Celso Scribante Memorial 5 Hours at Aldo Scribante: An Epic Tale of Drama and Triumph – SAES National Championship Round 3
Aldo Scribante, Gqeberha, June 1st
The 5 Hours of Aldo Scribante delivered an unforgettable spectacle filled with drama, elation, and heartbreak. The race concluded under a yellow flag, with the Into Africa Racing Lamborghini of Stuart White and Xolile Letlaka crossing the finish line first. However, a dramatic twist saw them demoted to second place due to a 20-second penalty for overtaking under the yellow flag, handing victory to the Promigen Audi of Paul Hill and Bradley Liebenberg.
Bradley Liebenberg surged into the lead early in the rain-affected race, building a substantial nine-lap advantage before handing over to Paul Hill. Hill faced challenges as the rain intensified, allowing the Lamborghini to close the gap. “Lady luck was nearly with us today,” Letlaka reflected, while White added, “This was honestly one of the toughest races I’ve ever done. At one point, I went over the curbs because I simply could not see where the track was.”
The weather conditions favored the BBR Racing Porsche driven by Hein and Henk Lategan, along with Verissimo Tavares, securing third place overall. The Slingshot Backdraft of Mike McLoughlin and Steve Clark finished fourth, showcasing impressive and steady driving.
Albert and Oliver Hintenhaus, driving the Coastal Engineering Supplies BMW, clinched fifth place and won Class C. In Class E and the V8 Roadster Series, the father and son team of Harm and Barend Pretorius overcame a mid-race setback, with their car stuck in fifth gear, to claim victory.
The Pple Group Backdraft, piloted by Phillip Meyer, Dean Wolson, and Mark Harvey, won the Index of Performance with a score of 78.74%, maintaining their lead in the championship. Browndeck Roofing and Pesty Racing rounded out the podium in this category.
Entry and Practice
Competitors faced a dramatic weather shift, as the balmy 27-degree Thursday gave way to a cold front on Friday, bringing winter chills and the threat of rain. The first official practice saw the Stradale Motorsport Mercedes-Benz AMG, driven by Charl Arangies and Arnold Neveling, set the pace with a lap time of 58.449 seconds, narrowly ahead of Chris Visser in the Adjust4Sleep RicoBarlow Racing Nova Proto.
The MJR Motorsport Audi, driven by Marius Jackson and Joseph Ellerine, was third fastest, followed by the Into Africa Racing Lamborghini and the Bucketlist Racing Audi.
The second session saw the Nova Proto go even faster with a 58.051-second lap, while the Promigen Audi recovered from a driveshaft failure to secure second place. The Into Africa Lamborghini and Slingshot Backdraft also showed strong performances.
Qualifying
A new qualifying format requiring aggregate times from all drivers added intensity to the session. The Nova Proto trio of Nick Adcock, Michael Stephen, and Chris Visser claimed pole position with a 56.951-second lap. The Into Africa Racing Lamborghini secured second place, followed by the Promigen Audi and MJR Motorsport Audi.
Class B honors went to the Bucketlist Racing Audi, with the G&H Transport Audi second fastest. The Kalex VW Golf of Karah Hill and Jurie Swart split the Class B grid. The Browndeck Roofing Backdraft led Class E, narrowly ahead of the Pple Group car.
Race
Race day dawned with wet conditions, leading to a delayed start and curtailed warm-up sessions. As the lights signaled the start, Joseph Ellerine’s MJR Motorsport Audi spun off the line, avoiding major collisions.
Bradley Liebenberg in the Promigen Audi took an early lead but had to pit for a tire change, allowing Letlaka to retake the lead briefly. Liebenberg regained the lead, building a substantial gap, while the Slingshot Backdraft climbed through the field.
Stuart White in the Into Africa Lamborghini faced sensor issues, dropping them back, but fought back to third place. The Pesty Racing Backdraft, despite gearbox issues, led the V8 Roadster class, with Team Manager Francois Pretorius stating, “We will keep it in fifth and as long as we stay on the road, we should be able to finish.”
As rain intensified, teams switched to wet tires, and Paul Hill in the Promigen Audi faced challenges, allowing White to close the gap. A series of strategic pit stops and a safety car intervention set up a dramatic finish.
In the final hour, White’s relentless pursuit saw him overtake under the yellow flag, resulting in a post-race penalty that handed victory to the Promigen Audi. Thus, the first car across the line was the safety car, marking a dramatic and unforgettable conclusion to the Celso Scribante Memorial 5 Hours.
