A new classic racing era is ramping up as the Inland Historic Tour hosts the HRSA’s fast growing new Classic Youngtimer category at the Red Star Raceway in Delmas on Saturday 10 June. Modelled on the halcyon SATCAR and Group N categories of the 1990’s, the Classic Youngtimers cater for four door saloon cars manufactured between 1990 and 1997, to call back a golden era of local motor racing.
Designed to be affordable, with little or no modifications permitted to the cars, the racing will however echo the greatest days of Stannic Group N standard production, and South African Touring Car racing when Nissan Sentras, Honda Ballades, Toyota Corollas, Opel Astras and other production racing saloons ruled the roost.
Saturday promises close racing in the rapidly growing Youngtimer class welcomes a gang of new entries to complement the three pioneering entries that have been competing since mid-2022. Club 212 will field three Honda Ballades. Two will be driven by former Group N stars, Mike O’Sullivan in a Mosport version, while his former rival Brian Luyt makes a racing return in his new Youngtimer Ballade.
Both must however first defeat another Youngtimer pioneer, the effervescent Rob Clark’s third Containerforce Ballade. Other new entries include debutants, the evergreen Jannie van Rooyen in a new VW Jetta set to make its Youngtimer debut in Andy Gossman’s hands, Wimpie and Ryno van Zyl’s Nissan Sentra STi and Youngtimer founder, Stewart McLarty’s new Mazda Etude.
Another regular, Johan Smith’s BP Nissan Sentra STi will unfortunately miss the weekend due to some unresolved mechanical woes, but it and several other cars including another Sentra, an Opel Astra and an Alfa Romeo 155 that are presently in the build phase, are due to make their Youngtimer debut at the following 5 August Inland Historic Tour races.
*Anyone interested in building and racing a new Youngtimer car should contact Rob Clark at