Cape Town’s notorious weather played a starring role in a heart-stopping finale to the third round of the SA Endurance Championship connected by Vodacom 4U at Killarney International Raceway this weekend. After six gruelling hours punctuated by torrential rain, multiple safety cars, and relentless drama, the Into Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2 snatched victory in the dying seconds, etching its name into the annals of one of the closest finishes in series history.
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Driven by the trio of Xolile Letlaka, Stuart White, and Axcil Jeffries, the bright green Lamborghini overcame a significant early setback to emerge triumphant. Starting second on the grid after being narrowly pipped for pole (0.33 seconds) by the Stradale Motorsport Audi R8 of Charl Arangies, Arnold Neveling, and Brad Liebenberg, their race almost unravelled immediately. Both front-row contenders spun on the treacherous opening lap – the Into Africa car hampered by an accidental fitment of intermediate tyres instead of full wets, dropping to fifth, while Arangies aquaplaned into the mid-pack.
Chaos reigned as the Adjust for Sleep/Rico Barlow Racing Nova Proto NP2, piloted by Nick Adcock, Michael Stephen, Louis Maurice, and Jonathan Thomas, surged into an early lead amidst the spray. The race was red-flagged for 40 minutes during the worst deluge after the Di Matteo Racing Ford Mustang IRC demolished the Turn 1 (Sarel van der Merwe Sweep) tyre wall.
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As the track slowly dried over the next 2.5 hours, the leading GT3 machines fought their way back through the field, engaging in a fierce three-way battle with the Nova Proto. Pit strategies and a staggering eight safety car interventions kept the outcome uncertain. The tension ratcheted up again as darkness fell and the rain returned with just over an hour remaining.
Crucially, with 30 minutes left, Jeffries pitted the leading Lamborghini with a puncture, relegating it to third behind the resilient Nova Proto and the recovering Stradale Audi. What followed was a charge for the ages. Jeffries, fuelled by determination, sliced six seconds per lap off the leaders' advantage. A final safety car with 15 minutes to go bunched the top three – separated by a mere 2.7 seconds.
When racing resumed, Jeffries was a man possessed. He immediately dispatched the Stradale Audi for second and set his sights on Thomas in the Nova Proto. Lap after lap, the gap evaporated. With just two minutes on the clock, it was down to 1.4 seconds. Then, with a mere 20 seconds left until the end of the race – but crucially, needing to complete the final lap – Jeffries made the decisive move, sweeping past the Nova Proto into the lead.
The chequered flag triggered delirium in the Into Africa pit after a race of extreme adversity. "That was the longest half hour of my life!" exclaimed an elated team owner Xolile Letlaka. Jeffries and White paid tribute to the crew's relentless effort in overcoming the early tyre error and puncture. The Rico Barlow team, flawless for most of the race and astonishingly running the entire distance on a single set of tyres, was left heartbroken as Thomas's fading grip cost them victory in the closing moments, settling for second.
Stradale Motorsport's podium hopes also suffered a late blow. Liebenberg, while leading earlier in his stint, collided with the Turn 2 tyres while lapping a slower car, causing damage and time loss that relegated them to third.
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Behind the Podium Drama:
Fourth Overall: Albert and Oliver Hintenaus persevered through multiple spins in their muddy Coastal Engineering Supplies Ligier P4.
Fifth Overall: Steve Clark and Mike McLaughlin drove a trouble-free race in a standard Backdraft Roadster (their Carbon car still under repair), also testing full wet tyres for future use.
Class Winners: Harm and Barend Pretorius (Class D, 6th overall), Paulo and Ricardo Loureiro (Class C, 9th overall in their Honda Civic on semi-slicks!), and the Sphere Motorsport Toyota Altezza trio of Sergio Alvares, Pieter van Heerden, and Marco da Cunha (Maiden Class B win, 11th overall) all celebrated hard-earned results.
Notable Recovery: The factory Backdraft of Dan Hirsch and Stuart Kidgell (12th) had its driveshaft replaced in 28 minutes after a collision, only for a late spin to bring out the final safety car.
The Di Matteo Mustang (crash), G&H Transport Audi (radiator damage after contact), Korridas Volkswagen Golf, and Team Qhubani Backdraft (clutch failure) were among the retirements in the brutal conditions.
1-Hour Dash: Held in similar monsoon conditions, Damian Hammond (Liqui Moly Lamborghini) took victory after a fierce battle, holding off Andrew Horne (Xena Chemicals Ligier) by 0.7 seconds. Wayne Roach (Samlin Lamborghini) completed the podium.
The championship battle intensifies as the series heads to Gauteng for the Four Hours of Kyalami on July 26th. If Killarney was any indication, endurance racing in South Africa has never been more thrilling.
Colin Windell for Colin-on-Cars in association with
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