THE Engen Volkswagen Cup field compete at Zwartkops Raceway for round four of the 2013 championship. This is only the second time this season the field will compete inland, with round one having taking place at Kyalami.
The season has been marked by large grids and loads of on-track action. Round four should deliver more of the same. The Masters category, for racers older than 27, saw a twist at Aldo Scribante when category frontrunner, Eddie Rodrigues (M7 – SEW Eurodrive), experienced problems which opened the door for Etienne du Toit (M4 – Zenith Product Design).
Du Toit currently holds second place in this category and, if both he and Rodrigues are on pace at Zwartkops, this could be the battle to watch. Juan Gerber (M8 – Carfind.co.za) could make it a trio of trouble as he hold third place in the Masters and is just six points behind Du Toit at this point.
Another racer to watch will be a guest in Engen Volkswagen Cup for the next three rounds. The Zwartkops outing will be the first time that Marius Roberts (M3 – VW Motorsport / Ignition TV) joins the field. Roberts is the face of the motoring channel, Ignition TV, and has experience in tin-top circuit racing.
Amongst the younger set of the Engen Volkswagen Cup, the championship leader Kosie Weyers (5 – Engen Primax) is dominating this season. Five race wins and a big haul of bonus points means Weyers has a strong lead and will be difficult to catch. A great battle is, however, raging from second to fourth place with just seven points separating these three racers.
None have won a race yet this season, but each is steadily amassing points at each event and there is no predicting what will happen between them. This dynamic means Zwartkops could see a shift in the top three positions – a situation likely to motivate each of them to deliver their best performance on race day.
While the Engen Volkswagen Cup field is competing at Zwartkops, Kelvin van der Linde and Jordan Pepper, the Engen Volkswagen Cup 2012 champion and Rookie of the Year respectively, will contest round one of the Scirocco R-Cup in Germany. The pair made a strong showing in mid-April, dominating virtually every session during a practise day, setting them up for an exciting debut in their new racing formula.
