4-Time Champion Eden Out to Defend Alert GTi Advantage
There’s a familiar feel to the top of the Alert Engine Parts WP GTi Challenge Championship table heading into the second round of the series at Killarney on Saturday 9 April. That’s four in a row overall, and five-time Class B champion on the trot, Eden Thompson’s Somerset Refrigeration Polo 6R topping the overall title table two races into the season. So, rest assured, the Helderberg lad knows what he has to do to stay ahead.
The Alert Engine Parts GTi Challenge is however very much a three-tier affair with the focus firmly on each class champion, rather than just the overall winner. And it certainly is tight in front in Class A. There, Marco Busi and his Automan Polo 6R have a single point advantage over long-time rival, reigning Class A champion Jurie Swart’s Summit Racing machine on the all ex-Cup Polo 6R Class A grid. Jason Coetzee sits third in his Mint Wrapworks CK Coachworks Polo 6R from Colin Meder’s ITT version and Dillon Joubert’s Powder Coating World TAC Steel Euroblitz car, Kai van Zyl’s Unlimited Auto Angri machine, and Class C graduate Nathan Victor’s Summit Racing 6R. They will all have a little more to think about this weekend as Swart’s national Polo Cup rival Charl Visser returns to the Challenge fray in his Charl Engineering Polo.
Champion Thompson is already in a comfortable position in Class B, but this is racing and anything can happen. Besides his consistent dad Marc Thompson sitting third in his Somerset Polo Classic, Eden will have the full attention of the 2021 Class C top two to contend with, as second in the title chase, Kyle Wiltshire will be up to speed in his Summit Racing Polo. Pole man last time out, Tate Bishop also has a point to prove in his Angri Jetta 2 CLi.
All of them will have to keep an eye out for the returning and evergreen Jacques Geledenhuys and his new G+A Polo. Ian Kapp can also be expected to be up to speed in his new Hydracor Polo 6R, while Steven Vermaak impressed on debut last time out in his Kliplokaal RAR Jetta 2 CLi. He will have Brent van der Schyff’s WKA Magmaster PGS Polo Classic, Daniel Sandenbergh’s Golf 1, and Wayne Field’s Jetta 2 CLi to contend with too.
Race 1 winner, Pilot Hydraulics Unlimited Auto racer Chase Herholdt is out to make up for losing power last time out in the all-Golf 1 GTi Class C. That allowed Clubmans to convert Raaziegh Harris’ Panic Plumbers GT to grab the second win. Also, keep an eye on young Schalk Geldenhuys G+A car, John-Henri Vaughan’s Maps GTi, Veldt Reared lad Matthew Rowe, Summit Racing’s Seth van den Abeele, and Ryan and debuting brother Dylan van Eden. Always quick, Alfie van Zyl is back too.
The Alert Engine Parts WP GTi Challenge races as part of a full Killarney Power Series bill on Saturday 9 April. Judging by the national there a month ago, the racing should be brilliant across the board, the atmosphere electric. Why not get over there for a great day’s action?
