Phakisa Freeway, Welkom, Saturday, January 30 - The second and third open practice sessions for Sunday’s inaugural ASA Transcontinental Series Free State 500 were completed on Saturday morning with nothing more serious than a couple of spinning cars that brought out the red flag.

At the end of the two 45-minute sessions, which saw the big 358 cu in American V8s reach top speeds of around 280 km/h down the straightaway, it was veteran stock car driver and 1986 Daytona 500 winner Geoff Bodine of Chemung, New York State, who emerged with the fastest time around the 2,5-km Phakisa Freeway super oval.

The 60-year-old, driving a Rick McCray Chev Impala, turned back the clock to record a best lap of 36,334 sec at an average speed of 238 km/h around the ant-clockwise banked oval.  Just 0,170 sec in arrears was Chris Wimmer of Wausau, Wisconsin in a Philly’s Subs Chev Impala.  Third was American Marc Davis, from Mitchelville, Maryland (WHUR 96.3/The World Network/Marc Davis Motorsports Chev Lumina) with a time of 36,504 sec.  At 19 years of age the joint youngest driver in the field with South African Johan Coetzer of Welkom, owner/driver Davis carries three special stickers on his car: a tribute to his late father Harry, who died just over a week ago, and decals supporting Bafana Bafana and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Lone Briton John Mickel, from Cambridge in England, was fourth in an RS Capp Chev Monte Carlo with a time of 37,00 sec, followed by American Gary Lewis from Bothell, Washington State (Midgley Motorsports Chev Monte Carlo) with a best lap of 37,145 sec.

Best of the six South Africans in the field was 29-year-old WesBank V8 racer Jaco Correia of Klerksdorp in North West Province (Liqui Moly Chev Monte Carlo) with a 10^th-best time of 37,745 sec.

Dennis Huth, President of the American Speed Association, who have brought the thundering V8 stock cars to South Africa, expressed his admiration of the South African drivers’ performance so far.  “This is very different to what they have experienced in the past and they have shown great skill and a refreshing willingness to learn in their first attempt at the very difficult discipline of super oval stock car racing.”

Former national V8 sprint car short oval champion Johan Cronje of Welkom was 12^th in a Phezulu Plant/JCB Ford Fusion with Danie Correia, younger brother of Jaco, 14^th in a Liqui Moly Chev Monte Carlo.  Cape Town’s Johan Spies, the reigning national super salon short oval champion, was 18^th in a Speedsport Motorsport Cape Town Chev Monte Carlo.