THE Pro Tour championship season kicked off its 2012 programme in style at the Free State Phakisa Raceway on Saturday (February 18).

Heading up proceedings were two Shelby CanAm races, run over 30 minutes and a lap each. The opening race went to Thomas Reib (Jagermeister Shelby), who crossed the finish line just half a second ahead of Brian Algar (Hollard Insurance Shelby). Sean Greve (Jagermeister Shelby) finished third, five seconds adrift, but ahead of Ferdi van Niekerk (Motorola Cordless Shelby) and Andrew Strike (Strike 1 Shelby). Defending South African champion Rui Campos initially led the race in his Q8 Oils Shelby, but ran wide coming out of the pit corner, suffered a puncture and retired on lap seven. Race two, started on a damp track just after a thunderstorm, saw Campos streak into an early lead. He proceeded to control the race from the front, finally winning by just under two seconds from Andrew Strike. Brian Algar, Sean Greve and Alan Eve (Metal Used Spares Shelby) filled out the top five places.

* Andrew Culbert (Innovation Porsche GT3 Cup) won the first GT Challenge race, ahead of Sun Moodley (Bigfoot Express Porsche 997), Nicky Dicks (Curvent Ferrari 430) and Charl Arangies (Vaal Fluid Systems Ferrari 360). Culbert scored another victory in race two, this time ahead of Dicks, Chris Wishart (Dodge Viper) and Charl Arangies.

* Single seater veterans Alan Holm (Lasersprint Rhema) and Peter Hills (Renexcon Rhema) dominated proceedings in the Formula Vee category. Holm won the opening race from defending champion Hills, leading home Jaco Schriks (Lasersprint Rhema) and Greg Wilson (Reflex Solutions Rhema). The second race saw Holm and Wilson tangle while disputing podium places through the penultimate corner of the final lap. Both drivers slid off the track, leaving Peter Hills to take a comfortable win from Schriks, a recovered Holm, Nicholas Tennant (Tennant Life Benefits Rhema) and Gareth Jackson (Euro Steel Rhema).

* Stewart MacLeod (Blu Horizon ZX10R) started the Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters season in the best possible way. The former national Superbike champion suffered problems during the morning practice session, and started race one from the 17th grid spot. He scythed through the field in four laps, disputed the lead with Brian Bontekoning (Jaguar Power Products ZX10R) for two laps and then drew away for a comfortable victory. Bontekoning finished second, followed by Joe Shearer (O'Mage ZX10R), Pieter de Vos (Metabo ZX10R) and Wayne Thomas (Trolan Bikes ZX10R). MacLeod basically led the second race from lights to chequered flag, followed by Bontekoning, Paul Jacobs (Blu Horizon ZX10R), Joe Shearer and Pieter de Vos.

* Supremely talented teenager Kelvin van der Linde took the day's overall and Class A Goldwagen Challenge victory in his Ferodo Autoquip Polo. The Class B victory went to Rory Atkinson (Flight Hand Cleaner Polo), while Jannie van Rooyen (Goldwagen Roodepoort CitiGolf) and Lee Thompson (Racecraft Golf) won the Class C and Class D categories respectively.

* Harry Arrangies (Vaal Fluid Systems Porsche 944 Turbo) won the GT Classic category overall, with Andrie Bester (Century Civils Porsche 911) and Willem van der Westhuizen (Porsche 911 RSR) each scoring a class victory.

* The next round of the 2012 Pro Tour will take place at the East London Grand Prix circuit on Saturday, March 17.