After much burning of midnight oil, Peter Lindenberg, who is well known in KZN for his Formula 1 Powerboat achievements, will be entering a three car privateer team into the challenging world of production car racing in 2007. Their first event will be the production car curtain-raiser to the A1 Grand Prix in Durban this weekend. Named the ‘Hotontar’ team, Lindenberg Racing will be fielding three new spec Subaru WRX Sti’s in class A, challenging the big factory teams as an independent team entry. Medal Paints are the main sponsor of the only lady in the Production Car National Championships, Clare Vale, who is a former Shelby Can Am driver. Racing his magnificently turned out red ‘Scoobie’, Peter (Ferodo / Champion / Ram) will also be joined by former Silver Cup driver Dawie Olivier (Bosal / Ram) in the third driver’s seat.

Perry Chetty, Medal Paint’s Marketing & Sales Director, who lives in Westville, joins Bosal, Ferodo, Ram, Subaru and Champion Spark Plugs and the major backers to the team.

Lindenberg Racing have always done things their own way and the Hotontar team is no exception; the cars’ eye-catching liveries have a very different look, and the unique pit setups which will allow spectators far more interaction with the team will bring some welcome changes to the production car series.

Having won two Super Saloon National oval titles (2005 & 2006) and a hat-trick of Total V8 championship wins, the former powerboat champion recently typically hung up his helmet in oval racing at the top. He will still compete in Historic races but his main focus for the coming years will be the Hotontar team. Production car racing is one of the few areas that Peter Lindenberg has not competed in and with the current motor industry boom, the Bridgestone production car racing series is set to grow rapidly with increased support from the major manufacturers. With 10 events comprising of two heats each and the entire season enjoying TV coverage, the opportunities are clearly evident. The local Subaru enthusiasts are also a passionate bunch and seeing their cars racing head to head with the established teams will be very exciting indeed.

“Winning partnerships are the key to continued success, and our decision to race Subaru vehicles for the Production car challenge was reached after looking at many factors that influence Production car racing today,” said Lindenberg. “The cars are based on standard models and the team is solely responsible for their preparation from the ground up”, he added. The Subaru package of all wheel drive, boxer engines and turbo charged technology is unique in the Production car lineup and may provide the team with a competitive edge. The vehicles are being developed at the Lindenberg Racing workshops based at WesBank Raceway in Germiston.

Remia Brynardt, Lindenberg Racings workshop manager is very upbeat about the team’s prospects for this year, and he knows that they will be under a lot of pressure over the next two weeks. “The Durban street race with its concrete walls is very unforgiving. Having the first official round of the championships the following weekend in Gauteng will not ease the pressure”, he added. The drivers are taking their involvement very seriously and are involved in a fitness and weight loss routine (Clare Vale has already beaten the men in this category) to improve their performance as well.

The team will be in Durban as of Wednesday this week to start to prepare for their first race