Chasing a Racing Championship with a $5K Car

Stepping up a Class with a $5,000 Jetta

Then lockdown happened and we were forced to sell our champion car to cover our 2019 costs, which had gone way over budget. But we had to race this year, to celebrate that 95th anniversary in car racing. So, we started to look around — for sponsors, firstly as lockdown had eliminated most of our old backers. And then for the right car.

The sponsors, for once, came relatively easily. We found both in the local pub and both are oddly enough new international brands looking for a bit of decent brand building. Bullion IT is an electronic cash point of sale specialist and Banhoek Chili Oil is a splendid piquant culinary aid. With enough backing in place, the focus switched to the car.

We decided to step up a class to B and after a few calls, we came across a few plum options. The first came up too early and it was sold before we could do a deal. Then we contacted the four-time Class B GTi champion Eden Thompson as we heard his ’86 Jetta CLi was sitting about doing nothing. Only trouble was it came at a premium, but after a little negotiation, they kept their seat and a few other bits and we took the car away for $5,000. That’s over book, remember!

Brilliant Championship

Before we go any further, it’s perhaps pertinent that we take a look at our championship and rules. A brilliant little series, the cheapercars.co.za GTi Challenge is in its 24th year of racing. Comprising three classes exclusively racing South African built Volkswagen models at Killarney in Cape Town, cars must comply to more or less old Group 1 rules with only standard VW or approved aftermarket components used. Ours has a stock 5-speed stick shifter and a stock diff.

But here’s the kicker — cars must produce less than the prescribed class power and torque on a specific trackside dyno. And weigh more than required on the track scales after the race. Those and all other parameters are rigorously and regularly policed by a committee comprising the various people who build, prepare and run the cars. And it all works brilliantly well.

Top Class A caters for 200 hp 177 lb-ft 2400 lbs 16 or 20-valve-powered cars — mainly Polo 6s and Jettas. Our class B is a mixed bag of 160 hp 150 lb ft 2200 lbs eight-valve Polos, Jettas and Golfs and Class C is limited to 120 hp 125 lb-ft 1985 lbs Golf 1s. Or Citi Golfs as they were latterly known in SA.

All cars run on 15” Dunlop Direzza semi slicks, of which we are only allowed 8 new in Class B for the season. The top three qualifiers and the top three in the first races get respective 75, 50 and 25 lbs ballast penalties. All of which makes for incredibly close and popular racing. Quite literally for a song.