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First winter months round of this year's series promised action and delivered the heat.
Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) extended his South African Touring Car championship at Zwartkops on Saturday. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter.
Great weather and excellent on-track action greeted spectators at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, when the venue hosted round four of the National Extreme Festival Presented By Coca-Cola.
Touring Cars
Top billing belonged to the South African Touring Car championship brigade, with 22 cars facing the starter.
Race one went to Keegan Campos (Campos Transport BMW 128ti), chased to the flag by Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla), Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics Volkswagen Golf GTI) and Nathi Msimanga (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla).
Race two was red-flagged almost immediately when the Chemical Logistics BMW 128it of Andrew Schofield and the Campos BMW 128it made brutal contact at the turn two hairpin.
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Both Campos and Schofield got their vehicles out of the sand trap and, with a brand new race declared, could rejoin the grid.
The new race then ended behind the safety car under double waved yellow flags after Siyabonga Mankonkwana went off in the ultra-fast turn one and parked his Investchem Toyota Corolla deep in the sand trap.
After all of which van Rooyen won, followed by Saood Variawa (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla), van der Watt and Msimanga.
SupaCup
The first SupaCup heat was won by Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Genuine Parts SupaPolo), leading home Jason Loosemore (Astron Energy Volkswagen SupaPolo), Tate Bishop (ANGRi Volkswagen SupaPolo) and Charl Visser (Charl Engineering Volkswagen SupaPolo).
Mogotsi won the next race as well, chased over the line by Bishop, Loosemore and Visser.
Polo Cup
The Astron Energy Polo Cup category tackled three race heats on the day, making Dunlop tyre conservation a vital part of drivers’ strategy.
Rory Atkinson (Industry Petroleum) won race one from Mohammed Karodia (Fast 5), Hannes Scheepers (Dainfern Dental) and Dhivyen Naido (Production X).
Atkinson won race two as well, this time ahead of Karodia, Judd Bertholdt (Rookie Cup) and Roshaan Goodman (Upward Spiral).
Race three was red-flagged on the opening lap when four cars spun off in the hairpin and got stuck.
Everybody managed to rejoin though, and the race went to Atkinson, holding off Karodia, Tyler Robinson (AF Fans) and Goodman.
Supercars
Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan) won the first Dunlop Extreme Supercar race ahead of Charl Arangies (Stradale Porsche 911 GT3 R), Gianni Giannoccaro (G&H Transport Nissan GT-R) and Kris Budnik (Bucketlist Components Dodge Viper).
In the process, du Toit set the day’s quickest overall lap time of 59.67 seconds.
Arangies parked the Porsche on the warm-up lap of race two, leaving du Toit to win again, followed by Giannoccaro, Paul Hill (Kalex Audi R8 GT3) and Budnik.
Du Toit made it a full house by winning race three as well, ahead of a returning Arangies, Giannocarro and Ricky Giannocarro (G&H Transport Mercedes-AMG GT3).
Two-wheels
Multiple Superbike champion Clinton Seller (King Price) led the opening SunBet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters Cup from lights to flag, finishing ahead of Damion Purificati (Amulgum Welding), Jayson Lamb (Tyremart East London) and Hein McMahon (K9 Law).
Seller won race two easily as well, followed by Purificati, Greame van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks) and McMahon.
MSA4
The all-new Investchem MSA4 single-seater category made its long-awaited debut, with 14 of the one-litre turbocharged Volkswagen-powered cars on the grid.
Former Formula Ford racer KC Ensor-Smith (African Heating) took the race one victory, chased to the flag by Shrien Naidoo (Production X), Renzo Ribiero (Metal Used Spares) and Nicolas van Weely (Investchem).
Ensor-Smith won race two as well, followed by Ribiero, Adriaan Nel (SignFactory) and Liam Polome (Red Dot).
Race three went to Mikeil Bezuidenhout (Corsa Dei Gemelli), ahead of Karabo Malemela (KMFT Morita), Polome and Ensor-Smith.
Volkswagen Rookie Cup
The first Volkswagen Rookie Cup, in which all drivers uses standard Polo Vivo GTs, went to Josh Moore (BPW Puma), ahead of Christopher Tait (Sportex), Mauro da Luz (Retail) and Uzair Khan (TSS).
Tait won race two ahead of Moore, Da Luz and Khan.
Toyota GR Cup
The Toyota Gazoo Cup Racing brigade again produced top spectacle, with close racing in all three classes.
GR driving instructor Devon Scott (GR Yaris) took the opening dealership Cup race from Mario da Sousa (GR Corolla), Werner Venter (GR Corolla) and Paul de Vos (GR Corolla).
Scott, da Sousa and Venter filled the Dealership Cup race two podium as well, followed by.
Nadil Abdool (SuperSport) took both media event victories, leading home Phuti Mpayane (TimesLive) on both occasions, with Kyle Kock (CAR Magazine) placing third in race one and The Citizen‘s Charl Bosch in race two.
The first GR86 race went to Jason Coetzee, ahead of Kent Swartz, Khya Nggenya and Justin Rogers.
Coetzee won race two as well, chased by Swartz, Nggenya and Brandon van der Walt.
Next up
The next round of the National Extreme Festival will be at the East London Grand Prix on 19 July.
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