Summarize

Chemical Logistics Racing enjoyed a splendid start to its 2026 South African Touring Cars season when Julian van der Watt and rookie KC Ensor-Smith’s Investchem WCT Volkswagen Golf GTIs shared out pole position and the two race wins. Andrew Schofield meantime delivered among his best weekends yet aboard his FlySafair Chemical Logistics FAST BMW 128ti.

“That was a pretty good start to our 2026 South African Touring Cars season,” team principal Ian Schofield confirmed. “Julian was on fire all weekend and that showed with his pole position. His first race never went as expected, but that opened the way for our rookie KC Ensor-Smith to deliver an historic debut victory in the second Golf. Julian hit back with a perfect second race win, while Andy Schofield enjoyed among his best Touring Car results yet. Well done to the entire team on a great effort. Let’s keep this momentum building.”

It was a dream debut for KC Ensor-Smith and his Investchem WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI. Starting second, he aced the start to lead from lights to flag. “That sounds pretty easy, but it wasn’t!” KC smiled. “The start was good, but I had huge pressure, initially from my old karting rival Jason Coetzee in the Toyota and Andy’s BMW, and then from Julian. I managed to keep him behind for a dream come true debut Touring Car win. That was a moment I will certainly never forget! Winning race 1 meant starting at the back of the second race grid, but I fought past Andy and Michael van Rooyen to come home third for the overall win on my Touring Cars debut. Huge thanks to the team. What a day!”

Julian van der Watt started on the front foot with pole position in the other Investchem WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI, but that fell apart at the start. “We had a standing start for the first time and let’s just say I duffed it,” Julian frowned. “The car bogged on the line and the rest jumped me at the start. I fought hard to pass the others and close KC down but that also went wrong when I moved for the lead and dropped to fifth. The only good thing was I was on pole for the reverse grid second heat and able to make amends with a great start and a lights to flag win. Well done KC and thanks as always to the team. Now I just need a clean weekend next time, so here’s to that!”

It was also a very good weekend for Andrew Schofield and his FlySafair Chemical Logistics FAST BMW 128ti. “This was probably my best weekend yet in South African Touring Cars,” Andy admitted. “I qualified fourth and enjoyed a great first race, initially running third before Julian came past. But he went off so it was third at the flag. I started the second race third but ended up fifth faced with a roadblock in the form of Michael van Rooyen’s Toyota. I had the pace but he was struggling and tried every trick in the book to keep me behind, but I eventually found a way past for fourth and third overall for the day. Special thanks to my team. What an enjoyable weekend!”

Chemical Logistics Racing and the South African Touring Cars now return to Mpumalanga for the first time in three years for the second round of the National Extreme Festival at Red Star Raceway near Delmas on Saturday 18 April.