Summarize

Robert Wolk delivered a crushing double victory off pole position at a dramatic Killarney Cape Town Extreme Festival to wrap up the 2024 South African Touring Cars championship with a round still to run. A controversial SATC SupaCup day saw Jonathan Mogotsi jump into the championship lead after title rival Keegan Campos crashed out of the second heat following contact with race 1 winner Tate Bishop.

Wolk added the pole position bonus point to his tally to creep ever closer to his title in the Chemical Logistics WCT BMW 128ti TC, ahead of teammate Julian van der Watt’s Volkswagen Golf TC and rookie sensation Anthony Pretorius, the best of the Toyotas in his OMP LTR Corolla TC. He was followed by the factory Gazoo Corolla TCs of Michael van Rooyen and Nathi Msimanga, and Andrew Schofield’s Fly Safair Chemical Logistics WCT BMW 128ti TC. Sa’aad Variawa rounded off the SATC grid in Saood’s car, his brother sidelined with concussion after a Cross Country racing incident.

Local lad Tate Bishop used his Killarney home knowledge to best effect to put his Angri Racing LTR Volkswagen SupaPolo on SATC SupaCup pole position from championship leader Keegan Campos’ Campos Transport version and Bradley Liebenberg’s Sparco Turn Me On Toyota SupaStarlet. Volkswagen Motorsport duo, Charl Visser’s Astron Energy and title contender Jonathan Mogotsi’s Genuine Parts SupaPolos followed from Jason Campos’ Turn 1 Insurance version in sixth.

Another Cape driver, David Franco’s Graphix Supply World car was in the fourth row alongside Nicolaos Vostanis, with Masters pole man Jean-Pierre van der Walt’s Platinum Wheels SupaPolo next up. Dean Venter’s VDN VO2 WH SupaPolo, Kalex lass Karah Hill and Master Roberto Franco’s Graphis SupaPolos and debutant Shameel Variawa driving Sa’aad’s usual Gazoo SupaStarlet rounded off the grid.

It was tight at the start of the opening feature race, but Robert Wolk made no mistake to lead out of turn 1. Michael van Rooyen pulled a monster start to jump to second ahead of Pretorius and Msimanga. Van der Watt went the other way, ahead of Schofield and Variawa. Wolk wasted little time to open up the gap, leaving van Rooyen to deal with Pretorius, Msimanga and van der Watt. Then Pretorius dropped it in turn 1, leaving van Rooyen under huge pressure from van der Watt. 

Van der Watt duly found a way past, although van Rooyen kept him under pressure, but was unable to pass. Which left winner Wolk with one hand on the 2024 championship title. Pretorius had found a way back past Schofield but fell off again to return Schofield back to fourth, with Variawa fifth after Msimanga stopped.

Tate Bishop stayed ahead through the first turn to lead SupaCup leader Keegan Campos and Liebenberg with Visser and Mogotsi all over him. Campos came up alongside Bishop a few times but could not find a way past. There was drama behind when Mogotsi got out of shape out-braking Liebenberg to drop the Toyota behind the factory SupaPolos and Jason Campos, while Bishop held a slight advantage over Keegan with Mogotsi closing fast. 

The championship contenders were soon nose-to-tail and ended up a tenth of a second apart as Campos fended Mogotsi off in the end, behind jubilant winner Bishop. Charl Visser came home fourth from Jason Campos, Liebenberg in the Toyota, David Franco, Vostanis and Masters winner van der Walt. Karah Hill followed from Venter, Roberto Franco and Shameel Variawa.

Sa’aad Variawa found himself on a maiden reverse grid sprint race pole position alongside Pretorius and ahead of Schofield, van Rooyen, van der Walt and Wolk. The youngster made a brilliant start to lead the way but was soon swamped by the field leaving van Rooyen ahead. Wolk and van der Watt were quick to pounce on Schofield for second and third after Pretorius once again out-braked himself and slid wide in turn 1.

Wolk then wasted no time to attack and pass van Rooyen, who went wide in the process, to allow van der Watt and Pretorius back through. Which left Wolk leading wingman Julian and the title within his grasp as van Rooyen desperately tackled Pretorius to keep his title chances alive. Pretorius however shook Michael off and chased van der Watt down. Wolk duly held on to win to clinch the championship in grand slam style from van der Watt, Pretorius, van Rooyen and Schofield.

Jonathan Mogotsi led the SupaCup grid away from Keegan Campos, Liebenberg, Bishop and Visser, with Bishop first to move on Liebenberg through turn 3 before chasing Keegan down, with much jostling behind. But championship leader Campos and Bishop  controversially tagged in flat out turn 4 resulting in Keegan slamming into the tyre wall and out of the race.

Officials later deemed the incident of Campos’ own making. The incident left new championship leader Mogotsi leading Liebenberg now under Bishop pressure, and Visser a lonely fourth from Masters winner van der Walt, Vostanis, Hill, Venter, David and new Masters champion Robbie Franco.

The 2024 South African Touring Car championship focus now shifts to the second place tussle between van Rooyen and van der Watt, who halved his rival’s advantage at Killarney, and Pretorius at the season finale at Zwartkops on Saturday 19 October. Be there!