Summarize

Excitement is growing as more new cars join the Youngtimer fold ahead of the coming weekend’s Ben Morgenrood HRSA Classic Touring Car season finale at Red Star Raceway.

While Mike O’Sullivan and Rob Clark’s Honda Ballades, Jonathan Visser’s Volkswagen Jetta and Nissan Sentra duo Ryno van Zyl and Tiaan Smith will be back in action on Saturday, the long awaited arrival of historic racing stalwart, Stewart McLarty’s Mazda Etude will bring a little bit of extra intrigue to the Delmas meeting.

A long time in gestation, McLarty’s Mazda is a welcome addition to the Youngtimer field, where the racing is sure to be close with Stewart keen to get in the mix up front as soon as possible. While the Etude is the last new car expected to appear in 2023, there’s more big news on the Youngtimer front for 2024. Several other new drivers are frantically working on new metal in time for Zwartkops’ season-opening January Passion for Speed Festival.

Those include an Alfa Romeo 155, more Nissan Sentra’s, Garren Jacobs’ ex-Craig Nicholson Group N Honda Ballade, and a Toyota Camry. Getting back to the coming weekend, watch for the Youngtimers racing with their distinctive and easy to identify green windscreen decals behind the regular HRSA Touring Cars at Red Star. 

Find Red Star Raceway next to the new Shell Garage off the Groenkloof offramp on the N12 West. The action starts with qualifying at 7 am before an entertaining day of racing later in the morning. Contact clajhbg@iafrica.com for more information on the fast-growing new Youngtimer racing category.