Summarize

Gauteng will crown the majority of its 2024 circuit racing champions at Zwartkops’ Regional Extreme Festival finale in Pretoria this Saturday 16 November. While one or two class champions may already be crowned, the rest of them, and all those aiming to be overall champions in the five categories, still very much have it all to do. 

One would have thought that dominant Julian Fameliaris had long wrapped up the Mobil1 V8 Supercars title. That is however certainly not the case. The young charger has had more than his fair share of rotten luck his Corvette and he arrives with both Thomas Reib’s Lumina and one of the stars of the season, Warren Lombard’s Mustang both still well within striking distance. Add Franco di Matteo’s Jaguar and Terry Wilford’s Mustang running interference and it should be quite a day. Auke Compaan has already wrapped up the GT2 title, but that won’t stop the likes of Shaun Holtzhausen and Steve Herbst from giving it full beans.

The ever popular BMW M Performance Parts Series is another going down to the wire with Class B man Renier Smith holding a slender overall championship lead over D leader Nicholas Herbst, and another B man, Nek Makris still in with an outside shot of the overall crown. Leon Loubser has already taken the Class A title, but he will still have Bob Neill, Fabio Fedetto and Ryan Naicker baying for his blood. Smith and Makris are fighting for the B title, Reinhardt Miller and Bennie Luyt have unfinished business in Class C, while Herbst has already taken Class D. And it’s between Matthew Wadeley and Zaheer Seedat for Class E. 

Class B veteran Stuart Mack leads the PABAR VW Challenge march to Pretoria, but he has Class C teenager Chris Tait and rival Andy Gossman too close for championship comfort. Tait will tell you why it’s never over ‘til the fat lady sings after his awful last meeting. As will Gossman, who fought his way back into contention there. Bevin Masters has brother Wayne closing him down for the Class A crown. Mack is already B champion, but there’s a huge fight for second between Mo Karodia and Shiren Rajpaul there. And Gossman and Tait are vying for the C championship.

It’s been a dramatic DOE Formula Vee Partnered with CIM Lubricants season as the pendulum swung between former champions, Lendl Jansen and veteran Peter Hills through the season. It’s been in Jansen’s favour with four wins in the past four races. But Hills has also been piling on the points with 42 on the table and 26 between them, this one could go right down to the wire. Brandon Hills is safe in third in the chase, but it’s all to play for in fourth between Kyle Watt Marcel Blignaut and Theodore Vermaak, so watch that one closely too. 

Volkswagen partners, Wouter Roos and Melanie Spurr, and Rob Clark’s Ballade will fight it out for overall The Ferro Energia 111 & GT Sports & Saloons title. But expect that well supported class to put on a great show as always. Besides that championship trio, look out for GT men, Phillip Meyer’s Porsche 924, George Economides’ turbo Golf and Dawie Olivier’s BMW up front. Lindsay Clur and Piet Potgieter’s Golfs will fight over Class A. Polo men Luigi Ferro and Mydi Mfana’s Polos are racing in Class B, while Roos and Clark are the class C and D favourites. Superhatch action sees Jono du Toit’s BMW, Karel Stols’ Etios and George Aldrich and Seten Naidoo’s Corsas, among others, in combat.

So, by Saturday evening, Gauteng will have a whole new batch of 2024 racing champions. There’s far more than just racing at Zwartkops. Visit the pits, mix with the drivers, take a close look at the cars and get involved in a wonderful array of off track activities too. There’s plenty good food and drink available, and much more off-track entertainment for adults and kids alike. Entry is R130 per adult, R90 for students, kids under 12 free and add R20 for convenient VIP parking. Visit www.zwartkops.co.za for more. See you at Zwartkops!