It’s probably been hard not to notice that the entire world’s attention has been focused on South Africa over the last few days, as mourners and ninety-one world leaders gathered in the FNB Stadium to unite in tribute to a man who became a global symbol of reconciliation, in one of the biggest send-offs in history.
Just one hour’s drive south of the South African flagship sports venue, that hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, lies the industrial town of Sasolburg, where this weekend the 2013 UIM F2 World Champion will be crowned.
Followers of the F2 World Championship would have seen how over the last couple of months an area located on the banks of the Vaal River has been transformed from scrub land into a purpose built pit complex that will comfortably accommodate the eighteen drivers who have flown in to compete at the fifth and final round of the series that kicked off five months ago in Stockholm, Sweden.
With the race weekend coinciding with the day of Nelson Mandela’s funeral, the Minister of Sports and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, has requested that all sporting events in South Africa on that day would be cancelled.
“Teams will also wear the black arm band and sing the national anthem and dedicate coming games in honour of Mandela,” said Mbalula. He said South Africans must embrace sport as a unifying factor, as Mandela had.
“It’s through sport that we do not differentiate between white and black but are identified as one nation. This is through the legacy that Mandela achieved.”
With this in mind the local organiser, along with the UIM Commissioners have adapted the time schedule. So on Friday afternoon there will be a one hour ‘Free Practice’ session and the actual Free State Grand Prix will take place on Saturday afternoon, with the drivers qualifying sessions being held that morning.
This arrangement is very similar to how the Nordic F2 Series was run and a driver who is very familiar with this is the F2 Championship point’s leader Eric Stark. Having flown in overnight from Stockholm he knows that with his fifteen points lead in the title race it’s really up to the other drivers to try really hard if they are planning to take his title.
“South Africa is one of my favourite locations on the planet; we love it so much that my family and I will be spending our Christmas holiday here” said Stark. “The opportunity of winning the World Championship here is just the perfect way to finish off an amazing season” continued the reigning UIM F2 World Champion.
“Back in 2009 I spent some time living with the South African F1 Champion Paul Sheppard in Durban. During that time I competed at three races with mixed results. In fact I crashed out at two of them. Trust me I won’t be making that mistake this weekend” he said with a steely-eyed look of determination.
Amongst those looking to ‘upset the apple cart’ is Ola Pettersson. The Swedish driver, who took a superb victory in Brindisi, Italy, will be hoping that history repeats itself and that Stark will make another mistake handing the advantage to the BaBa driver from Bromolla, Pettersson is the only driver with a realistic shot at the championship.
The five pin 1700 metre circuit in Sasolburg is actually 1750 metres above sea level and one of the first tasks for the team’s mechanics will be how to set their Mercury Optimax 200XS engines up for high altitude racing. All the teams will be down on power but the sensors in the fuel injection system should be able to make allowances for the air temperature and barometric pressure. Expect those teams who have done their home work and packed propellers with a smaller pitch to keep the engine rev’s up to be the ones posting fast times.
One driver who should be well adjusted to racing at this level will be the local hero Wynand De Jager. Living just minutes away from the circuit the young South African driver sponsored by the South African Free State and Fisherman’s Friends, has been putting some miles on his motors whilst he’s been testing close to the race circuit. He won’t be the only driver representing the ‘Rainbow Nation’ as this weekend sees the international debut of Attie Tromp racing his A & T Plumbers Molgaard hull.
With all the action taking place on Saturday the teams will have little chance to catch their breaths, one thing is certain though South Africa will be a fitting finale to a memorable F2 season.
