PoloDriver

Zwartkops Raceway was host to the final round of the 2014 Engen Volkswagen Cup on 1 November. The popular South African racing circuit series crowned its 2014 champion at the event, and, at 15, Sheldon van der Linde is the youngest ever.

The youngest national saloon car racing champion in South African history, Van der Linde’s brother Kelvin is also a former Engen Volkswagen Cup title holder.

While Van der Linde won both races at the final meeting (as well as the Rookie of the Year prize), his team-mate Daniel Rowe came third in the championship, securing a Volkswagen Team Award for the 2014 season for Ferodo Racing.

The outfit scored 11 race wins, 13 podium results, 14 pole position starts and 13 fast laps recorded between from 16 race starts.

Van der Linde received R25 000 for his spectacular efforts in 2014, while second placed Dewald Brummer was awarded R15 000, with Rowe benefitting from R10 000 in prize money.

Mathew Hodges claimed on the Masters title for the season, for drivers over the age of 27. Hodges has competed in this series for the past eight years.

Behind Hodges in the Masters category, Trevor Bland was second and Juan Gerber was third, receiving R12 500, R7 500 and R5000 resepectively.

The Most Improved Driver of the Year was awarded to Andrea Bate for her performance, improving from a 19th place finish in 2013 to finishing in seventh spot in 2014.

The Driver of the Day award for the final race day of the year was made to Shaun La Reservée who finished second overall at the Zwartkops event.

RACE RESULTS

Race 1
1 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)
2 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)
3 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass / Suburban Panelbeaters)

Race 2

1 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)
2 Shaun La Reservée (7: Alpine Motors / Compendium Insurance)
3 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass / Suburban Panelbeaters)

Overall
1 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)
2 Shaun La Reservée (7: Alpine Motors / Compendium Insurance)
3 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)


MASTERS

Overall
1 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)
2 Juan Gerber (M8: Haupt Racing)
3 Marius Roberts (M0: Ferodo Racing / VW Motorsport)


CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing), 345
2 Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models), 307
3 Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing), 293
4 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass / Suburban Panelbeaters), 274
5 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters), 250

Despite many tough battles at the sixth round of the 2014 Engen Volkswagen Cup, Dewald Brummer brought home the silverware at Zwartkops over the weekend of 30-31 August. Sheldon van der Linde emerged as runner-up for both races.

Van der Linde set the qualifying pace, closely followed by Brummer and Shaun la Reservée. Race one saw Juan Gerber in pole position with Brummer in second and van der Linde in third. Brummer finished the 10 laps first however, with Van der Linde behind him, followed by Mathew Hodges.

Hodges was on pole for the second race at the South African circuit, ahead of La Reservée and Brummer. Again, Brummer claimed the chequered flag after 12 laps, closely followed by Van der Linde and Tasmin Pepper.

When the overall race day results were taken in account, Juan Gerber was the fastest ‘Master’, having finished fifth and sixth in race one and race two respectively. Behind him was Hodges and Trevor Bland.

The weekend also saw a change in the championship lead. Van der Linde is now at the top of the points table, with his team-mate Daniel Rowe second with just six points separating the Ferodo Racing pair. Brummer ties with Rowe, so with two rounds of the 2014 series to go, the title fight is still very much wide open.

RACE RESULTS

Race 1
1 Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models)
2 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)
3 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)

Race 2

1 Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models)

2 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)

3 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass / Blue Label Telecom)

Overall

1 Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models)
2 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)
3 Shaun la Réservée (7: Alpine Motors / Compendium Insurance)

MASTERS

Overall

1 Juan Gerber (M8: Haupt Racing)
2 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)

3 Trevor Bland (M6: PG Glass / Suburban Panelbeaters)



CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

1 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing), 249
2 = Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing), 243
2 = Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models), 243

It was Mathew Hodges who showed the rest of the field how to set the pace at the fourth round of the South African 2014 Engen Volkswagen Cup in East London on the Eastern Cape. The two races saw many close battles and fierce competition over the races’ 16 laps.

Masters class driver Hodges was dominant throughout the race day on 6 July and was rewarded with overall victory at the event. This moves him up to fourth place overall in the championship drivers’ standings and first place in the Masters category.

Hodges had competition in race one from Daniel Rowe and Dewald Brummer, with both fighting for the front of the field. Brummer was fastest qualifier while Rowe started on pole as a result of the top-six driver draw.

Hodges took advantage of contact between the pair and led the pack before a red flag stopped the race two laps early after an accident which saw Noel Greyling’s Polo Vivo suffer significant damage.

Brummer took victory in race two after 10 laps, with Sheldon van der Linde finishing second and posting the fastest lap time in the process. Hodges rounded out the podium, boosting him to the top of the race day results and sending him to the top of the Masters’ points table.

The fifth round of the 2014 Engen Volkswagen Cup will be at the Phakisa Freeway in Welkom on 2 August.

RACE RESULTS

Race 1

1 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)
2 Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing)
3Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models)

Race 2
1 Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models)
2 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)
3 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)

Overall
1 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)
2 Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models)
3 Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing)

MASTERS
Race 1
1 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)
2 Trevor Bland (M6: PG Glass / Suburban Panelbeaters)
3 Juan Gerber (M8: Haupt Racing)

Race 2
1 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)
2 Trevor Bland (M6: PG Glass / Suburban Panelbeaters)
3 Juan Gerber (M8: Haupt Racing)

Round two of the 2014 Engen Volkswagen Cup saw close and exciting racing at the Killarney race circuit in Cape Town, South Africa over the weekend of 29-30 March. Dewald Brummer scythed his way through the pack from ninth place to emerge as the winner of race one. But, as is usually the way with a grid full of Polo Vivos, that race wasn’t without incident.

An on-track clash between Mathew Hodges and Eddie Rodrigues saw Rodrigues at the side of the circuit with a damaged Polo. Moments before, Juan Gerber ended up on his roof after striking the tyre wall, bringing out the safety car. Until that point, Brummer had been fighting a close battle with Daniel Rowe.

Once the sorry-looking cars had been removed from the circuit, the resulting two-lap sprint to the finish finished in favour of Brummer.

A draw for the top six fastest qualifiers in each race saw Tasmin Pepper draw a grid position in both heats, starting on pole for race two. Her pole position was Pepper’s first in the championship and she wasn’t giving in to anyone.

First past the chequered flag, she had Sheldon van der Linde almost hanging onto the bumper of her PG Glass-sponsored Polo Vivo during the last few laps. Van der Linde started in second place and had to hold off Jano van der Westhuizen.

Championship leader Daniel Rowe cemented his lead at Killarney. Posting the fastest qualifying times, he started each race from fifth place on the grid, but finished on the podium once the each event’s action had ended.

In the Masters category, Trevor Bland was the winner, ahead of Hodges and Shaun Holtzhausen. Bland took the lead of the Masters runners off Hodges who lead the category at the end of each round one.

RACE RESULTS
Race 1
1 Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / GMP)
2 Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing)
3 Jano van der Westhuizen (15: Kwikfix)

Race 2
1 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass)
2 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)
3 Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing)

Overall
1 Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing)
2 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass)
3 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)

Masters
1 Trevor Bland (M6: PG Glass)
2 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)
3 Shaun Holtzhausen (M9: Firequip / Phoenix Signs

Championship Points (unofficial)
1 Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing): 90
2 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing): 78
3 Jano van der Westhuizen (15: Kwikfix): 73
4 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters): 72
5 Tasmin Pepper (31: PG Glass): 71
6 Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / GPM): 67
7 Trevor Bland (M6: PG Glass): 64
8 Andrea Bate (37: Monroe Racing): 52
9 Michael Gibson (21: MAD Racing / GPM): 43
10 Christopher Shorter (33: Hollard / Glass Group): 31

Mathew Hodges and Daniel Rowe emerged as winners of the opening rounds of the Engen Volkswagen Cup circuit racing series at the 2014 championship at Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria on 1 March. As is often the case, the drivers delivered an exciting first pair of races, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

Dewald Brummer and Rowe set the early pace in qualifying in their Volkswagen Polo Vivo race cars, with Hodges coming in behind them. For 2014, Hodges is competing in the ‘Masters’ category for drivers over the age of 27, and he hasn’t slowed down. Starting on pole position, he won the first race and came fifth in race two. Hodges is third in the championship standings.

An on-track battle with Brummer saw Rowe defeated, finishing third, handing second place in race one to his foe. But, he soon emerged victorious, taking the chequered flag in a very wet race two, from a sixth place starting position on the grid. Brummer suffered bad luck – a fuel pump problem saw him fall down the order to finish 17th from a pole position start.

Zwartkops was a baptism of fire for 14 year-old Sheldon van der Linde (brother of 2012 Engen Volkswagen Cup champion Kelvin van der Linde), who put in good qualifying performance, ending the second race in second place and even taking the lead during proceedings. Van der Linde didn’t escape unharmed, though, as a close battle with Shaun La Resérvée shattered the driver’s side window of the number 16 Polo Vivo.

Other newcomers to the 2014 Engen Volkswagen Cup championship are Christopher Shorter, Michael Gibson, Shayur Harpal, Anthony Lessing and John Craig. Each had varying levels of success, but the start of the season proved successful with every starter on track at the end of the eight laps to cross the finish line. Round two at Killarney in Cape Town is on 29 March.

RACE RESULTS
Race 1
1 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters / Dickron Motors)
2 Dewald Brummer (2: MAD Racing / GPM)
3 Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing)

Race 2
1 Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing)
2 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)
3 Jano van der Westhuizen (15: Kwikfix)

Overall
1 Daniel Rowe (11: Ferodo Racing)
2 Sheldon van der Linde (16: Ferodo Racing)
3 Jano van der Westhuizen (15: Kwikfix)

Masters
1 Mathew Hodges (M3: ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters / Dickron Motors)
2 Juan Gerber (M8: Carfind.co.za)
3 Trevor Bland (M6: PG Glass)