Nicholas Fischer (InSide  Active Group BMW E36 328i) and the evergreen Mike Grobler (BMW E46 328i). With a host of new names on the grid the scene was set for an exciting day’s racing.

Class A: Adrian Dalton (Xtra Shoes and Clothing E46 M3 CSL)

 

Race 1:

Off they went for heat 1 late in the morning and Gualtieri and Dalton were soon at each other’s throats setting a furious pace at the front. While Einkamerer gave chase, Fedetto fell into the clutches of Robertson and Meier and the trio were soon all over each other. The young teenager was then passed by the German but regained the lead in Class B only to relinquish it again at the end of the 8 laps. Behind them Salvi Gualtieri (Savspeed / Eataly Foods BMW E36 328i Turbo) and Carlo Garbini (Kimbo Coffee BMW E46 328i Turbo) were having a good scrap of their own.

In Class C Wadeley was in control ahead of Renier Smith with the rest of the class C crowd waging war behind them. Lyle Ramsay (Fuchs Lubricants / Rich Racing BMW E36 330i), who had broken out into Class B for a second time this year, did not set a time in qualifying and was scything his way through the field.  Shane Grobler was in front in Class D keeping Varish Ganpath and Nicholas Herbst at bay. In Class E Bernard de Gouveia was putting his new chariot through its paces leading Nicholas Fischer and Mike Grobler.

At the front Sav Gualtieri then fell foul of a common curse at Red Star, high brake wear. He nearly spun off trying to keep things together and allowed Dalton to take the lead which he kept to the flag. The Italian engine wizard salvaged second place with Einkamerer grabbing the last podium spot.

Class B: Jagger Robertson (Big Boss Auto / Liqui Moly / Viking Mining BMW E46 M3)

 

In Class B The German had managed to pass young Robertson while both tried to get by Fedetto’s slick shod Class A machine. Wadeley took a commanding win in Class C ahead of Smith, and Shane Grobler did likewise in Class D. de Gouveia was a delighted winner in Class E ahead of Fischer who did his overall championship lead a power of good with the runner up spot. Of the new names in the field DeWit Oosthuisen (ShareTrackin BMW E92 M3) and Anand Naidu (SA Autotech BMW E36 M3) fared best, while Nick Naidoo (Wardens Cartage BMW E82 1M) struggled with a persistent misfire.

Race 1 Results per Class:

Class A:

1. Adrian Dalton – 1:55.951

2. Sav Gualtieri – 1:55.926

3. William Einkamerer – 2:01.463

Class B:

1. Andreas Meier – 2:03.448

2. Jagger Robertson – 2:03.448          

3. Carlo Garbini – 2:04.562

Class C:

1. Matthew Wadeley – 2:08.317

2. Renier Smith – 2:07.642     

3. Hein van der Merwe – 2:08.438

Class D:

1. Shane Grobler – 2:12.049

2. Varish Ganpath – 2:12.207

3. Nicholas Herbst – 2:13.861

Class E:

1. Bernard de Gouveia – 2:17.345

2. Nicholas Fischer – 2:17.412

3. Mike Grobler – 2:19.468

Fastest Lap: Adrian Dalton – 1:55.951 in Lap 2

Class C & Driver of the Day: Renier Smith (BMW E36 M3 Turbo)

 

Race 2:

The 3 hours between races flew by as crews worked frantically to repair cars. Sav Gualtieri dealt with his brake issues, Adrian Dalton attended to a differential problem, Garbini’s car received attention on its gearbox, Mish-Al sing struggled a with a problem in the rear suspension and Bernard de Gouveia’s new machine had developed a leak in a cracked power steering pipe.

A mid afternoon start saw Arri van der Berg (A&A Dealings BMW E36 M3)  lead the field away under the partially reversed grid by class format, but he was soon overhauled by the big guns, Gualtieri and Dalton who resumed their furious scrap from the heat 1. In Class B Alan Hilligenn (C3 Shared Services BMW E46 328i Turbo) led from Thomas Potgieter (Stone Hill Properties BMW F82 M4) but Jagger Robertson, Andreas Meier and Garbini were soon battling for the lead.

In Class C Mish-Al Sing (TuneTech BMW E30 325is) was soon under pressure from Hein van der Merwe (Stigworx BMW E36 328i Turbo) with Renier Smith and a charging Wadeley in tow. Manny Ribeiro (BMW Car Club Gauteng BMW E46 330i Touring) led Arri van Heerden (V-Tech Motorsport BMW E30 325i) in Class D. Bernard de Gouveia retired with  a combination of power sterring, ABS and power issues. These were all teething problems in a car that saw no testing before Friday morning’s practice sessions. Another regular to then suffer mechanical problems was Andreas Meier whose car got stuck in 6th gear, his much-maligned gearbox issues still not overcome.  Salvi Gualtieri then retired from the race with a burnt spark plug while his brother Sav called it a day with a clutch problem. Lyle Ramsay then joined them with a brake problem. Nicholas Herbst and Shane Grobler had a coming together and were classified finishers albeit some laps behind the leaders.

Class D: Varish Ganpath (Prodigy BMW E46 330 Ci Turbo)

 

After such a high rate of attrition Adrian Dalton survived the grueling 8 laps to win again, with William Einkamerer following him home, after a quiet but nevertheless fruitful day. Carlo Garbini took the Class B honours ahead of Jagger Robertson who had survived the 8 laps with a badly bent rim after early contact with Oz Biagioni (Design Lab & VR Fuels BMW E46 M3). Nicholas van Zyl was a solid third. A furious dice in Class C saw Renier Smith, who also took the Driver of the Day award,  pip Hein van der Merwe to top spot with Matthew Wadeley in third. Mish-Al Sing salvaged fourth spot despite a rear sub frame issue which made his car undriveable all day. Varish Ganpath won Class D from Craig Herbst and Arri van Heerden. Mike Grobler was a happy winner of the Class E race with Nicholas Fischer in second and Spiro Makris (BMW E36 328i) third.

Race 2 Results per Class:

Class A:

1. Adrian Dalton – 1:56.833

2. William Einkamerer – 2:02.383

3. Fabio Fedetto – 2:03.847

Class B:

1. Carlo Garbini – 2:04.387

2. Jagger Robertson – 2:05.673          

3. Nicholas van Zyl – 2:05.434

Class C:

1. Renier Smith – 2:09.051

2. Hein van der Merwe – 2:09.794     

3. Matthew Wadeley – 2:08.401

Class D:

1. Varish Ganpath – 2:12.345

2. Craig Herbst – 2:12.544

3. Arri van Heerden – 2:14.981

Class E:

1. Mike Grobler – 2:17.420

2. Nicholas Fischer – 2:18.714

3. Spiro Makris – 2:22.263

Fastest Lap: Adrian Dalton – 1:56.833 in Lap 3

Class E: Nicholas Fischer (Inside Active Group BMW E36 328i)

 

Round 5 of the 2022 BMW M Performance Parts Race Series will take place at Zwatkops Raceway on 11 June.

Story by Tony Alves.

Report and Event Photographs: www.RacePics.co.za

Media requests can be directed to: media@racepics.co.za

 

BMW Car Club Gauteng

Website: https://www.bmwclubs.africa/ccgtn/

Facebook: BMW Car Club Gauteng

Twitter: @BMWCarClubGP 

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