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National Extreme Festival bids 2022 farewell in spectacular style at Zwartkops
Boiling weather followed later by a strong gust that triggered a dust storm in fading light didn't deter spectators from witnessing the last race of the year.
Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics Toyota Corolla) scored two podium places at Zwartkops on Saturday, to clinch the 2022 Global Touring Car title. Picture: Dave Ledbitter.
This year’s National Extreme Festival produced a brilliant finale at the Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday, with six South African champions crowned by the end of the day.
The event’s premier title chase was that of the Global Touring Cars, with Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics Toyota Corolla) and Saood Variawa (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) still in the hunt.
Starting from pole position, Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) won race one, closely followed by Variawa and Wolk, Third place was enough though for Wolk to clinch the title.
Bradley Liebenberg (Hype Volkswagen Golf GTI) won an incident filled race two ahead of Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics Ford Focus) and Wolk.
Leyton Fourie (Express Hire SupaPolo) took the opening SupaCup race from Arnold Neveling (Stradale SupaPolo) and Jonathan Mogotsi (Sonax SupaPolo).
Jason Campos (Turn 1 SupaPolo) won race two ahead of Mogotsi and Jeffrey Kruger (Universal SupaPolo). Despite a comparatively lacklustre performance in the second race, Fourie had done enough to take the title for 2022.
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Clinton Bezuidenhout (Stu Davidson Polo) won the opening CompCare Polo Cup race ahead of Charl Visser (Universal Polo) and Dawie van der Merwe (Universal Polo).
He then did the exact same in race two ahead of Visser and Nathi Msamanga (Squdra Corsa Polo). To cap the weekend off, Bezuidenhout went out and took race three as well, a first in recent Polo Cup memory, ahead of Visser and Msamanga.
The first InvestChem F1600 race went to Josh le Roux (RDSA Mygale), leading home Troy Dolinschek (Sujean Mygale) and Gerard Geldenhuys (Abacus Mygale).
Geldenhuys turned the tables by taking race two ahead of Le Roux and Andrew Schofield (InvestChem Mygale). Having the dominated the first race though, and after a solid performance all year, it was Le Roux who walked away with the champion.
The G&H Transport Extreme Supercar brigade lost its title leader early in the opening race, when the TAR Lamborghini Huracan of Jonathan du Toit skidded through the gravel trap outside turn one at over 170 km/h. Du Toit was unhurt but the same could not be said for the car.
Meanwhile, initial leader Franco Scribante (Porsche 911 RSR) was docked 30 seconds for jumping the start. This dropped him to second by the Pagid Audi R8 of eventual winner Charl Arangies, with the G&H Transport Nissan GT-R finishing third.
Amazingly, du Toit’s crew managed to patch his Lamborghini together with kilometres of duct tape and he took to the track for race two. An incredible showing netted him second behind Scribante and Giannoccaro, as well as title.
Capetonian Ronald Slamet (Vault Markets ZX10) took the opening SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup race in quite convincing style from Trevor Westman (Wayward ZX10) and Graeme van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks ZX10).
The veteran van Breda though won race two, clinching the year’s title in the process with Slamet crossing the line second ahead of Michael Smit.
Gert van den Berg (DOE Rhema) won the first DOE Formula Vee race, beating Peter Hills (Mangaza Rhema) and Lendl Jansen (Bull Security Rhema). Long-time campaigner Hills then went on to win race two in windy and appalling conditions ahead of Jansen and van den Berg.
The first Mobil 1 V8 Supercar race went to Julian Familiaris (Lube-Net Chevrolet Corvette) leading home Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Jaguar XK8) and Thomas Reib (Mobil 1 Chevrolet Lumina). Terry Wilford (Fuchs Falcon) took race two from Adlem and Di Matteo.
The next round of the 2022 Extreme Festival will be a Regional round at Zwartkops on Saturday, November 12.
