Clean Sweep for Scholtz at Mpumalanga SuperGP

Mathew Scholtz showed what fans can expect for the remainder of the 2015 DEOD SuperGP Champions Trophy season when he powered his EmTek Racing Nashua Yamaha R1 to two convincing wins at the Mpumalanga SuperGP at Red Star Raceway on Sunday, 14 June.

Mathew Scholtz leads Clint Seller
Photographer: Paul Bedford

The king of SuperPole Clint Seller (NeoLife Africa Yamaha R1) did the job yet again – he has only been beaten in once SuperPole – leading a Yamaha lockout of the front row of the grid. Scholtz was less than two tenths of a second slower with his team mate, Brandon Goode, in third. Brent Harran (RD Racing Odin Powersport Kawasaki ZX10R) headed the second row of the grid head of Nicholas Kershaw (Tsunami Beach Bar / BMW Motorrad S1000RR) and Lance Isaacs (Black Swan Racing / BMW Motorrad S1000RR).

Clint Seller
Photographer: Paul Bedford

When the lights went out to signal the start of the first race it was Scholtz who reacted quickest, leading Seller and Harran through the first couple of corners. Seller and Scholtz swapped positions a few times while opening a substantial gap over the chasing pack. Isaacs and Goode were slowly closing the gap to Harran but Isaacs had a huge high side which put him out of the race just before the half-way mark. Seller pushed a little bit too hard in his efforts to catch Scholtz and slid off the track after losing the front end of his Yamaha. Luckily he was able to remount and set off after the riders ahead of him.

Super600 Podium
Photographer: Paul Bedford

Harran’s bike developed a misfire and he was passed by Goode and then a recovering Seller. A string of laps in the 1:53s saw Seller complete an unlikely chase to get past Goode and claim an unlikely second. Scholtz was untroubled at the front leading home the Yamaha 1-2-3 by 15 seconds. Harran manage to hang on for fourth ahead of Kershaw.

In the second heat Goode had a great start to get the hole-shot but Scholtz and Seller soon made their way past. They pulled away from the rest of the pack running nose to tail until Scholtz’s bike flicked up a stone which went through Seller’s screen and hit him in the chest and making his left arm go lame. Lacking the strength needed to muscle a bike around the 19-turn circuit, he decided to settle for a safe second and the championship points that go with it.

Behind the leading duo Goode and Harran were involved in a battle of their own which eventually went the way of Harran. Kershaw finished in fifth ahead of Isaacs.

Both SuperM races went the way of Jacques van Wyngaardt (Red Star Raceway BMW S1000) from Johan Otto (KTM).

SuperJunior Podium
Photographer: Paul Bedford

Super600

Adolf Boshoff (Indy Oil Toy Store Kawasaki ZX6), who missed the last round due to an injury suffered as a result of a regional race crash, signalled his return to national championship racing with a hard-fought pole position. Steven Odendaal (NeoLife Africa Yamaha R6) and Michael White (Consortium Shipping Kawasaki ZX6) filled the other slots on the front row of the grid. The second row of the grid was made up of Blaze Baker (Russell Wood Kawasaki ZX6), Nicole van Aswegen (Triumph SA / Women in Motorsport Triumph 675) and Anthony Shelley who was out on the EmTek Racing Nashua Yamaha R6 campaigned by Sheridan Morais at the previous round in Cape Town.

Baker spoiled his chances in the race by running wide at the first corner leaving the top three on the grid to open a slight gap on the rest of the field. Malcom Rudman (Kawasaki ZX6) got past Shelley and worked his way up to the leading trio. Unfortunately he slid of the track and into retirement. I was then Shelley’s turn to fight his way up to join the leaders. The four of the put on an incredible display with positions changing every lap. When it mattered Boshoff was in front just ahead of White with Odendaal in the final podium position. Shelley was fourth in his first ride on the Yamaha. The battle for fifth place between van Aswegen and Dorren Lorreiro (Family Fitness Centre Kawasaki ZX6) – making his first appearance in the national Super600 class – went the way of van Aswegen.

It was more of the same in the second race with Odendaal, Boshoff, Shelley and White again swapping positions throughout the race. After 14 exciting laps they finally crossed the line in that order separated by less than three-quarters of a second. Baker was the best of the rest finishing in fifth ahead of Lorreiro.

SuperJunior

Championship leader William Friend showed that he intended to put the disappointment of a slightly below par round in Cape Town behind him when he qualified with a time almost a second quicker than the rest of the field. Tyreece Robert was next quickest with Zwartkops winner Brandon Staffen in third. Lance Marais, Dominic Doyle and Luca Coccioni filled the second row of the grid.

In the first race Friend was in a class of his own and took the win by almost 14 seconds. Robert led the chasing pack until he lost the front end of his bike and crashed out with just over two laps to go. This let Marais through into second with Dominic Doyle on the final podium step. Coccioni, Reinhald Joubert and Jenna Eekhout completed the top six.

Friend again had a fairly easy win in the second race, this time followed home by Doyle and Marais. Robert, Staffen and Joubert filled the next three positions.

• The DEOD SuperGP Champions Trophy moves back to the coast for the next round with is scheduled to take place at Aldo Scribante in Port Elizabeth on 26 July 2015.