Extreme Festival gearing up for Red Star Raceway assault

Programme will comprise five different categories competing in two races each.

Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) should be a top contender in Saturday’s Global Touring Car races at the red Star Raceway. Picture: Reynard Gelderblom.

The Red Star Raceway near Delmas in Mpumalanga will host South Africa’s premier circuit racing disciplines this Saturday, with five national categories tackling a round of the Extreme Festival.

Top billing on the day will belong to the Global Touring Car brigade, where Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics Toyota Corolla) and Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) should continue to fight for this year’s overall championship lead.

Able to interfere with their efforts should be Scott Temple (Chemical Logistics Corolla), Lee Thompson (Universal BMW 2 Series), Julien van der Watt (Euro Performance Ford Focus) and Mandla Mdakane (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla).

Racing behind the GTC cars will be 10 Volkswagen SupaPolos with Bradley Liebenberg (Sparco SupaPolo), Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Motorsport SupaPolo), Jeffrey Kruger (Universal SupaPolo), Jason Campos (Turn 1 SupaPolo), Andre’ Bezuidenhout (Perfect Circle SupaPolo) and Nicky Dicks (Curvent SupaPolo) chasing podium places.

The day’s closest racing should be provided by the Volkswagen Polo Cup category, with 17 contenders taking to the tarmac.

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Front runners should include Leyton Fourie (Express Hire Polo), Arnold Neveling (Stradale Polo), Keegan Campos (Campos Transport Polo), Clinton Bezuidenhout (Steaming Bean Polo), Jurie Swart (Apine Autohaus Polo), Jaydon Els (King Price Polo) and Dawie van der Merwe (Universal SupaPolo).

Andrew Rackstraw (Investchem Mygale) must be the man to beat in the Investchem F1600 single-seater races, with his closest rival Jarrod Waberski (DAW Mygale). Others who could spray champagne could include Nicholas van Weely (Magnificent Paint Van Diemen), Josh Le Roux (ICLA New Heights Mygale), Alex Vos (Ecurie Zoo Van Diemen), Antwan Geldenhuys (Abacus Divisions Mygale), Ewan Holtzhausen (Total Plastics Mygale) and Gerard Geldenhuys (Abacus Divisions Mygale).

Reigning champion Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Jaguar) will head up the Mobil 1 V8 Supercar ranks. He will face off against drivers like Franco di Matteo (Deltec Batteries Jaguar), Warren Lombard (Pepboys Ford Falcon), Thomas Reib (Mobil 1 Chevrolet Lumina), Terry Wilford (Fuchs Ford Falcon), JP Nortje (N4 Autocraft Chevrolet Corvette), David Coetzee (ELKSA Ford Falcon) and Steve Herbst (Pei Instumentation Chevrolet Corvette).

The SunBet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters Cup races should see defending national champion Graeme van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks ZX10) as victory favourite.

He should be challenged by people like Michael Smit (Kawasaki ZX10), Gareth Bezuidenhout (Kawasaki ZX10), David Enticott (Sarum Engineering ZX10), Johan le Roux (Kawasaki ZX10) and Appanna Ganapathy (Art ZX10).

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, no spectators will be allowed at Red Star. However, all of the Saturday’s racing will be live streamed, with commentary by motorsport Voice of Choice Greg Moloney.