Summarize

Gauteng race fans can look forward to a fresh new season of regional championship racing as local competitors limbering up for the season opening Round 1 Regional Extreme Festival at Zwartkops Raceway Saturday 26 March. A packed program promises a spectacular and full day of racing across the board with everything from National DOE Formula Vee to Gauteng championship PABAR VW Challenge and Lotus Challenge on the menu, and a plethora club categories ready to get their 2022 championship seasons into top gear. 

Club categories include NSCC Sportscars and Car Care Clinic GT Sports & Saloons, as well as Car Care Clinic SuperHatch, Car Care Clinic 111s, Clubmans and SilverCup saloon car races. All eyes will however be on the DOE Formula Vees, Lotus and PABAR VW Challenge races. Class A champion Rory Atkinson will be the man to beat in VW Challenge in his BHIT Polo, which promises more than 40 entries. He will have the similar cars of Design Hut class B graduate Stiaan Kriel, AllWagen man Waldie Meintjes, Bevin and Wayne Masters, and Sam and Chris Dales Polos among a top class family affair.

Polo Cup and class champion Leyton Fourie moving on and Stiaan Kriel up, has allowed a bit of elbow room in jam-packed 20-car Class B. But regulars Stuart Mack’s Creative Ink Polo, Karshin Naidoo, Charisse van der Merwe’s Hot 102.7 FM and Elna Croeser ATE Polos have some fresh young competition to deal with. Not just from local JRT Polo Cup rookie Ethan Coetzee but also in the form of Cape Class B and Polo Cup Bullion IT lad Giordano Lupini. Also watch for Jesus Saves man Francois van Zyl and Leon Odendaal for the first time in his new PABAR goldenera Polo.

Class C and overall champion Pierluigi Muzzulini is back for more in his FSS Polo, where the likes of evergreen rivals Philip Croeser’s ATE, Ian Walker’s Cycles United, Mohammed Karodia’s Fast 5, Charl Andersen and Dino Smit’s ReZoom Polos to that dice at the back.

Moving on to the main single seater attraction, DOE Formula Vee is guaranteed to deliver ultimate spectacle. Champion Gert van den Berg and his DOE Start My Car Rhema 2 will commence fresh battle for 2022 honours with Lendl Jansen’s similar Bull Security machine and Mangaza Racing father Peter and sons Brandon and Vaughn Hills’ Rhema 2s. Add Shaun van der Linde's Truck City and former motocrosser Greg Wilson’s Rhema 2s, Theodore Vermaak's DOE Forza, Lushen Ramchander, David Austin, Blane de Meilon, Michael Kernick for entertaining racing.

The Lotus Challenge continues with champion Jeffrey Kruger’s Design Hut 7 up against rivals Thomas Falkiner’s Adaptive Resource car, Rudi Barnard’s Barneys machine, Adlem Auto duo Andre Human and Mackie Adlem, Sean Hewitt and Sean Hepburn. Leet trio Brett van Rensburg, Miles Downard and Nick Hodgson fight it out in the Locost class. NSCC Sportscars will see Deon du Plessis’ KTM taking on Paul Sullivan’s Nash, Dean Wolson and A'ron Harmse’s S2000s, and a fleet of Lotus 7s including Norman Witt, Klippies Krige and Glenton Rebello.

Another Zwartkops favourite, the Car Care Clinic Superhatches will see Class A battle resume between Jono du Toit’s TAR Civic and Andre Dannhauser’s Pro Auto Corsa. They have Lenard Archer's ACD Getz, Wessel Smit’s Angel Feeds and Francois Henning’s Hennie's Polos on their case. Class B champion Melanie Spurr is back for more in her Car Care Clinic Polo, with George Aldrich’s Sabre and Ish Baloyi’s TAR Civic in pursuit. It's all to play for in Class C, with Devon Piazza Musso’s Hot1027 and Freddy Watkins 4 J’s Polos among those in the hunt.

An impressive Car Care Clinic 111 entry will see champion Phillip Meyer's Purple Porsche 924 GTR out to defend Class A honour against Adrian Dalton’s Xtra and Wouter Roos’ Car Care Clinic Golfs. Watch for a GT battle between George Economides’ Wealth Avenue Golf, Mark du Toit’s TAR BMW Z4, Johan van der Vyver’s Devlaw Subaru STI and Bob Neill’s Delmon Honda Type R. Wayne Lebotschy’s Shield Golf takes on Ismail Peck’s Mzanzi Civic in B and Yorick Smith’s PREI MX5 is up against Marius Malherbe’s M Kruger Porsche 924 in Class D.

Silver Cup is an old Zwartkops favourite, where it’s Juan Otto’s Highveld Mitsubishi Evo versus spaceframe five, Marius Jacobs' AAA, Ismail Peck’s Mzanzi, Theo Brussow’s BRE and Giulio Airaga’s Desco Tigras, and Riaan Draper’s Peugeot up front. Stiaan Kriel's Design Hut Jetta takes on Duane Brown in a Polo in Class A and Dewald Brummer MAD Polo tackles Gawie Marais’ Titan Golf in Class B. Ebrahim Peck Golf faces Daniel Luwes’ WHL Ballade and Kenny Darroch’s GRD Golf in Class C, while Danie Richards’ GTI Palio races Kevin Paynter's Ballade in Class D.

Last but not least, the Clubmans races will see champion Wayne Lebotschy’s Shield Golf up against old rivals Dirk Lawrence’s JDM and Rodney Kruis’ Real Pro Ballades, Paul Verios' Aerotek GTI and Fred Kruger’s JDM CRX. Add some cool variety from the likes of Johan Labuschagne’s Muller Subaru Impreza GT, Mark Harvey in an Adapt Porsche 924, Tim Crossland’s Ztrom Alfa GTV, Louis Cloete's Performance Parts Beetle, Ralph Kernes’ RMK Clio and David Rehse in a BMW.

Zwartkops’ round 1 Regional festival action commenced with Practice on Friday before qualifying Saturday morning and two races per class through the day. Racing is in association with Shoes 4 Souls, and is open to spectators. Adults pay R130, students R90 to get in the gate and kids under 12 are free. Good food and refreshments will be available, along with the regular Regional Festival trackside attractions. Find out more at www.zwartkops.co.za and the track's social platforms, where live streaming will also be available.

So there you go — what better way to celebrate a balmy autum’s Highveld afternoon than next to the braai under the shade tent and watching some great Regional Festival action? See you at Zwartkops Saturday 26 March