Summarize

The East London Grand Prix Circuit celebrated 90 years of racing on the site with some smashing Extreme Festival racing over the weekend. If you can excuse the pun, but not only was the track action scintillating, but it was also typified red flags and delays that kept race officials on their toes throughout Saturday as they also diced the sunset to complete the day’s program.

That they did, as the four premier classes went in two different directions. The South African Touring Cars and Astron Energy Polo Cup now have clear championship leaders. But it’s becoming one hell of a fight among the SATC SupaCup and Investchem Formula 1600 frontrunners. Robert Wolk saluted 90 years since the first Border 100 with a fine win off pole position in the first Touring Car race in his BMW 128iS. That race was one of the many reasons for delays when title rival Julian van der Watt rolled his Volkswagen Golf GTI out on the second lap to bring out the red flags.

The double-points feature race was restarted from scratch to dent Julian’s title hopes as Robert stormed to victory and a significant title advantage, He beat rookie duo, the ever-impressive Anthony Pretorius’s LTR Corolla, and BMW teammate Andrew Schofield, and Saood Variawa’s Gazoo Corolla. A tough opening race saw the three Gazoo Toyotas up front in the reverse grid heat 2 as Michael van Rooyen held Nathi Msimanga, Pretorius, Wolk and Schofield off after Variawa stopped. That tight race was also delayed when van der Watt’s patched up Golf stranded on the beachside track the formation lap.

The SATC SupaCup races thrilled, even if Volkswagen factory lad Jonathan Mogotsi led both races lights to flag after overcoming surprise pole man Bradley Liebenberg’s Toyota SupaStarlet. And with Liebenberg between himself and log leader Keegan Campos, Jonathan whittled his points deficit down as Tate Bishop kept Charl Visser at bay with Jason Campos in chase, all of them driving SupaPolos. Mogotsi repeated his dominance in race 2, this time keeping Visser between him and Keegan to keep closing the points gap with Jason Campos and the duelling Bishop and Liebenberg in chase.

Investchem Formula 1600 paid wonderful tribute to Whitney Straight’s Maserati winning the first South African Grand Prix at East London 90 years ago in 1934. Lapping quicker than Jim Clark did to win the ’64 GP and F1 World Championship there 60 years ago, KC Ensor Smith beat pole man and title rival Jagger Robertson to consolidate his title advantage. Siya Mankonkwana was third from Karabo Malemela in a fine drive from the back, Alex Vos and Shrien Naidoo. Dicing Robertson and Smith then made contact early in race 2, leaving Jagger to win as KC fought back to fourth to minimise the title damage. It was deemed a racing incident. So Mankonkwana ended second from Vos, KC Naidoo and Mikel Bezuidenhout as Robertson closed the title gap on Ensor Smith.

Astron Energy Polo Cup delivered scintillating East London action as title leader Jason Loosemore drove a champion’s race to overcome Ethan Coetzee, rookie Kyle Visser, pole man and title rival Nathan Victor, Charl Smalberger and racing lass Tyler Robinson to consolidate his advantage. Jason was however later docked a position for a robust move on Victor to hand the win to a delighted Coetzee. Coetzee then added his first flag win over Loosemore, Smalberger, Robinson, Roshaan Goodman and Jeandre Marais. That after Visser spun and Victor went off in avoidance to retire, to leave Loosemore in a commanding title lead. Wayne Masters beat Derick Smalberger to both masters wins.

The Extreme Supercars driven by Dunlop may not have starred in quantity, but they certainly did in quality. Stuart White opened the day with a stunning 1 minute 15.1 second lap to capture pole position in his Lamborghini Huracán. Then he romped off to win the opening race from Arnold Neveling and his Audi R8, Lamborghini Huracán quartet, Silvio Scribante, Jonathan du Toit, Aldo Scribante and Xolile Letlaka, and Charl Arangies new Porsche 911. Neveling then turned the tables to take the second race, and the day from Silvio, Letlaka, du Toit, Aldo and a troubled White. 

The SunBet ZX10 Masters motorcycles delivered the two-wheeled thrills, but Clinton Seller was back, and back to his winning ways as he sped to another monster victory in the opening heat. AJ Venter was in an encouraging second, Class B winner Graeme van Breda, Damion Purificati, Travis Naude and C winner Johan le Roux. It was much the same in race 2 as Seller took nine seconds out of Venter, with Purificati third from van Breda, C winner Pieter de Vos and Naude.

GR Corolla Media lad Sean Nurse ended 86 Cup driver Dawie van der Merwe’s unbroken run of overall 2024 Toyota Gazoo SA Cup dominance with pole position and then the opening race win from Yaris Cup frontrunner Devon Scott. Van der Merwe still took 86 honours from Ryan Naicker, Dylan Pragji and Kent Swartz. Nurse hit trouble in race 2  leaving van der Merwe to lead an 86 top five from Setshaba Mashigo, Niko Zafiris, Pragji, Naicker and Yaris two, Scott and Mario de Sousa, and Media winner Alex Shahini.

The Extreme Festival now heads to its penultimate 2024 round at Cape Town’s Killarney International Raceway on Saturday 21 September. And with half the title chase heading for photo finishes and the rest keen to prevent runaway leaders from clinching titles a meeting early, fireworks must be explosive. Diarise it now!