Summarize

The G&H Extreme Supercars thrilled a significant Killarney crowd that braved a cloudy, breezy day to cheer their home heroes at a spectacular Extreme Festival on Saturday. All the better that three different supercars and three drivers won the three races, with delightful racing throughout the pursuing pack.

It was Audi versus Lamborghini through the qualifying session but it took Charl Arangies a full 10 laps to claim pole position for the Stradale Motorsport Audi R8 LMS from Jonathan du Toit’s Trans Africa Lamborghini Huracan. He was in turn a mere smidgen clear of Franco Scribante’s wild Porsche 997 Turbo.

Gianni Giannoccaro topped the balance of performance GT3s in fourth in his BISC Transport Nismo GTR, with local trio, Imaad Modack’s MIM Carriers BMW M3, Dawie Joubert’s Wild Rose Gin Porsche 991and Dayne Angel’s Autohaus Angel Ferrari 488 next up after fire damaged his Porsche on Friday.

Arangies led race 1 from start to finish, but it was no cakewalk. His cause was made slightly easier by the scrap going on behind him between Scribante and du Toit. The former had the better of it in the opening laps, before the more nimble Lamborghini Huracan squeezed past for second.

Du Toit then capitalised on his Lamborghini’s handling to keep the Porsche and its higher top speed on the straights at bay.  Behind them, Gianni Giannoccaro ran comfortably in fourth place throughout to take GT3 honours ahead of Class A man Xolile Letlaka’s Lamborghini. 

Jason Ibbotson’s Ferrari fought from the back to take second in GT3 from A man Modack and Class D winner Joubert in close company. Ricky Giannoccaro’s GT3 Lamborghini diced Class B winner Gary Kieswetter‘s Porsche and young Kwanda Mokoena’s Class C winning Audi R8 in pursuit. 

Du Toit’s Lamborghini grabbed the lead of race 2 with Scribante’s Porsche and the Arangies Audi pressuring each other ahead of Ibbotson and Gianni Giannoccaro. Scribante appeared to have turned up the boost on the Porsche and on lap two he blasted into the lead down the back straight. 

He stayed there to command proceedings through to the finish, leaving du Toit to try find a way past as he fended off Arangies concerted efforts for second. Jason Ibbotson took GTC in fourth after another fine fight from Gianni Giannoccaro, Letlaka, Joubert and Ricardo Giannoccaro.

Behind them, Kieswetter, Jackson and Modack entertained with a feisty Mokoena in pursuit, from Parker Giacomo Giannoccaro’s Lamborghini and Faizel Coetzee.

Scribante opened the day’s third and final encounter taking the early lead from du Toit, Arangies, Ibbotson and Letlaka who spun in Turn 1. Then Scribante slowed up and retired, leaving du Toit an open track to own for the remainder of the race despite Arangies’ best efforts. 

GTC winner Ibbotson raced home third from Joubert, Ricky Giannoccaro, who unseated Modack on the final tour, then Jackson, Mokoena and the recovered Letlaka. Gianni Giannoccaro was next in from Kieswetter, Parker, Giacomo Giannoccaro and Coetzee.

So, Jonathan du Toit took the day by half a second from Charl Arangies, with GT3 winner Jason Ibbotson third. He beat Ricardo and Gianni Giannoccaro and Marius Jackson to class honours. Fourth overall Dawie Joubert won Class D from Cape compatriots Mansoor Parker and Faizel Coetzee.

Fifth man Xolile Letlaka took Class A from Imaad Modack, while Kwanda Mokoena took Class C from Giacomo Giannoccaro and Ammar Coetzee and Gary Kieswetter beat Nieyaaz Modack to the Class B win. The G&H Supercars return to Extreme Festival duty at Zwartkops’ 15 October finale.