Local hero Johan Fourie today threw down the gauntlet during official practice session today for round seven of the WesBank Super Series at Killarney tomorrow.

Fourie, the current championship leader, set the fastest time in the final Bridgestone Production Car Championship practice session. But Fourie could find he has a fight on his hands with Afrox BMW team-mates Anthony Taylor and Melville Priest joining the Cape Town favourite as the only drivers to dip under the one minute 18 seconds mark.

There will also be a great deal of interest in young Gauteng driver Andrea Bate who will make her Bridgestone debut in one of the three BP Castrol Ford Focus entries. The pretty young Gauteng lass was only two seconds slower than team leader and current Class T championship frontrunner Gary Formato.

The Bridgestone series will again be run to a four race format which should produce plenty of action.

The two WesBank V8 Supercar heats should also provide some interesting racing. Veteran former champion Ben Morgenrood was sandwiched between the Auby brothers, Jimmy and Brandon, in the final session. Only four points separate the two Aubys, Morgenrood and Franco di Matteo (Varta Batteries Jaguar) in the championship.

Local riders will also be to the fore in the SA Supersport championship where Clinton Seller (Bikefin Honda) has a slender lead over Cape Town star Dave McFadden on the Pepper Racing Kawasaki. Veteran Cape rider Lance Isaacs (Bikefin Honda) will also be in the mix along with young team-mate Brent Harran and rising star Cam Petersen, son of former South African champion Robbie Petersen, on the Siris Kawasaki.

Reigning champion and championship leader Greg Gildenhuys (Motorrad BMW) will have his hands full with Chris Leeson (Siris Kaweasaki) in the SA Superbike races. Gildenhuys has not won a race since April, and Leeson scored a double last time out at the East London Grand Prix circuit.

Championship leader Robert Wolk (Investchem FVW) and Jayde Kruger (First Freight FVW) will renew their rivalry in the Formula Volkswagen events. In the Engen VW Cup event the biggest threat to runaway championship leader Devin Robertson (Sparco/Big Boss Auto VW Polo) is likely to come from Cape driver Kosie Weyers in the Xtreme Team VW Polo.

The Midas Formula 1600 races could provide the highlights of the day on the tight Killarney layout. Mathew Merton (Matsam Mygale) has a comfortable championship lead but will be under pressure from a string of drivers tomorrow.

There will be official timed practice for all formulas from 8am tomorrow, with racing scheduled to start at 10.30am.