Summarize

It’s all change for South African Touring Cars as a healthy eight-car field heads tor Kyalami’s Blockbuster Extreme Festival at Kyalami on Saturday. New faces in the SATC SupaCup field are sure to cause an extra stir there too.

While some cars were not ready in time for the opening round at Killarney in Cape Town in March, their return along with several changes to the field since then have added to bring a surprising new look to the SATC grid. With Killarney double-winner Anthony Pretorius off to race overseas, he has been replaced by former SupaCup star Keegan Campos in the Chemical Logistics Campos Transport FAST Racing BMW 128tc.

The ’24 SupaCup runner-up lines up alongside Andrew Schofield’s similar FlySafair Chemical Logistics FAST BMW 128tc. Former Investchem Formula 1600 champion Julian van der Watt is meantime looking to make up for a tough home outing in his familiar Chemical Logistics WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI alongside reigning F1600 champion. The Sparco clad Jagger Robertson has now been confirmed for the season in the second CLR WCT Golf GTI, following his positive Cape outing.

Toyota is also back to full strength with a four-car lineup for Kyalami. 2023 champion Saood Variawa has returned from Rally Raid duty alongside Nathi Msimanga, who also makes a return in a pair of Toyota Gazoo Racing SVR Corollas. They are backed by Michael van Rooyen’s SVR Steelworks FAST Corolla and Formula 1600 graduate, Siyabonga Mankonkwana in an Investchem Chemical Logistics FAST version.

South African Touring Cars returns to its biggest grid yet with eight cars on the Kyalami grid for the first time in several seasons. SATC is of course backed by the cracking SupaCup, which Cape Town VW SupaPolo duo Tate Bishop’s Angri Racing LTR car and Charl Michael Visser’s Charl Engineering version dominated at their home round at Killarney last time out. 

So, take it with salt that their upcountry rivals will be out for revenge on home terrain at Kyalami. Principal among them, Volkswagen Motorsport SupaPolo duo Jonathan Mogotsi’s Genuine Parts car and SupaCup rookie Jason Loosemore’s Astron Energy version, and Dawie van der Merwe in the lone Toyota Gazoo Racing SupaStarlet will be out to redress the SupaCup status quo.

Also very much in the SupaCup fray are SupaPolo gang, Nicolaos Vostanis, who impressed at Killarney, Kalex lass Karah Hill, Dean Venter’s Platinum Mile entry and Zimbabwean Dylan Pragji’s Stylin Auto car.

There’s also a most SATC SupaCup interesting newcomer in the form of Bishop and Visser’s big karting rival, Muhammad Wally, who makes his main circuit debut aboard a SupaPolo. Andre Bezuidenhout’s Weltevreden Bertha Wines SupaPolo was the only Masters entry at the time of writing.

With practice on Thursday and Friday and qualifying that afternoon, South African Touring Cars and SupaCup race twice 11h20 and 13h00 at the Blockbuster Extreme Festival powered by Coca-Cola on Saturday. See you at Kyalami!