Summarize

Dunlop’s 2026 National Championship season kicked off in top gear at Killarney’s Cape Town Extreme Festival on Saturday. With all seven car categories exclusively racing Dunlop tyres, the Dunlop Extreme Supercars, South African Touring Cars and SupaCup, Astron Energy Polo Cup and Investchem MSA4, as well as Volkswagen Rookie and Gazoo Toyota championships started to take shape off great racing on the day.

“Dunlop’s National season blasted off with wonderful Extreme racing at Killarney on Saturday,” Dunlop Tyres marketing manager Joanne de Freitas confirmed. “With Dunlop the exclusive tyre supplier to all seven car categories once again this year, we salute all the Dunlop Pole Position and race winners, and championship leaders, as well as the Killarney International Raceway and the Extreme Festival on a truly great day.”

The Dunlop Extreme Supercars saw Jonathan du Toit’s Lamborghini Huracan grab the Dunlop Pole Position. Archrival Charl Arangies had other ideas as he powered his Mercedes-AMG GT3 the opening race win, only for du Toit to strike back in the second heat. All-even into the finale, Arangies made it two from three to take the day from du Toit. That leaves Arangies in a slender GT3 log lead, while Gianni Giannoccaro’s Audi R8 leads Charl Visser’s Porsche in Class A and Ant Blunden’s Huracan, Weylin Volschenk’s Nissan and Uli Sanne’s BMW Z4M are ahead in Classes B, C and D.

There was a shake-up in the South African Touring Cars after Julian van der Watt took the Dunlop Pole Position. Julian’s Golf GTI bogged on the series’ first-ever standing start, leaving debutants KC Ensor-Smith’s Golf and Jason Coetzee’s Corolla to lead. Van der Watt fought back to no avail, leaving Ensor-Smith to lead a remarkable debut 1-2 from Coetzee and Andy Schofield’s BMW. On pole for reverse grid race 2, van der Watt made no mistakes to lead from lights to flag from KC and Jason. Which leaves it tight at the top of the log with just seven championship points between KC, Jason, Julian, and Andy.

Another rookie, reigning Astron Energy Polo Cup champion Rory Atkinson stole the SATC SupaCup Dunlop Pole Position. But Rory also fluffed his start to leave sophomore Jason Loosemore to win race 1. Atkinson fought back to second from Nicholas Vostanis and impressive lady rookie Tyler Robinson. Loosemore, Atkinson, rookie Judd Bertholdt and David Franco benefited Vostanis retiring from the lead to top race 2. Which leaves Loosemore leading Atkinson, who added three pole and double fastest bonus lap bonus points, by just three points in the chase. Bertholdt and Robinson are fighting over third.

Hannes Scheepers started with a compelling Astron Energy Polo Cup Dunlop Pole Position before ramming his advantage home with two race wins. He held Roshaan Goodman off in both races with Shiren Rajpaul and Pierluigi Muzzulini sharing out the thirds and fourths. Double champion Wayne Masters overcame Derick Smalberger and Dunlop Pole man John Kruger to win the first Polo Masters race, before Smalberger took race 2. Which leaves Scheepers leading Goodman by seven points and Rajpaul and Muzzulini equal in third. Masters and Smalberger sit tied at the top in Masters.

Mikel Bezuidenhout likewise started his 2026 Investchem MSA4 season perfectly with the Dunlop Pole Position, two race wins and the fastest lap. Former British Formula 4 racer Aqil Alibhai impressed with two hard-fought second places on debut over Renzo Ribeiro and Keegan Campos in race 1. And from Karabo Malemela and Shrien Naidoo in the second heat. Bezuidenhout’s grand slam sees him leading the early championship on 22 points from Alibhai on 16 and Ribeiro with ten points.

Sebastian Venkov beat Dunlop Pole lad Luke Hill to the opening Volkswagen Rookie Cup flag. Venkov however copped a ten second jump start penalty to leave Hill to the win from Sebastian Dias and Jack Moore. Hill went on to do the double from Moore and Anwar Anwil, to see Luke eight points clear of Jack in the early title chase. GR 86 Rookie Kobus Reynecke, GR Yaris Dealer lad Devon Scott and GR Corolla Media man Nabil Abdool dominated their classes to share the early Toyota Gazoo Racing Cup title lead.

The Dunlop-shod National Extreme Festival returns to Mpumalanga following a two year hiatus for round 2 at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas and conveniently close to Gauteng on Saturday 18 April.