It wasn’t the ending I had hoped for, however because the solar set on Spherical 7 at Zwartkops Raceway’s GR HQ, there was a sense of fulfilment and gratitude for clinching P2 within the 2024 Toyota GR Cup. 
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By now, the one factor I’ve discovered about racing is that the multitude of things concerned very seldom have issues going based on plan. Spherical 7 at Zwartkops Raceway, which served because the conclusion to the 2024 marketing campaign, proved precisely this. By the point the chequered flag had dropped after the motion in Race 2, I had come throughout the road in final. Removed from the lead-jostling efficiency in Cape City and never significantly the ceremonious ending I might have needed with Carmella, my GR Corolla.
GR Cup Last Standings
- Sean Nurse – 91 factors
- Alex Shahini – 54 factors
- Hannes Visser – 40 factors
- Jaco van der Merwe – 36 factors
- Kumbi Mtshakazi – 33 factors
- Bernie Hellberg – 25 level
Associated: GR Cup Round 6 – Cape Town
Heading into the weekend, it was clear that summer season could be in full swing. Rehydrate sachets got here in helpful on Friday after the qualifying session as soon as a heat-induced headache had kicked in. The dry and parching situations had acquired to me and by the shut of the next day, they’d have completed the identical with my turbo triple hatchback companion. The qualifying session began out alright, however there was a right away tempo deficit to Championship chief Sean, and visitor driver and GR South Africa head honcho, Riaan Esterhuysen. The one-second hole from the interval did really feel unusual contemplating the raggedy lap I put in with the Dunlop rubber beneath feeling within the opportune window, however this may solely be the beginning of some technical points attributable to the intense warmth.
Assured I may make up some floor in Race 1 I had certified mid-pack for, we had been off and the ultimate chapter of the 2024 GR Cup was being written. Throughout the first few laps, it appeared as if any cornering benefit I had on my rivals would wither away on the straights. With give attention to the highway and automotive forward, I didn’t spare a lot thought for this however within the latter half of the race, whereas chasing a GR Yaris and two GR Corollas, catastrophe struck.
Associated: On the Raggedy Edge – GR Cup Round 6
Popping out of the high-speed fourth nook at Zwartkops earlier than feathering on the facility, I had realised there was none. The in any other case superlative turbocharged three-cylinder had been dispatched into limp mode with fluid ranges dangerously excessive. A look down within the binnacle mirrored a coolant studying simply shy of 150 levels celsius! I had no alternative however to relent my onslaught and permit the a number of automobiles behind the cross, shifting off of the racing line. The choice I needed to make now was to both retire the automotive or hope that the limp mode and clear air would rectify the difficulty. Not ready to go down and not using a struggle within the final Spherical, I opted for the latter and earlier than the shut of the race, I used to be capable of harness a few of the efficiency once more, albeit feeling strained.
My chief rival for second place Hannes Visser suffered the identical destiny and by consistency all through the season, I had managed to safe P2 general within the championship because of him ending one place forward. Each of us had been hoping that the second race later within the day may rekindle a few of the front-of-the-pack motion demonstrated in Cape City nevertheless it was to not be. Beginning behind Hannes and chasing whereas defending towards different rivals who seemingly had extra energy on the straights was like combating with a hand tied behind the again. Earlier than too lengthy, Hannes pulled off the racing line and had his hazards on, travelling at a far slower tempo. My coronary heart sunk as I appeared into the binnacle beneath, seeing temperatures rising to the crimson. By the shut of that lap, all of my prowess discovered all through the season to catch and cross was thwarted and Carmella had as soon as once more gone into limp mode.
The sweltering situations proved too nice for what’s in essence a enjoyable, four-door hatchback that had at this level accomplished near 1 500 km of onerous racing mileage. This was actually not the ending we had hoped for however granted the chance to line up exterior the Toyota GR HQ on the circuit as soon as our race was concluded, there was a smile on my face that merely couldn’t be quashed.
The ‘eventful’ season as Estherhuysen described it had its ups and downs, however every expertise is a component and parcel of racing. To realize a runner-up trophy in my rookie season to a proficient and skilled wheelman like Sean remains to be, as I’ve been reminded, an achievement in itself. That apart, understanding my driving talents have improved has been the best private achieve alongside having the ability to pilot considered one of Toyota’s works automobiles. In a matter of years, the GR steady has develop into a drive to be reckoned with and Glenn Crompton, Vice President Gross sales and Advertising for Toyota South Africa added throughout the awards ceremony that that is all solely the start.
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