Summarize

Saturday's blockbuster Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola races delivered National championship action, drama and thrills, quite literally from dawn to dusk at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. From the extreme excitement of the Dunlop Supercars to the drama of the South African Touring Cars and SupaCup and the cutthroat action of Astron Energy Polo Cup and Toyota Gazoo Racing Cup, there was something for everyone and a lot more too as the Regional classes joined the fun.

Pole man Bradley Liebenberg’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO delivered a faultless lights to flag demonstration to make it a hat trick as he took the opening Extreme Supercars driven by Dunlop race win. Young gun Ryan Naicker could only look on from his Mercedes-AMG GT3, under pressure from Jonathan du Toit’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO and Class A winner Damian Hammond’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Kris Budnik’s Dodge Viper and Audi R8 LMS GT3 duo Paul Hill and Marius Jackson.

Ryan Naicker led the second heat away before he was passed by du Toit and Liebenberg  on lap 1. Jono then held Brad off for the win. Liebenberg was however excluded from second on a technical issue, to leave Naicker as runner up from Budnik, Hammond and Hill. Du Toit took the day and GT3 from Naicker and Liebenberg, Damian Hammond won Class B, Sam Hammond C, and BMW Z4 man Uli Sanne C.

Michael van Rooyen put his Corolla on South African Touring Cars pole position from Julian van der Watt’s Volkswagen Golf and Saood Variawa’s Corolla. Variawa however took over early on, to lead van Rooyen, rookie Jagger Robertson, his Gold teammate Julian van der Watt, and debutant Keegan Campos’ BMW 328tc home. 

Campos sorted his gearbox issues for the second race and took the lead from second on the reverse grid to lead Robertson, van der Watt and Variawa home, with Nathi Msimanga’s Corolla and Andrew Schofield’s BMW next from a distant van Rooyen. Variawa was however penalised for his part in a confrontation with van Rooyen and placed behind Michael, which also cost him the overall win to Campos with Robertson second from van der Watt and Variawa.

There was drama from the get-go in the SATC SupaCup. Dominant pole man Jonathan Mogotsi led from lights to flag to beat Charl Michael Visser, Tate Bishop, the impressive Niko Zafiris, debutant Muhammad Wally and Dylan Pragji, all of them driving Volkswagen SupaPolos. Mogotsi, Visser and Zafiris were however each docked ten seconds for illegal push-to pass use on the first lap.

That elevated Bishop to his third win on the trot from Pragji, Mogotsi, another newcomer, Nicolas Vostanis, Visser and Dawie van der Merwe in the sole Toyota SupaStarlet. Mogotsi made no mistakes to take heat 2 from Bishop, Visser, Karah Hill, Zafiris Wally, Franco and van der Merwe, before Hill took her turn to be penalised on push to pass. Mogotsi took the day from Bishop and Visser.

Another racing lass, Tyler Robinson continued to impress by taking her maiden Astron Energy Polo Cup pole position from Rory Atkinson and Roshaan Goodman on Friday. The young lady then converted that into a splendid lights to flag win, a huge achievement in the cut and thrust world of Polo Cup. Ethan Coetzee and impressive debutant Anthony Lessing put one over Atkinson for second and third with Kyle Visser fifth from Hannes Scheepers. 

Top rookie Judd Bertholdt was on pole for race 2 but he was mugged by Mohammed Karodia, Shiren Rajpaul, Coetzee and Scheepers, before Coetzee made a move on Rajpaul for second. Ethan Coetzee emerged the overall winner for the day from Mo Karodia, Tyler Robinson, Hannes Scheepers, Rory Atkinson and Shiren Rajpaul. Debutant Bevin and brother Wayne Masters shared Astron Energy Polo Masters wins, but Wayne took the day from Derick Smalberger and John Kruger. 

GR Yaris Media Cup racer Nabil Abdool put one over Kent Swartz, GR86 Rookie Cup duo Khanya Ngqenya and Jason Coetzee and GR Corolla Dealer Cup man Mario de Sousa in the first Toyota Gazoo Cup race. De Sousa gained Dealer revenge over Abdool and Rookie trio Coetzee Ngqenya and Brandon van der Walt in race 2. 

The all-new Investchem MSA4 ran as a demonstration after a repetitive teething niggle in practice when most of the cars turned a wheel in anger for the first time, left the class with too few of those replacement parts to go round. The demo was however enough to signal the start of a thrilling new South African wings and slicks single seater era.

The third round of the 2024 National Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola heads to Aldo Scribante racetrack in Gqeberha for its next appointment on Saturday 10 May.