Reib takes overall win at Kyalami

A close second place in the opening heat, followed by a comfortable win in the second, gave Thomas Reib (Café 9 Automotive Chevrolet Lumina) overall victory in the second round of the 2025 Dunlop V8 Supercars championship. However, Warren Lombard (PepBoys Automotive Ford Mustang) extended his slender championship lead by virtue of the extra point he gained for securing pole position in Friday afternoon’s qualifying session.

Rieb held the advantage in Thursday’s practice sessions, ending the day just under a tenth-and-a-half quicker than Lombard. In the GT2 class, Auke Campaan (Hurricane Automotive Ford Mustang) led the way from Steve Herbst (PREI Instrumentation Chevrolet Corvette). It was more of the same in Friday morning’s final practice session, with Reib ahead of Lombard, although GTX class competitor Ben Morgenrood (Ben Morgenrood Ford Mustang) set the session’s fastest lap. Herbst was the quickest of the GT2 brigade, all setting up an intriguing qualifying session on Friday afternoon.

Lombard turned things around in the qualifying session, run in the heat of the day on Friday, and claimed his second pole position of the season. Reib joined him on the front row, with Terry Wilford (Wilford Racing Ford Mustang) and Richard Fuller (Potaround Ford Falcon) on the second row. Morgenrood and Sam Dahl (ArcProTech Ford Falcon) filled the third row ahead of the GT2 contingent, led by Compaan, who had Alan Ryan (Wellness Group Ford Falcon) alongside him on row four. Herbst and Wayne Spicer (Wellness Group Ford) rounded out the top ten.

At the start of the first race, Lombard grabbed the lead from pole and was never seriously challenged on his way to a comfortable win. It wasn’t as calm behind him, however. Wilford got the jump on Reib at the start and, despite trying everything he could to find a way through on the Mustang, Reib looked like he would have to settle for third until the final lap. Wilford lost the back of his Mustang at Leeukop and slid backwards into the gravel trap, where he was stuck until the field passed and the marshals could get him out. That dropped him to ninth as the last classified finisher and promoted Reib to second. Morgenrood crossed the line in third ahead of Fuller, with Dahl in fifth. Compaan, in sixth on the road, led the GT2 field over the line, taking the win from Herbst and Spicer.

Except for Ryan, who didn’t complete the first race after he stopped on the circuit, the entire grid was reversed for the second heat based on lap times. This saw Spicer at the head of the field alongside Herbst, while Lombard was on the back row with Ryan.

Reib wasted no time moving through the field from sixth on the grid, and by the end of the opening lap, he had already opened up a comfortable margin at the head of the field. Lombard had a few more cars to contend with and could only work his way up to fifth during the first lap, with Dahl, Fuller and Morgenrood between him and his championship rival. Dahl’s car came to a halt on lap two, but Lombard was still behind Fuller and Morgenrood until the final lap, when both he and Morgenrood got past the Potaround Ford Falcon. Reib had a two-second advantage at the flag over Morgenrood, with Lombard in third. Fuller came home in fourth ahead of Compaan, the leading GT2 contender. Herbst and Spicer took second and third places in the GT2 class.

Reib claimed GT1 honours from Lombard and Fuller in the day’s overall standings, while Compaan led the way in GT2 with Herbst and Spicer joining him on the podium. Morgenrood took GTX.

In the overall and GT1 class championship standings, Lombard now has a two-point advantage over Reib with Dahl in third. Compaan leads the way in GT2 ahead of Herbst and Spicer.

The Dunlop V8 Supercars will next head to Zwartkops Raceway on 16 and 17 May for the third round of their 2025 championship.