On a weekend (April 22-23) that saw the new generation of Global Touring Cars (GTC) SupaCup drivers dominate at Zwartkops Raceway, Jean Pierre van der Walt also recorded his best results to date in his second outing in the series.
Despite a puncture in Friday’s final practice session, Van der Walt felt confident in his Platinum Wheels Polo SupaCup following a solid day. “We were able to set some competitive times while also finalising our setup, so yes, it was definitely a confidence-boosting day ahead of our race day.”
Saturday morning saw him qualifying in eighth place, a grid position that he followed up with a fifth place in the afternoon’s first race while holding off Race 2 winner Leyton Fourie in the closing stages. He repeated his result in Race 2, this time defending his position against Tato Carello.
The overall results for the day based on accumulated times, utilised by the event promoter for their prize-giving but without any championship impact, saw Van der Walt classified in third place.
“Our goal this weekend was a podium. They all count, even overall podiums. In all seriousness, it was a significant improvement for us and again we are finding ourselves in a strong position to improve even further. Thank you to everyone who made this weekend possible.”
Round 3 of the GTC SupaCup Championship will take place at the Aldo Scribante Racetrack on May 27-28. Van der Walt’s next outing will be the Simola Hillclimb on May 6-8.
