Brian Joss – The 2018 South African Engen Polo Cup championship chase will go down to the wire at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday October 20.
The season’s final two races will see three title contenders fighting for the overall driver accolade, with little to choose between them in terms of pace around the 2,4 kilometre Zwartkops venue.
Going to Zwartkops, Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Health Polo) tops the points ladder, with his closest challengers being Tasmin Pepper (Electric Life Polo) and Jonathan Mogotsi (VW Motorsport Polo).
There are many permutations, but viewed mathematically, any of the three drivers could leave the final round of the year’s Extreme Festival as the 2018 Engen Polo Cup champion.
Not wanting to leave anything to chance, Kruger, Pepper and Mogotsi will all try to clinch the championship via two race victories around Zwartkops, that will be a monumental task.
Having experienced a test session and two race meetings at the venue earlier this year, the Engen Polo Cup contingent knows Zwartkops well, and the season-concluding races there should both see incredibly close competition.
Taking on the points leaders and able to interfere with their war should be drivers like Keegan Campos (Campos Transport Polo), Clinton Bezuidenhout (Glyco Engine Polo), Jason Campos (Campos Transport Polo), Delon Thompson (A&L Materials Polo), Darren Oates (Payen Polo),Justin Oates (URUP Polo) and Juan Gerber (DAF Trucks Polo).
Others to watch will be Paulus Franken (Manitou Group Polo), Altan Bouw (Ferodo Polo), Shivesh Bissoon (Etch Tech Polo), Peet Visagie (Nathans Polo), Darren Winterboer (Barons Polo), and Mel Spurr (Nathans Polo).
Joining Engen Polo Cup at Zwartkops will be an Exchange Driver from India, Volkswagen Motorsport India and Volkswagen Motorsport SA have agreed to an exchange program which will see the Champions from each year travelling to the two countries. Karminder Pal Singh will compete at Zwartkops on 20 October.
“The previous two Engen Polo Cup outings at Zwartkops this year produced savage competition and unbelievably close results,” said Volkswagen’s Head of Motorsport Mike Rowe.
“That should again be the case next weekend, with the stakes extremely high at the front end. Ïn the process, the Engen Polo Cup contingent will again entertain the Extreme Festival crowd to the hilt, while concluding what is probably the country’s toughest fought circuit racing title chase,” he added.
The Engen Polo Cup competitors will enjoy three open test sessions on Friday, while tackling their official qualifying session and two ten-lap races on Saturday.
CAPTION: Title fight: Kruger, Pepper and Mogotsi: in with a chance. Picture: Motorpress
