Engen Xtreme Racing blasts ahead
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
The Engen Xtreme Racing team will be pleased with their performances so
early on in the National circuit racing season - two Production Car wins, a
win in the Engen Volkswagen Cup and some good placings makes for a confident
group of drivers that compete at their home ground at Aldo Scribante this
weekend.
There was plenty of drama during round two of the Wesbank Super Series held
in the Mother City earlier this month.
In the Bridgestone Production Car formula, an oil dump by Ben Morgenrood
during race one saw the Engen Xtreme Audi A4 Quattro of current Production
Car champion, Shaun Watson-Smith sail into the tyre wall at turn one, while
multitudes of cars spun off in all directions behind him.
Fortunately, Watson-Smith came out unscathed with no damage to his vehicle,
finishing the race in first place under safety car conditions, with team
mate Michael Stephen in second and Leeroy Poulter in the Sasol Nissan 350 Z
rounding up the top three.
Race two, under reverse grid conditions, saw Watson-Smith go off on lap one,
while Michael Stephen fought a hard battle from behind to pick up another
good finish in third.
Wins could go to either one of the two Engen Xtreme drivers today, at a
track that they know like the back of their hand.
In the Engen Volkswagen Cup, which raced during Round One of the Super
Series at Kyalami, Miguel Pasqualli blasted off to take the lead in a wet
race on wet weather tyres, but unfortunately spun out of contention. He came
back with a vengeance in the second race to take a hand's down win,
demonstrating his intention to earn the Championship title this season. As
new lead driver of the Engen Xtreme team competing in the Volkswagen Cup,
Miguel is keen to follow in the footsteps of the three former
Engen-sponsored Volkswagen Cup champions, Tschops Sipuka, Michael Stephen
and Lee Thompson.
Meanwhile, 22 year old Reginald Piyoos, rookie of the team, goes out for the
second time as a competitor on the National circuit.
He has been selected as the newest member of the Engen Xtreme Racing team,
having come through the motorsport development programme initiated by Engen
and Terry Moss Racing.
Reggie has worked on and raced Championship winning karts in highly
competitive classes. He also competed in the Regional Eastern Province
saloon car Championship last year, winning his class in 2007 driving a 2
litre Golf.
Reggie will be very pleased with his first performance as a competitor in
the Super Series, having completed both his Engen Volkswagen Cup races
without suffering any car damage or spinning out.