PoloDriver

The fifth round of the 2015 Engen Volkswagen Cup in South Africa was dominated by Sheldon van der Linde, as the 16 year-old took a brace of wins at the Zwartkops Raceway on 8 August. The championship leader won the first race ahead of Tasmin Pepper and was in front of Mathew Hodges when the second drew to a close.

3.329-second advantage
Van der Linde had a 3.329-second advantage over Pepper by the end of the first race’s eight laps. Daniel Rowe rounded out the podium, 4.549 seconds behind Van der Linde. Pepper started on pole, but Van der Linde didn’t hang around and soon went into the lead. Pepper hung on, though, as was rewarded with second place.

In race two, Hodges was 7.955 seconds behind the race leader having started in pole position, with Rowe taking the third step on the winners’ rostrum yet again, 9,460 seconds adrift of the uncatchable Van der Linde. Pepper finished second to last when she failed to finish due to a gearbox problem.

Van der Linde was also fastest in qualifying with Christopher Shorter and Trevor Bland rounding out the top three. Amazingly, the fastest 12 competitors crossed the start/finish line in their Polo Vivo GTs with just a second separating them.

Avoiding action
Shaun La Reservée meanwhile started both races, but was unable to complete a single lap in either. Pushed off in the first corner of the first lap in race one and then eliminated from race two in the second-last corner while taking avoiding action in an incident involving other competitors, it just wasn’t La Reserveé ’s day.

The incident in the first race saw it red-flagged after lap one and then restarted, while in the second race the competitors ran under the Safety Car while the track was cleared of debris. Newcomer Justin Oates was awarded the ‘Driver of the Day’ award and finished 16th and 12th to claim 12th overall for the day in his Engen Volkswagen Cup debut.

The sixth round of the 2015 Engen Volkswagen Cup will be hosted at Dezzi’s Raceway in Port Shepstone on Saturday, 29 August – and the field will tackle a race track that has never seen Engen Volkswagen Cup competition before.

RACE RESULTS

Race 1

1 Sheldon van der Linde (1: Champion)
2 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass / Plastomark)
3 Daniel Rowe (2: Ferodo)

Race 2
1 Sheldon van der Linde (1: Champion)
2 Mathew Hodges (M1: Makopano / Phoenix Signs / 959 Panelbeaters)
3 Daniel Rowe (2: Ferodo)

OVERALL
1 Sheldon van der Linde (1: Champion)
2 Daniel Rowe (2: Ferodo)
3 Mathew Hodges (M1: Makopano / Phoenix Signs / 959 Panelbeaters)

MASTERS

Overall

1 Mathew Hodges (M1: Makopano / Phoenix Signs / 959 Panelbeaters
2 Juan Gerber (M8: Haupt Racing)
3 Trevor Bland (M2: PG Glass / Alpine Motors)

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
1 Sheldon van der Linde: 252
2 Mathew Hodges: 235
3 Daniel Rowe: 212
4 Trevor Bland: 197
5 Matt Shorter: 184

The first round of the South African 2015 Engen Volkswagen Cup was dominated by the reigning champion Sheldon van der Linde when the season kicked off on 21 February. Van der Linde took victory in each of the three races at Zwartkops Raceway, the field driving new-for-2015 Volkswagen Polo Vivo GT racing cars fitted with Dunlop tyres.

Van der Linde set the pace from the off, posting the fastest time in the qualifying sessions. He then drew pole position in the six-lap race one, before finishing first in the following three races. Race one’s fight for second place was battled out between experienced Engen Volkswagen Cup drivers Tasmin Pepper and Mathew Hodges, with Pepper overcoming Hodges.

Race two saw Shaun La Réserveé take second place at the end of six laps, with Juan Gerber the first of the Masters drivers to cross the line and finish third. Pepper repeated the success of race one and came home second once again in the 12-lap race three, one place ahead of a consistent podium result Gerber. In the overall points for the day, van der Linde was at the top of the table, with Pepper close behind and La Réserveé in third.

The Masters overall win for the first round of the season was taken by Hodges with Gerber in second place and Trevor Bland in third. Gerber’s performance also saw him awarded the Driver of the Day for the Engen Volkswagen Cup championship – with a R1000 purse for his efforts. New racers to the 2015 series included Lyle Ramsay, Bradley Liebenberg, and Connor Rogers.

‘Changes to the Engen Volkswagen Cup championship to keep it fresh and relevant proved themselves here at round one of the season,’ said Mike Rowe,Head of Volkswagen Motorsport. ‘The Engen Volkswagen Cup racers competed in Volkswagen Polo Vivo GT guise for the first time and the field raced hard on their new Dunlop tyres.

‘The three-race format provided two short action-packed races and a longer feature race as well as a two-box draw kept everyone on their toes when Sheldon drew pole position. In all a very successful start to the new season,’ Rowe continued.

Round two of the 2015 Engen Volkswagen Cup championship takes place at Killarney in Cape Town on 11 April.

RACE RESULTS

Race 1

1 Sheldon van der Linde (1: Champion)
2 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass / Plastomark)
3 Mathew Hodges (M1: Makopano / Phoenix Signs / 959 Panelbeaters)

Race 2
1 Sheldon van der Linde (1: Champion)
2 Shaun La Réserveé (9: Alpine Motors / Oakley / Compendium Insurance)
3 Juan Gerber (M8: Haupt Racing)

Race 3
1 Sheldon van der Line (1: Champion)
2 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass / Plastomark)
3 Juan Gerber (M8: Haupt Racing)

OVERALL
1 Sheldon van der Linde (1: Champion)
2 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass / Plastomark)
3 Shaun La Réserveé (9: Alpine Motors / Oakley / Compendium Insurance)

MASTERS

Overall

1 Mathew Hodges (M1: Makopano / Phoenix Signs / 959 Panelbeaters
2 Juan Gerber (M8: Haupt Racing)
3 Trevor Bland (M2: PG Glass / Alpine Motors)