Summarize

The 2024 South African National Astron Energy Polo Cup championship will go down to the final round at Zwartkops after a closely fought penultimate round delivered three different winners at Saturday’s Killarney International Raceway Extreme Festival triple-header. Championship leader Jason Loosemore, Volkswagen rookie Kyle Visser and Charl Smalberger each shared a win, while Wayne Masters did the Masters triple on a day marked by safety car and red flag pauses where Loosemore only just failed to clinch the title.

Their weekend started with a surprise as Rory Atkinson bounced back to grab pole position in his new Industry Petroleum Polo by a significant four tenths fellow Polo comeback kid, Charl Smalberger’s Sabertek machine. Champion elect, Richards Bay driver Jason Loosemore’s Security Fencing & Alarms Polo was third from Team Red teammates, AF Fans lass Tyler and a much improved Upward Spiral driver Roshaan Goodman.

The six of them went through to Superpole, where Atkinson continued his form to take pole position from Loosemore and Visser, both of whom found far better pace on their single flying laps. Smalberger meantime ended up fourth in the grid from Goodman and Robinson. Jeandre Marais’ Syrabix Team Red car started seventh from Sizani Plastics Rookie Bjorn Bertholdt, Loosemore’s only remaining title rival, Ethan Coetzee’s JRT Racing Experience Polo, Nirav Singh’s Racing Spirit car and FSS rookie Pierluigi Muzzulini . Dainfern Dental rookie doctor Hannes Scheepers did not qualify after rolling his car in practice, but he started from the back.

There was another surprise in pole position for the Astron Energy Polo Masters, as rapid ATE Brakes lady driver Elna Croeser pipped championship leader Wayne Masters’ Alpha FSS Polo to the top spot as they qualified fifth and sixth overall. Championship rivals, Habot Lubricants driver John Kruger and Derick Smalberger’s Sabertek car followed from Luigi Ferro’s second Alpha FSS entry, Johan Gouws back in the Keller Williams Reality Polo, Chris Dale’s Dale Automation car and PABAR man Mike Barbaglia. 

Jason Loosemore made no mistakes to jump ahead of a fast starting Kyle Visser, Charl Smalberger and Rory Atkinson with Ethan Coetzee up to fifth from Jeandre Marais in the opening race. Behind them, Wayne Masters likewise bounced Elna Croeser for the lead with John Kruger third, when the safety car was deployed to retrieve the stranded Nirav Singh, which took three laps to complete as Singh rejoined with Loosemore leading Visser, Smalberger, Atkinson and a surprising Hannes Scheepers.

The biggest interest was Coetzee’s attempt to make places to keep his slender title chances alive, while Robinson made up for a poor start as she put one on Marais. Loosemore was however untroubled in the end as he drove home to win from a delighted Visser in second, his best Polo Cup finish yet, Smalberger, Atkinson, Coetzee and the resurgent Scheepers. Robinson made it back to seventh from Marais, Karodia, Bertholdt, Goodman, Muzzulini and Singh. Masters held Croeser and Kruger off for the Masters win ahead of Ferro, Smalberger, Dale, Barbaglia and Gouws.

Atkinson was on pole again for race 2 from Visser, Coetzee and Loosemore, but it was Visser who made the perfect getaway to lead Atkinson, Coetzee and Loosemore. Atkinson soon had Visser under pressure. Kyle however fought him off, while Loosemore shadowed title rival Coetzee, and Masters led Kruger and Smalberger in Masters. Hannes Scheepers was however on the move once again as he sneaked by Loosemore for fourth as the two battled it out ahead of a tight bunch for fourth.

Atkinson kept Visser under pressure all the way to the flag, but there was nothing he could do to stop the delighted Volkswagen Rookie champion Kyle from taking his maiden Astron Energy Polo Cup victory. Ethan Coetzee kept his title hopes alive by taking a couple of points back in third ahead of Scheepers, who beat champion elect Loosemore to fourth. Mo Karodia edged Tyler Robinson for sixth ahead of Bertholdt, Marais and Goodman. Masters top three, Wayne Masters, John Kruger and Derick Smalberger passed the battling Muzzulini and Singh. Masters drivers Ferro, Croeser, Gouws, Dale and Barbaglia followed after Charl Smalberger retired.

Rory Atkinson made it a clean sweep of pole positions for the final race ahead of Smalberger, Loosemore and Visser on the grid. Loosemore had to win to clinch the championship as the lights went out and made a perfect start to slot into second as Visser fought up to third, while Masters led Masters. First lap chaos however sidelined Marais, Muzzulini and Goodman, and brought the safety car out again before the race was red-flagged and re-started.

Charl Smalberger took that holeshot as Loosemore jumped into second once again from the fast-starting Visser, Atkinson, Robertson and Coetzee. Loosemore then made a move for the lead but ended up losing second to Visser, as a delighted Smalberger went on to take a maiden modern era Astron Energy Polo Cup victory from Visser, Loosemore, Atkinson, Scheepers. Coetzee somehow kept his scant title hopes alive in sixth, ahead of Karodia and Bertholdt.

Kyle Visser emerged the overall winner with a fine win and two seconds over Rory Atkinson, Jason Loosemore, Ethan Coetzee, Hannes Scheepers and Mo Karodia. Wayne Masters similarly laid one hand on the Astron Energy Masters title with a triple win on the day as he prevented Derick Smalberger from making it a unique father and son victory in the final with Ferro third from Croeser, Dale, Barbaglia and Gouws.

The 2024 South African National Astron Energy Polo Cup championship now goes down to the 19 October Zwartkops finale, where Jason Loosemore just needs a couple of strong finishes to wrap it up. Diarise it now!