Auby, Correia get a win apiece
The new-look WesBank V8s took to the track at a sweltering Kyalami on Saturday, amidst much anticipation and excitement.
The Auby Boyz racing squad led the pack in three beautiful Q8 sponsored entries. Deon Auby piloted a Chev Lumina while sons Jimmy and
2010 WesBank V8 Supercar Champion Brandon drove Ford Falcon entries. Terry Wilford lined up in the Fuchs Ford Falcon, with Franco di Matteo
in the Varta Jaguar. Ben Morgenrood entered his BM Auto Jaguar, while the "Cheetahs" from Welkom, brothers Jaco and Danie Correia
piloted two new-look Corvettes.
After Brandon Auby had qualified in pole position, Heat 1 was almost a formality, as he sped off to a comfortable win ahead of older
brother Jimmy, whom he beat by just over a second. Wilford shadowed Jimmy across the line by roughly the same margin to finish in third
place. Jaco Correia finished fourth, with Morgenrood showing all his old aggression to finish fifth. Jaco's younger brother Danie was sixth.
di Matteo had a luckless day, retiring from Heat 1 when a wheel bearing nut came off, which then damaged a caliper, putting him out of Heat
2 later in the day.
In the older model body style GT Class, Roelf du Plessis (RJ Mustang) was the winner, after a four car race-long battle. 2011 champion
Des Gutzeit (Dezzi Mustang), Darron Gudmanz (Kei Corvette) and Romano Sartori (AMC Jaguar) ran in pretty close company throughout, and the
pattern for the season ahead seems to have been set. Larry Wilford (Mustang) led the first heat briefly, until his engine broke and he was
sidelined for the rest of the day.
The reverse grid in Heat 2 threw the form book out the window, as it invariably does, and Danie Correia took full advantage of the
opportunity to lead the pack around in Lap 1, closely followed by pole sitter Deon Auby, who had a poor first heat in the Chev Lumina
because of brake problems. Morgenrood was next, leading a five-car, high-speed train, consisting of Jimmy Auby, di Matteo, Jaco Correia,
Terry Wilford and Brandon Auby. Inevitably though the order was again revised and after the scheduled 12 laps, Danie took the win just ahead
of Deon Auby, with Terry Wilford again in third place. Jaco Correia finished fourth and current champion Brandon Auby a lowly fifth. After
his two steady drives, Terry Wilford took the overall win for the day, in keeping with his stated ambition to finish as many races as
possible in 2011, following a difficult year in 2010 plagued by reliability issues.
Roelf du Plessis again showed everyone the way in the GT Class, followed by Gutzeit, Gudmanz and Steve Herbst (Prei Corvette).
Some more new cars are expected at Killarney for the next round of the WesBank Super Series on 2 April, and the action should be
explosive!
Results
Heat 1
Super GT Class
1st. B.Auby 2nd J.Auby 3rd T.Wilford 4th J.Correia
GT Class
1st R.du Plessis 2nd D.Gutzeit 3rd D.Gudmanz 4th R.Sartori
Heat 2
Super GT Class
1st D.Correia, 2nd D.Auby 3rd T.Wilford 4th J.Correia
GT Class
1st R.du Plessis 2nd D.Gutzeit 3rd D.Gudmanz