Summarize

It was a case of experience over exuberance at an epic PABAR VW Challenge finale at Zwartkops’ Regions Extreme Festival on Saturday. Class B man Stuart Mack narrowly defeated young gun C champion Christopher Tait in an overall title fight that went right down to the wire. There were just three points in it, while drop points determined which Masters brother took the Class A title in the end. 

The biggest PABAR VW Challenge field of the year went out to qualify on a bright Zwartkops Saturday morning as Wayne Masters’ Performance Master Polo pipped brother Bevin’s similar The CPS Warehouse machine by a few tenths of a second to nab what would later prove to be a crucial bonus point. Newcomer, karting prodigy Jayden Goosen was third in the quickest class X Polo turbo from next in class A, Norbrake lad Dean Ross, Class X trio, ATE lady Elna Croeser. PABAR boss Mike Barbaglia and Sizani lad Bjorn Bertholdt, and A drivers Miguel Dias and Mydi Mfana next up.

The class B session was red flagged after Tinahe Ncube spun, leaving Mo Karodia on pole in his Fast 5 Motorsport Polo sedan from Ian Walker’s Mellow Veio version and championship leader Stuart Mack’s Creation Wealth turbo litre Polo. Karodia’s rival for second in B, Shiren Rajpaul’s Dubcorp car lined up fourth from the rest of the normally aspirated 2-litre hatchback grid. They were comeback kid Stelio Nousias, Anthony Lessing, Ethan Coetzee, Francis Aldrich, Francois van Zyl, Jacques Hayes, Dewald Theron and spinner Ncube.

Judd Bertholdt was back from VW Rookie Cup duty to put his Sizani Vivo on pole from title fighter Chris Tait’s Sportex version, B refugee Adriaan de Beer’s Ukwazi car, title fighter Andy Gossman and returning C champion Yotti Nousias’ We Buy Cars Vivo. Kyle Petersen followed from Chris Davison, Philip Croeser, Mitch Coetzee, Dimitri Zapheriou, Dino Smit and Cody Petersen.

The first race proved something of a Masters benefit as Bevin led Wayne home to add to the confusion as to which brother actually led the way into the final heat. Behind them, young Jayden Goosen turned class X on its head with a debut win in third overall, ahead of X runner Barbaglia, A lad Ross, X lass Croeser, A man Dias, newcomer Giulio Airaga and Mfana. Karodia did his title prospects no harm at all when he cruised his Polo limo to class B victory in from Walker and Mack, a tantalising step away from his overall title. Rajpaul followed from Coetzee, Lessing, Nousias, Hayes and Aldrich in tenth. Judd Bertholdt went on to beat title hopefuls Tait and Gossman in Class C, with Yotti Nousias fourth Adriaan de Beer, Kyle Petersen and Mitch Coetzee. 

Then, just in case the championship tension was not enough all on its own, the heavens opened to turn the track into a literal skating rink minutes before the final heat. The first four laps were treacherous before Karodia embedded his sedan in a sand trap to see the safety car deployed. The track had dried for the final dash to the flag, where Wayne Masters had to fight first race retirement Bjorn Bertholdt’s X machine off for the win with second in A Bevin Masters, Goosen, Barbaglia, Croeser and Mfana in chase.

With Karodia on the beach, wildcard Nousias continued to defy the formbook to take class B from Shiren Rajpaul and Ian Walker. So Just as it was in Class A, nobody quite knew who was second in B. And Stuart Mack ended fourth, so his overall title really depended on where young Tait ended up in Class C. Judd Bertholdt used every bit of all his VW Rookie Cup experience to hold Yotti Nousias, Andy Gossman and Kyle Petersen off for the win there, with Tait only fifth. So, who are the champions?

The PABAR VW Challenge championship requires drivers to drop their worst round points, so the calculators came out and with furious fingers, officials figured the finals standings. Subject to final MSA ratification, Stuart Mack is the overall 2024 PABAR VW Challenge champion. Class C drivers Chris Tait and Andy Gossman end second and third, so Tait is C champion too. But what of Class A? Wayne and Bevin Masters ended on equal points. But Bevin drops six, and Class A champion Wayne none, so he’s the champion. But wait, there’s another surprise… Class X leader Luigi Ferro did not race at Zwartkops, where Bjorn Bertholdt did just enough to nick that X title too!

All of which brings another epic season of PABAR VW Challenge racing to a thrilling close. And cue another brilliant year ahead. See you in 2025!