Summarize

There’s been nothing to split veteran Aqil Alibhai and rookie Mikel Bezuidenhout in this year’s Investchem MSA4 championship and it’s still no different after Saturday’s fourth round National Extreme Festival races at Gqeberha’s Aldo Scribante racetrack. Alibhai took Saturday’s opening race with Bezuidenhout third before Mikel took race 2 from Aqil to keep it super tight at the top of the table.

2025 championship runner up Bezuidenhout opened the betting by snatching the pole position bonus point in his Corsa Dei Gemelli MSA4 by three tenths from former British Formula 4 racer Alibhai in his Kokoro version to see the title rivals share the front row. Behind them, Durbanite Shrien Naidoo was third in his Production X machine from Kent Swartz, rapid FAST rookie Guido Bidoli and Metal Used ATT driver Renzo Ribeiro.

Corsa Dei Gemelli rookie Wianko Fourie qualified seventh from Kokoro Reach for a Dream supporter Chase Haskins, 76 Legacy WOrr lad Aadam Kajee and best of the ladies, Gianna Pascoal’s 76 Legacy WOrr car in tenth. Karabo Malemela could not have been happy with eleventh ahead of Apex Cordset Kokoro lass Anastasia Gerasis, Red Dot Vantage lad Liam Polome and Investchem’s Simphiwe Mohlahlo. Ian Schofield led John-Henri Vaughn, Rick Morris, and Allen Meyer in Formula Ford Kent. 

Alibhai made a quick getaway to lead Bezuidenhout, Renzo Ribeiro off a lightning start Kent Swartz, Guido Bidoli and Karabo Malemela making up for his slow qualifying. Ribiero had great pace and found a way around Bezuidenhout for second while Naidoo moved ahead of Swartz for fourth. Bidoli, Malemela and Wianko Fourie followed but 

Aadam Kajee and Chase Haskins ran into trouble on successive laps to hand Gianna Pascoal ninth. Simphiwe Mohlahlo picked up tenth as Gerasis and Polome also stopped as Schofield held Morris and Meyer off to win in Kent.

Bezuidenhout then took charge of race 2 to leave Alibhai to fend the feisty Ribeiro off with Naidoo and Malemela in chase until Karabo stopped. That left Bidoli to pick up fifth from Swartz, Pascoal and Gerasis, Kajee, Haskins and Mohlahlo after Fourie and Polome did not start. Ian Schofield made it a Formula Ford Kent double from John-Henri Vaughn after Morris and Meyer stopped. 

The two also shared out the fastest lap bonus points as Bezuidenhout’s better race average won the day. But Alibhai’s win, second and bonus point versus Bezuidenhout’s win, third and two bonuses saw Alibhai eke out a three point advantage. The Investchem MSA4 action now heads to the East London Grand Prix Circuit for round 5 of the National Extreme Festival on Saturday 15 August. With four wins apiece from eight race starts, will anything break this tie between Alibhai and Bezuidenhout?