Summarize

Dunlop South Africa is looking to forward to another season of Motorsport domination in 2026. With the action already well under way, the year’s National battles kick off with the South African Endurance Series opening Zwartkops 4 Hour this weekend, before all hell literally breaks loose with action across all disciplines for the rest of the season.

“Dunlop is once again ready to race across almost every motorsport discipline in South Africa for 2026,” Dunlop Marketing Manager Joanne de Freitas explains. “Our official involvement spans no less than 24 racing series from national to regional and even racing just for fun, and its already happening around the country. 

“Dunlop remains a leading force in South Africa. We supply the motor industry’s Original Equipment needs and a thriving aftermarket out of our local manufacturing plants. Our expansive local motorsport campaign remains the cornerstone of Dunlop’s marketing plan and we continue to support racing on all fronts.

“We remain the exclusive tyre supplier to all National Extreme Festival car categories and satisfy the racing tyre needs of most endurance, regional racing to hot rods, rallying and even lemons racing competitors. So every category, from supercars to touring cars, V8s, rally cars and oval racers, and across to motorcycles, depend on Dunlop for success.” 

Dunlop’s season is already well underway. The BMW M Performance Series started at Zwartkops’ Passion for Speed and its Cape contemporary BMW Car Club Cape Town, and WP GTi Challenge both already raced a round. Attention now switches to the SA Endurance Series opening Zwartkops 4 Hour this weekend, where the cream of the GT3 crop will contend with the quickest sports prototypes in the land, and the rest.

Next up, the Northern Regions Extreme Festival kicks off at Zwartkops early in March, headed by the Dunlop V8 Supercars, which celebrates its 30th anniversary of becoming an all-V8 series in 2026. They race alongside the BMW M Performance Series’ second round, and season openers for the ever popular ATE VW Challenge, ACD 111s and DOE Formula Vees. All of the above of course racing on Dunlop tyres.

Then it’s time for the big one, when the National Extreme Festival fires up at Killarney in Cape Town later in March. Expect truly extreme action there when the Lamborghinis, Porsches, Ferraris, Vipers and the rest of the Dunlop Extreme Supercars, the thrilling South African Touring Cars and the SATC SupaCup seasons explode into action. 

Talking explosive, SA’s top junior formulae, the Dunlop-shod Astron Energy Polo Cup, which races as both a young gun shootout and a Masters class for the over-50s, and the far busier and closer fought Investchem MSA4 single seaters, never fail to thrill. And let us not forget the VW Rookie Cup and Toyota Gazoo Racing Cup.

Moving off the beaten track, the all-Dunlop South African Rally Championship starts 2026 with something completely different. The All Tar Rally returns as a National round for the first time across the Gerotek test facility and around Zwartkops Raceway this year. Then it’s back to the regular dirt stages for the rest of the season.

Dunlop of course also supplies the rubber for the South African National Hot Rod Tour, the Backdraft Cobra series and the iLamunas ‘lemons’ endurance series limited to cars valued under R50K. The above are only the series that race exclusively on Dunlop tyres. Dunlop also supplies teams and racers across myriad other South African car, motorcycle, and other disciplines.

“Dunlop is ready for another incredible season of South African motor racing,” Dunlop motorsport coordinator Nicole Stopforth concludes. “Our partners ATS Motorsport are primed and the Dunlop Racing Tyre Crew is poised to travel the thousands of kilometres  to service teams and drivers at main events around the country throughout the season. 

“All that’s left is to wish all Dunlop Motorsport’s competitors, teams and partners a fantastic racing season ahead. Let the games begin!”