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14 year old becomes youngest ever to win

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The Ferodo team claimed the spotlight at round three of the Engen Volkswagen Cup championship. The event, at Aldo Scribante Raceway in Port Elizabeth, saw one of the team members claim a first in South African motorsport.

Local racer Daniel Rowe (11 – Ferodo Racing) stepped up to the challenge of racing in front of his home crowd qualifying second-fastest and drawing the top starting position for race one. Rowe used that front row grid position to claim a race victory on his home track and further push his championship lead in the series.

It was Rowe’s teammate, Sheldon van der Linde (16 – Ferodo Racing) that grabbed the attention. Van der Linde’s outing at Scribante was only his third event in the championship and he won the second race on the day, becoming the youngest driver ever, at age 14, in SA motorsport to win a national saloon car event.

Sheldon is the younger brother of Kelvin, past Engen Volkswagen Cup champion, Scirocco R-Cup champion and current competitor in the ADAC GT Masters championship.

Behind Rowe in that first race, the fight for second and third was between Dewald Brummer (2 – MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models) and Van der Linde. When Brummer locked his brakes it opened the door to Van der Linde who grabbed the opportunity to finish in second place.

Van der Linde’s pole position in the second race was all that he needed to grab his historic win while Mathew Hodges (M3 – ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters) put his Volkswagen Polo Vivo into second place ahead of the younger racers. Rowe rounded out that second race podium to finish second overall for the day, just behind his hard-charging teammate.

There was a real battle for seventh in the second race when Jano van der Westhuizen (15 – Kwikfix), Tasmin Pepper (31 – PG Glass), Adrian Wood (34 – Axel Sports) and Juan Gerber (M8 – Haupt Racing) were involved in a pitched battle. Van der Westhuizen proved the successful racer in this fight which saw the drivers trading paint on a number of occasions.

In the Masters during race one Hodges was fighting for his podium finish until he lost power, which allowed Trevor Bland (M6 – PG Glass) past for first, with Gerber in second and John Johnstone (M5 – Circle Group) third – his first podium finish in the series.

The second race saw Hodges running right up front with the race leaders while Bland, running fifth overall, was set to finish in second and Gerber fighting for third.

The Engen Volkswagen Cup field moves to East London for their next event which takes place on Saturday, July 5.

RACE RESULTS
Race One:

  1. Daniel Rowe (11 – Ferodo Racing)
  2. Sheldon van der Linde (16 – Ferodo Racing)
  3. Dewald Brummer (2 – MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models)

Race Two:

  1. Sheldon van der Linde (16 – Ferodo Racing)
  2. Mathew Hodges (M3 – ITR Africa / 959 Panelbeaters)
  3. Daniel Rowe (11 – Ferodo Racing)

Overall:

  1. Sheldon van der Linde (16 – Ferodo Racing)
  2. Daniel Rowe (11 – Ferodo Racing)
  3. Dewald Brummer (2 – MAD Racing / Grand Prix Models)
Sheldon van der Linde
14 year old Sheldon van der Linde racing to victory

MASTERS:

Overall:

  1. Trevor Bland (M6 – PG Glass / Suburban Panelbeaters)
  2. Juan Gerber (M8 – Haupt Racing)
  3. John Johnstone (M5 – Circle Group)
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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.