ASA Press Release - SA DRIVERS QUALIFY FOR FREE STATE 500 AT PHAKISA FREEWAY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRESS RELEASE January 17, 2010 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For Immediate Release Contact: Kevin Ramsell,ASA Public Relations Director (kramsell@asa-racing.com [mailto:racingpr@me.com]) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SA DRIVERS QUALIFY FOR FREE STATE 500 AT PHAKISA FREEWAY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The first of two two-day driver training and licence qualification courses for January 31's inaugural Free State 500 at Phakisa Freeway was held at the Welkom circuit on Saturday and Sunday. Five South African drivers successfully completed the California-based Drivetech Training School's preparation for the first NASCAR type American stock car race in South Africa. A joint initiative of the Free State Government and the American Speed Association (ASA) based in Daytona, Florida, the "Battle Between Two Continents" will see drivers from both countries as well as Australia and Great Britain compete against each other in the ASA Transcontinental version of America's most popular motor racing formula. The South Africa drivers who attended the first training session were Johan Cronje, FJ Oosthuizen, Lionel Lotter and WesBank V8 racers Jaco and Danie Correia Jr. Experienced instructor and President of Drivetech Mark Ebert from Tucson, Arizona was impressed with the performance of the South Africans. "I was totally amazed by the unbelievable race craft of the South African drivers. From the very first lap they proved that they are very good at what they do. I could not believe how quickly they adapted to Oval track racing considering that this was the first time they had experienced these cars and the circuit. Not only did the South Africans impress with their driving abilities, but they all took to the theory lessons without any problems. "American stock cars are heavy and have narrow tyres, little downforce, small brakes and a high centre of gravity - in fact, everything that makes a race car difficult to drive," said Ebert. "Many drivers cannot adapt to driving these cars fast, which we have seen when top drivers from other disciplines, like Formula 1, have struggled to make the transition. Your guys did great." American Geoff Bodine, a veteran of 27 years of NASCAR racing and a former winner of the blue-riband Daytona 500, was in South Africa for a few days in December to help promote the race and established a target lap time of 38 seconds for the 2,5-km banked oval. The lap times of the five South Africans ranged between 40,2 and 42 seconds. "The track is fantastic," enthused Ebert. "There is a slight dip at the entrance to turn 3 which is a little challenging, but it is the same for everybody. The rest of the oval is very smooth and extremely fast." Ebert and fellow trainer Ritchie Aleman took a few spectators, who each donated R500 to child welfare, for a few laps. One of the enthusiastic passengers remarked that on a scale of 1 to 10 the experience rated 15. The next racing school takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Drivers interested in attending this course with a view to qualifying to race in the Free State 500 should contact Etienne Swanepoel at jim1@mweb.co.za. The American teams are expected in South Africa on January 27. Official practice is on Friday, January 29 with qualifying on Saturday, January 30. The 207-lap 500-km race will be run on Sunday, January 31. Tickets for the four days of action can be obtained from Computicket outlets countrywide or go to www.computicket.com. Prices range from R20.00 on Thursday to R 330.00 on Sunday. Spectacular discounts for Saturday/Sunday tickets are available. All tickets include a 90 minute Pit Walkabout on all days. Ends Issued on behalf of the Free State 500. For further information please contact Charmaine Fortune on 011 462 6243 or visit www.freestate500.com. Pics can be downloaded from www.motorpics.co.za. Ref ASA PR FREE STATE 500 SA DRIVER QUAL _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SA-JAERS KWALIFISEER VIR VRYSTAAT 500 BY PHAKISA FREEWAY Die eerste van die twee tweedagbestuurderopleiding- en kwalifiseringsessies vir lisensies vir 31 Januarie se eerste Vrystaat 500 by die Phakisa Freeway, is Saterdag en Sondag by dié Welkom-baan aangebied. Vyf Suid-Afrikaanse jaers het die voorbereiding van die Drivetech Training School van Kalifornieë vir die eerste NASCAR-tipe Amerikaanse stampmotorren in Suid-Afrika suksesvol voltooi. In 'n gesamentlik inisiatief van die Vrystaat Regering en die American Speed Association (ASA) wat in Daytona, Florida gebaseer is, sal jaers van beide lande sowel as Australië en die Verenigde Koninkryk in die "Stryd tussen Twee Kontinente" teen mekaar meeding wanneer hulle aan die ASA Transkontinentale weergawe van Amerika se gewildste motorsportformule deelneem. Die Suid-Afrikaanse jaers wat die eerste bestuurderopleidingsessie bygewoon het, was Johan Cronje, FJ Oosthuizen, Lionel Lotter en WesBank V8-jaers, Jaco en Danie Correia Jr. Die ervare instrukteur en President van Drivetech, Mark Ebert van Tucson, Arizona, was beïndruk met die Suid-Afrikaners se vertonings. "Ek was heeltemal stomgeslaan deur die ongelooflike renvaardigheid van die Suid-Afrikaanse jaers. Van die heel eerste rondte het hulle bewys dat hulle baie goed is met wat hulle doen. Ek kon nie glo hoe vinnig hulle by ovaalbaanry aangepas het as in ag geneem word dat dit hul eerste ondervinding van dié motors en die baan is nie. Nie net het die Suid-Afrikaners met hul bestuurdervaardighede beïndruk nie, maar hulle het ook al die teorielesse sonder enige probleme baasgeraak. "Amerikaanse stampmotors is baie swaar en het dun bande, min afwaartse druk, klein remme en 'n hoë swaartepunt - om die waarheid te sê, als wat 'n renmotor moeilik maak om te bestuur," het Ebert gesê. "Baie jaers kan nie daarby aanpas om dié motors vinnig te bestuur nie en ons het dit gesien by top jaers van dissiplines soos Formule 1 wat gesukkel het om die oorgang te maak. Jul ouens het uitstekend gevaar." Die Amerikaner, Geoff Bodine, 'n veteraan met 27 jaar se NASCAR-ondervinding en voormalige wenner van die hoog-aangeskrewe Daytona 500, was vir 'n paar dae in Desember in Suid-Afrika om die ren te bemark en het 'n rondtetyd van 38 sekondes vir die 2,5 kilometer-skuinsovaalbaan opgestel wat die mikpunt sou wees. Die vyf Suid-Afrikaners se rondtetye het tussen 40,2 en 42 sekondes gewissel. "Die baan is fantasties," het Ebert uitgelaat. "Daar is 'n effense knik by die ingang na die derde draai wat nogal uitdagend is, maar dit is dieselfde vir almal. Die res van die ovaalbaan is baie glad en ongelooflik vinnig." Ebert en sy mede-instrukteur, Ritchie Aleman, het 'n paar toeskouers, wat elk R500 vir kindersorg geskenk het, vir 'n paar rondtes om die baan geneem. Een van die entoesiastiese passasiers het opgemerk dat dié ondervinding 15 op 'n skaal van 1 tot 10 haal. Die volgende renskool vind Dinsdag en Woensdag plaas. Jaers wat sou belangstel om dié kursus by te woon om moontlik te kwalifiseer om aan die Vrystaat 500 deel neem, kan vir Etienne Swanepoel by jim1@mweb.co.za kontak. Daar word verwag dat die Amerikaanse spanne op 27 Januarie in Suid-Afrika sal wees. Die amptelike oefensessie vind op Vrydag, 29 Januarie, plaas en die kwalifisering op Saterdag, 30 Januarie. Die 207 rondte- 500 kilometer-ren sal op Sondag, 31 Janaurie, plaasvind. Kaartjies vir die vier dae se aksie kan by Computicket-takke landswyd aangeskaf word of besoek www.computicket.com. Pryse wissel van R20.00 vir Donderdag tot R330 vir Sondag. Ongelooflike afslag vir Saterdag/Sondag-kaartjies is beskikbaar. Al die kaartjies sluit 'n daaglikse 90 minute-kuipebesoek in. Einde Issued on behalf of the Free State 500. For further information please contact Charmaine Fortune on 011 462 6243 or visit www.freestate500.com. Pics can be downloaded from www.motorpics.co.za. Ref ASA PR FREE STATE 500 SA DRIVER QUAL afr ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOLLOW THE AMERICAN SPEED ASSOCIATION ON... 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