GTI Challenge at Killarney is one of the most respected motorsport classes in the country. Offering intensely close racing among a number of South African champions in an affordable format, it represents the core of what racing is all about.
Jason Coetzee is still a relative newcomer in the class, after years of showing his competitors how to pedal a kart around the country’s short circuits.
The Volkswagens in GTI Challenge swap paint all the time, often going three-wide into corners where few would be comfortable going two-abreast. In the wet conditions that greeted the racers at Killarney over the weekend, the situation only got trickier.
With semi-slick tyres being used for wet and dry conditions, it’s important to note the name “semi-slick” rather than “semi-wet”…these tyres are seriously slippery when the heavens open.
Qualifying wasn’t perfect, but a P3 position on the grid for race 1 was certainly a solid foundation off which to build the day.
Race 1 was a masterclass by Coetzee, thrilling anyone who was smart enough to tune in to the livestream. It was a terrific combination of precision driving and measured risk-taking, as Coetzee and Polo Cup Championship Leader Dario Busi raced side-by-side and did a few synchronised drifts on the wet surface.
It takes substantial skill to drive in these conditions and Coetzee came out tops through a spectacular move on the outside of Busi into Turn 5. He somehow made it stick and held the line into Turn 1 where he went on to open a gap in P1.
The fickle finger of racing fate found him, as a red flag was shown with half the race still to go. Luckily nobody had been hurt, but it was anything but ideal for Coetzee who had to forfeit his lead.
Coetzee found himself in P3 by the time he exited Turn 2 after the restart, on a track that was still very wet but starting to dry. He used his Turn 5 trick again, this time on Calvin Wilshire to move up to P2 at the end of the first lap post the restart.
With Busi in his crosshairs (again), Coetzee outfoxed Busi into Turn 2 and made it stick yet again. With his headlights now leading the way for the rest of the pack, Coetzee checked out and enjoyed one of the best race wins of his career. It was an exemplary display of skill and speed, not least of all for a racer who is still fairly new to main circuit racing.
As is so often the case in racing, it was a day of highs and lows. Race 2 was far less enjoyable for Coetzee, after a tricky start relegated him to P5. He gathered himself and began to fight back to the front as he picked off P4 and then P3.
With the leader in his sights and while his good mate Jurie “Umpie” Swart gave the country a spectacular display of side-by-side racing in Class A, Coetzee wasn’t quite so lucky. He battled wing mirror to wing mirror, but questionable driving from his adversary resulted in a clash through the kink and a damaged front-end, which resulted in an early retirement.
An unhappy end to the day, but Race 1 will forever be etched in his memory and demonstrates the level of talent in this youngster.
“I was happy with my performance in Race 1, but Race 2 was just a sad way to end the day. A big thank you to my sponsors: CK Coachworks, Mint Wrapworks, Capecoast Flooring and Auto Covers. Thanks to Carbs and Coffee for the temporary door stickers too – definitely worth a tenth or two!”
CK Coachworks will ensure that Coetzee’s Class C car is ready for gladiatorial action in the next round. In the meantime, the ever-busy Coetzee prepares for 2-stroke action on the Killarney kart track this weekend.
Photography by: Heinrich Sauer