Upbeat Alcohol Killer BMW 335i team going for gold in the Free State

The Phakisa Freeway motor racing circuit outside Welkom in the Free State has been a happy hunting ground for BMW over the years, none more so than in the previous two which have seen four Bridgestone Production Car Championship race wins and 10 podiums in 12 races for ADF Motorsport’s Class A BMW 335i M Performance Parts cars.

This weekend (2 August) BMW will be making its first appearance of the year at the popular Goldfields circuit in the striking red and silver colours of new sponsor Alcohol Killer and, buoyed by the team’s recent success in the previous round at East London’s former grand prix circuit four weeks ago – two convincing 1-2 finishes – drivers Johan Fourie and Gavin Cronje are brimming with confidence ahead of round five.

Fourie, a former production car champion, is currently leading the championship with 102 points from defending champion Michael Stephen (100 points) after accumulating three wins (including both East London races) and six podiums from the eight races and four rounds to date.

Team-mate Gavin Cronje, competing in his first season in the top class after finishing second in last year’s Class T championship in an ADF Motorsport-prepared Castrol MINI John Cooper Works, is fourth in the standings with 57 points after a win and three podiums, including second place in both races four weeks ago.

“For sure we’re coming off a high of the perfect results from East London – we also took bonus points for pole position in qualifying (Johan) and fastest laps in both races (also Johan) – but this is another round on another circuit and we have prepared ourselves accordingly,” said team principal Donovan van Heerden.

“We showed in East London – the fastest and most challenging circuit on the calendar – that not only is the BMW good, but also the drivers. Their hard work and total commitment – they are both multiple national circuit racing champions with Gavin also an international sports car champion – has been a major factor in our success to date. They are supremely fit and, working together with a dedicated and equally talented technical team, have put BMW and Alcohol Killer in a very strong position to build on the good results to date and challenge for the championship.”

For Cronje it will be a first time in a Class A car at the Free State circuit, a favourite with many of the drivers. “We had a great weekend in East London and there’s no reason why we can’t have another here at Phakisa. The car is good, the team is on top of it and both Johan and I are really enjoying ourselves.“

Fourie is enjoying one of the most satisfying seasons in a long and distinguished circuit racing career. “I‘m just loving driving the Alcohol Killer BMW. It has everything a driver could want. You just know it’s going to do what you want it to do. It’s a great car and it’s really nice having the confidence of knowing that it’s been properly prepared by a first-class technical team.“  

Qualifying for Saturday’s two races will take place at 10:00. Race one will be a sprint over eight laps at 13:15, followed by a 12-lap feature race at 15:15.

In addition to Alcohol Killer, ADF Motorsport enjoys support from BMW M Performance Parts, Powerbrake and Sony Playstation. In addition, ADF has secured a deal with one of the world’s leading sponsorship and brand engagement agencies, Octagon.

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