Summarize

Among the highlights of one of South Africa’s favourite race weekends every year, the G+H Extreme Supercars are ready to thrill at their championship opening 22nd Passion for Speed thrills Zwartkops Raceway Saturday 28 January. 

Featuring the hottest, fastest and most exciting supercars in the world, racing flat out in a series around the country through the year, it all starts at Zwartkops. There, the exhilarating field is ready to pick up where it left off last year to race at thrilling new lap record pace.

Topping the weekend’s contemporary Passion for Speed racing action, the unlimited Class A+ field delivered scintillating action wherever it raced last year. 2023 should be no different. Starting from Zwartkops, champion Jonathan du Toit is itching to take his Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO out against his fiercest rivals.

That includes Franco Scribante’s evil Porsche 997 GT2+, Charl Arangies and his rapid Pagid Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO, Marius Jackson’s similar MJR car and Kris Budnik and his rumbling wild Bucketlist Racing Dodge Viper. Du Toit, Scribante and Arangies in particular, thrilled the crowds with dramatic action wherever they raced in 2022. This year should be no different.

Behind them, the Balance of Performance GT3 class races to the same international rules that govern the Intercontinental and other top world GT3 series. That’s where Mark du Toit’s Trans Africa Racing Ferrari F430 takes on Giannoccaro cousins, Ricky’s G&H Transport Lamborghini Super Trofeo, and Gianni’s BISC Transport Nismo Nissan GTR GT3.

The GT3 cars usually run at the same pace as the Class A field, which means that the lot of them are normally in the thick of it. So, watch for A champion Nicky Dicks, Ant Blunden, and Roy Obery’s Porsche 991 GT3 Cups, and the ever exciting Xolile Letlaka’s Into Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan among that lot.

There’s always great action through the classes, where Deon du Plessis will fight it out for Class B in his wieldy KTM X-Bow RR, Jimmy Giannoccaro is always a factor in Class C in his G&H Transport Lamborghini Gallardo and young Joseph Ellerine will take up the reins in the MJR Motorsport R8 LMS GT4 in Class D, to try to emulate ‘22 champion, Kwanda Mokoena.

The 2023 G+H Extreme Supercar season kicks off as part of the splendid Zwartkops Passion for Speed, with qualifying Friday and racing all day Saturday 28 January. Circuit entry is R200 per adult, R120 for students and kids under 12 get in free. Learn more at www.zwartkops.co.za or enquire at info@zwartkops.co.za.