Summarize

The South African Touring Cars return to Cape Town for their second stab at the Killarney International Raceway at the Saturday 21 September Extreme Festival, with Robert Wolk on the brink of wrapping up a third SA National Touring Car title, and his rivals all out to stop him. It’s far closer in SATC SupaCup, however, where leader Keegan Campos is under extreme pressure from Jonathan Mogotsi in that title chase…

With sixty-six points still on the table, Wolk is in reality still nowhere near clinching the championship with his 25 point lead. However, should the Johannesburg driver come away from Killarney with a six-point greater title advantage, he will indeed be the 2024 champion in his Chemical Logistics WCT BMW 128ti TC. Closest contender, and old rival, the evergreen Rustenburg Rocket, Michael van Rooyen and his Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla will need a calamity for Wolk to realistically close him down.

Racing calamities are however a sobering reality. Just ask third in the title chase, Julian van der Watt. He arrived at the previous East London round sitting a strong second in the championship, only to roll his Investchem WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI TC in the first heat. Despite a mammoth team effort, they could not get his hastily patched up car to run for the second race. The result? No points scored and a drop to third in the chase. As they say in the classics, it ain’t over ‘til that fat lady sings….

Van der Watt therefor arrives back home in the Cape just a point ahead of the find of the season, Pretoria rookie Anthony Pretorius in his privateer LTR Toyota Corolla. Polo Cup graduate Pretorius has taken to South African Touring Cars like a duck to water and he’s always a factor in the mix. Like van der Watt, Saood Variawa has endured a dreadful season in his number 1 Gazoo Toyota Corolla. He’s another who would dearly love to break his current cycle of cruel luck. 

Third Gazoo Toyota Corolla teammate Nathi Msimanga would also like to prove a Killarney point after a tough few races, while consistent Chemical Logistics rookie Andy Schofield is looking forward to racing at a circuit he already has some experience at in his FlySafair BMW 128ti TC.

Just as thrilling and racing close behind the SATC lot on track, SupaCup arrives at Killarney poised on a knife’s edge. Keegan Campos’ championship lead is down to just five points aboard the Campos Transport SupaPolo, following a Jonathan Mogotsi purple streak in the lead Volkswagen Motorsport SupaPolo. So this one once again looks set to go right down to the wire. Mogotsi has VW rookie wingman Charl Visser in his corner, while Campos has brother Jason’s Turn 1 Insurance SupaPolo backing him.

There are several other crucial SupaCup factors to keep an eye on. Champion Brad Liebenberg fully intends to finally break that Volkswagen SupaPolo stranglehold on SupaCup. Where better for the Sparco Toyota SupaStarlet man to do that than Killarney? He’s backed by Sa’aad Variawa in a Gazoo SupaStarlet. Cape youngster Tate Bishop is also out for redemption at his home round in his Angri SupaPolo. Others to keep an eye on in SupaCup are Kalex lass Karah Hill and young Nick Vostanis, VDN Auto driver Dean Venter looking for a break, and Platinum Wheels Masters driver Jean Pierre van der Walt.

Always an excellent venue with many great and freely accessible spectator vantage points in a true festival atmosphere at any race weekend, Killarney is the perfect venue to enjoy top end National Championship racing at its best. And the South African Touring Cars and SupaCup certainly offer top, top drawer entertainment. See you at Killarney!