Season's first of two visits to the track had a dramatic mix of action-packed racing and a series of safety cars.
Andrew Schofield led from start to finish in race two of the South African Touring Cars in his FlySafair BMW 128ti. Picture: Dave Ledbitter
The onset of winter and promise of wet conditions that never materialised, failed to deter round three of the National Extreme Festival at Zwartkops on Saturday from attraction a substantial audience.
A day that saw great action, yellow flags and safety cars all thrown into the mix, the event also marked the national series’ final visit to the Highveld till the finale in October.
Touring Cars
Taking top billing was the South African Touring Cars and SupaPolo campaigned SupaCup series.
Race one saw victory go to Julian van der Watt (We Buy Cars Volkswagen Golf GTI) ahead of reigning champion Michael van Rooyen (Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla), Keagan Campos (Veloce Automobili BMW 128ti), former champion Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics Volkswagen Golf GTI) and K.C Ensor-Smith (African Heating Volkswagen Golf GTI).
Starting from pole in race two, Andrew Schofield lead until the checkered in his FlySafair BMW 128ti ahead of Ensor-Smith, Wolk, van der Watt and Campos.
In the SupaCup, Jason Loosemore (Nathan’s Motorsport) took out both the day’s event, followed in race one by Judd Bertholdt (Union Power Energy), Nikki Vostanis (Campos Transport), Tyler Robinson (AF Fans) and Rory Atkinson (Volkswagen Motorsport).
Race two saw Robinson finishing second ahead of Bertholdt, with Vostanis and David Franco (Graphix Supply World) rounding out the top five.
Polo Cup
With three races on the weekend, the three races for the Astron Energy Polo Cup saw championship leader Hannes Scheepers (Dainfern Dental Studio) triumph in the first two races.
Volkswagen Rookie Cup graduate Maro da Luz (Retail Insight/G&H Transport) took the runner’s up spot in race one ahead of Jayden Goosen (AA), Charl Smallberger (Sabertek) and Roshaan Goodman (Upward Spiral).
The second heat saw Shiren Rajpaul (Goldwagen) swapping places with da Luz, with Smallbergr and Goodman repeating their respective places.
Race three saw Smallberger end Scheepers’ perfect run of victories to take victory from da Luz, with Scheepers finishing third. Goosen and Rajpaul completed the top five.
Extreme Supercars
The first of three races for the Dunlop Extreme Supercars saw Damian Hammond take a maiden victory first time out in his Liqui Moly Mercedes-AMG GT3.
He led home Jonathan Du Toit (TAR Lamborghini Huracan) and Charl Arangies (Ravenol/Stradale Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3), but only after contact on the penultimate lap that saw the latter rotate on the final corner.
Marius Jackson (MJR Audi R8) and Gianni Giannoccaro (Sparco Audi R8) rounded the first five off.
Race two saw du Toit lead home Arangies, Hammond, Karah Hill (Kalex Audi R8) and Ricci Giannoccaro (Lamborghini Huracan).
In a reversal of race two, Arangies made it three different winners in all three heats leading out du Toit, Hammond, Gianni Giannoccaro and Jacobs.
MSA4
Both races of the MSA4 series were characterised by safety cars, the first happening at the start when the Red Dot entry of Liam Polome broke its driveshaft seconds after the red lights went out.
Stuck on the main straight, the deployment of the safety car eventually, once racing began, resulted in victory for Aqil Alibhai (Apex/LSM) from Mikel Bezuidenhout (Huawei), Karabo Malemela (KMFT Morita), Shrien Naidoo (Production X) and Kent Swartz.
Race two saw yet more mayhem and safety car deployment. Ultimately, Bezuidenhout ran out the victor from Malemela, Troy Dolinschek – who started both races from the rear of the field after being disqualified from qualifying over a technical infringement – and Alibhai.
Two-wheels
On two wheels, both rounds of the Sunbet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters races went to championship Damion Purificati (Crystal Lubricants) from Hein McMahon (K9 Law Enforcement) and James Barson (Proproof Waterproofing)
Trevor Westman (Project Sixty) took a brace of fourth places in both races, with fifth in race one going to Henk Kruger (Zeemans) and Pieter Delport (Carlin Akademie) in race two.
Volkswagen Rookie Cup
Jack Moore (Fleet Dynamics) took home victory in race one of the Volkswagen Rookie Cup using identical near-standard Polo Vivo GTs.
He led home Sebastian Dias (PMD Transport), Sebastian Venkov (23 Degrees), Luke Hill (Steelform), Keyaan Dwomoh (Adhive Group) and Max Corbett (Century Racing).
Race two went to Dias from Venkov, with Hill finishing third ahead of Corbett, Moore and Dwomoh.
Toyota GR Cup
In the Toyota GR Cup, race one saw the deployment of the safety after the GR Corolla media entry of Kumbi Mtshakazi made solid contact with the Dealer class entered GR Corolla of Theo Brits early on at the final corner.
Once racing resumed, series leader Kobus Reyneke won the race for the GR86s from Connor Weston, Kian Fussel, Emma Dowling and Tshepang Shisinwana.
Race two saw Reyneke retire with mechanical troubles, leading the way for his closest rival, Weston, to take victory. The pair now share the victory count from the first three rounds with three wins apiece.
Dowling finished second ahead of Fussel, Shisinwana and Reagile Mailula.
In the Dealer class using a combination of GR Yaris’ and GR Corollas, Toyota GR Academy driving instructor, Paul de Vos, won both heats.
Race one saw him take top honours from Marius Classen, Werner Venter, Werner Horn and Andries de Villiers.
Classen took out second place in race two as well, leading home Horn, Venter and Brits, whose and Kumbi’s cars both made onto the grid.
In the Media section, using the GR Corolla fitted with the eight-speed Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT), reigning champion Nabil Abdool (SuperSport) continued his winning form after a close battle throughout with de Vos.
Second in the media class went to Craig Nicholson (Wheels24) ahead of debutant Yolanda Lukhele in a one-off drive as part of Toyota adding an extra entry for female media personalities.
Tayedza Mbiri (AutoTrader) and Justin Ford (eNCA) completed the media entries.
The second race saw Abdool make it six victories from six starts in leading home pole-sitter Nicholson, Lukhele, Ford and Mbiri.
Next
The series now embarks on a three-event coastal visit starting in the Eastern Cape with round four at Aldo Scribante on 27 June.
