Summarize

Some may not be able to pronounce Port Elizabeth’s new name Gqeberha. But did you know that it's the Khoisan name for the Braakens River that flows into the old Nelson Mandela Bay harbour? Thought not. Anyway, the Investchem Formula 1600 championship will be locked and loaded and in Port Elizabeth by the time you read this, with a few days testing before the third round of the series at Aldo Scribante’s Extreme Festival nationals on Saturday 29 May.

The question everyone is asking however, is if anyone can topple runaway championship leader Andrew Racksraw and his dominant Investchem Race Driver SA Mygale from his unbeaten charge down there. Rackstraw remains unbeaten in the championship chase, having dropped just one point in the four races when he missed the fastest lap in Killarney’s second round. For the rest, he's been on pole position, won the races and set the rest of those quickest race laps too.

Behind Rackstraw, it's a case of youthful exuberance trumping good old experience as young gun Jarrod Waberski's DAW Mygale and Formula 1600 rookie Josh le Roux's ILCA New Heights Hegdek Cloud Mygale head a tight fight for that crucial championship second over the evergreen Nicholas van Weely's Magnificent Paint & Hardware Van Diemen. Van Weely will be anxious to put a clean weekend together to overcome his kortbroek rivals and take the challenge to Rackstraw.

Next up, it was young Alex Vos who nicked that quickest lap point in his DV Building Supplies Ecurie Zoo Van Diemen and he's also very much in striking distance of second. Andrew Schofield is keen to get his title ambitions under way after skipping the second round in his Investchem Safair Mygale. And look out for young chargers, Ewan Holtzhausen's Total Plastics Mygale, brothers Antwan and Gerard Geldenhuys' Abacus Divisions Mygales and Brendan Tracey's Investchem Mygale. 

The wings and slicks Investchem Formula 1600s will be joined by a field of old school treaded tyre Formula Ford Kents at Aldo Scribante. Mr. F1600 Ian Schofield will be the man to beat there aboard his Investchem Mygale. Allen Meyer is Ian’s closest championship challenger in his Investchem van Diemen ahead of Jeff Gable, but keep an eye on Dean Venter's Chamber LXXVII Mygale, Graham Hepburn’s Qualipak JHB Van Diemen, Steve Venter and Ronald van Weely here too.

Spectators remain banned from racetracks, but Saturday’s Gqeberha action will be live streamed — google Extreme Festival Live to find the feed.