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Newcastle Raceway Club is taking no prisoners in its pursuit of greatness.
On Saturday, June 23, five of the club’s members took part in the second leg of the Northern Regional Championships, held in Nelspruit. The first leg taking place on March 31 in Loskop.
Determined to dominate the competition, the Newcastle Raceway Club performed exceptionally well.
In the Two-litre class, Faizel Cassim clinched second place. Willie Erasmus secured the third spot in the Hot Rod class. In the 1600 class, Wilma Lindeque took second place, with Johann de Jager taking fourth place. Tiaan Buys claimed the win in the 1660 class, followed by Craig Lindeque in third place.
As Newcastle Raceway Club’s youngest competitor at the Regionals, 15-year-old Tiaan Buys is ecstatic about the win. “It was both exciting and stressful,” he says.
Arriving at the racetrack in Nelspruit, the Newcastle racers found the track to be 100 metres shorter than the Newcastle Oval Track. It is also narrower than what local racers are used to. “The tyre ratio has to be changed according to the track, which we did.”
Competing against 10 other racers in his class, Tiaan set his sights on the win. The cheering crowds fading into the background, as his car’s engine roared to life. His victory silenced any doubts held by older drivers. Following his win, Tiaan was also awarded the trophy for being the best driver of the day.
Tiaan and his fellow Newcastle Raceway Club members are now bracing themselves for the third and final leg of the Regional Championships. This will determine who makes their way to the South African Championships held in Bloemfontein in October.
“It is going to be a tough competition, but my goal is to reach the South African Championships. The regional championships are a big learning experience and I am getting a lot of experience from it,” Tiaan explains.
With his 16th birthday taking place in August, making it through to the South African Championships will be a birthday present of note. However, as Tiaan has been racing since the age of eight, growing from strength to strength, he is sure to dominate the event.
Well done to all the racers for their achievements!
