An amazing level of competitiveness has been reached in the SA Production Car Championship as witnessed by a record crowd of spectators at Round 7 of the Vodacom Power Tour at East London over the weekend.

Alfa Romeo Squadra Corse returned to the cutting edge of Class A with strong performances in both Round 13 and 14 of the championship.

Martin Steyn’s double victory for the day came from sustained dedication of the team to putting the Alfa Romeo 147GTAs on top.

“The team has put in incredibly long hours in the ongoing development of the three Alfa Romeo 147GTAs,” said Michael Burkhart, General Manager for Marketing at Fiat Auto SA.

“The cutting edge of Class A is as competitive as ever, an excellent recipe for better racing and the best spectacle possible for South African motorsport spectators.”

Alfa Romeo Squadra Corse’s mammoth efforts primarily in the chassis department received just reward when Martin Steyn brought the 147GTA home in front in both races on the weekend.

“I’d like to thank Marco (da Cunha) and Morne (Jurgens) who have been driving brilliantly and brought a lot of input to the team,” said an elated Martin Steyn.

“Between the three of us and our incredible team of mechanics and sponsors, we have continually improved the performance of the 147GTAs and been able to take the established competitors head on.”

The Alfa Romeo’s performance remains impressive, the biggest advances made in the handling department. Braking remains an issue where the 147GTAs battle to keep pace with the competition due to its front-wheel drive layout and the resulting weight distribution.