OPC dominates Phakisa

The duo of Opel Astra OPC’s dominated the hotly contested class T of the production car championship at Phakisa this weekend.

Starting the first race from second place on the grid, Reghard Roets managed to pass pole sitter and championship leader Graeme Nathan in the SEAT, two laps from the end, after a huge race long battle to take the win. In the process he also set up a new Class T lap record, improving on the old record by more than three seconds. Roets also achieved the first South African motorsport win for the Opel Astra OPC.

“For the car to do so well in only its second outing is amazing and just goes to show how good the Astra OPC really is out of the box, and to get the lap record was just the cherry on top” said an elated Roets. Van Heerden, in the second OPC qualified fifth and managed to claw his way up to cross the line in third in an impressive showing.

Race Two saw the reverse grid live up to its reputation of providing spectacular racing and cars swopping paint on every corner. Roets, starting in eighth, quickly fought his way up to third within the first two laps. The remainder of the race saw a hard fought battle between Roets, Formato in the Ford Focus ST and Iain Pepper in the VW Golf GTi. Roets made the best of this to take a well deserved victory in the second race and take the double in Class T for the day. “I was very impressed with the car in race one, but to take the double was really a great as we have really been burning the midnight oil over the last few weeks” commented Roets.

Gary van Heerden started race two from fifth and managed to hold onto the position despite all the argy bargy over the 10 laps of race two and a visit to the kitty litter. “Both cars did not put a foot wrong all weekend and a first and fifth overall placing respectively is a great result for the team and we can only improve from here” added Van Heerden.

The next round of the 2008 Bridgestone South African Production Car championship will take place at Zwartkops on Saturday, September 6.

The team would like to thank their sponsors, Webcom, Rob Green Motorsport, Soviet eyewear, SAX, TSW, Leatt Brace and Red Bull.

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