Summarize

Volkswagen’s Rookie Cup is all set for its third season with an all-new cast of young drivers raring to race at Cape Town Killarney International Raceway’s first round National Extreme Festival powered by Coca Cola on Saturday 08 March.

With champion Judd Bertholdt promoted to the Volkswagen Motorsport seat in the Astron Energy Polo Cup as reward for his title, the Volkswagen Rookie Cup race is now on as the 2025 Rookie Cup champion will once again earn a Volkswagen Polo Cup drive for 2026. So with Bertholdt and 2024 rival Dhivyen Naidoo also progressing to Polo Cup and other former competitors also moving on to new racing challenges, the 2025 Rookie Cup line-up welcomes a new field of young hopefuls alongside some known quantities.

Rookie Cup sophomores, Josh Moore and Uzair Khan return to action, but there’s no guarantee that either of their experience will keep them ahead, with the likes of PABAR VW Challenge Class C champion Christopher Tait in the mix. Former karters, Berlin Robinson, who also has INEX Legends experience on track, while Mauro da Luz and Luke Hill also have fine karting pedigrees to lean on as they embark on the main circuit careers.

Young Richards Bay Hot Rod racer Giovanni Fiorotto hopes to follow in hometown hero Jason Loosemore’s Astron Energy Polo Cup championship winning footsteps, and Cross Country racer Mark Corbett’s son Luke start the season as Rookie Cup dark horses.

A Volkswagen Motorsport initiative is open to young racer drivers between 14 and 16 years old with a valid MSA licence, Rookie Cup is designed to deliver a seamless transition for that all-important step up from karting into main circuit racing. Rookie Cup works as a motor racing academy and goes far beyond best racing lines, perfect brake markers and racecraft, with recruits trained in every aspect of racing with an eye to a career on track. 

Rookie Cup also trains drivers on fitness and best physical and mental preparation, teamwork and collaborating with race technicians and the crew, data analysis and working with television, the media, and every other racing career aspect. To that end, Rookie Cup drivers take expert guidance from Volkswagen Motorsport professional champion drivers Matthew Merton, Daniel Rowe, Bradley Liebenberg and Volkswagen Motorsport factory pilot Jonathan Mogotsi taking expert care of every aspect.

The Rookie Cup season spreads across the season with some dates on National Extreme Festival weekends, others at endurance and regional races and some special events likely to be added to the calendar too. The endurance race gives the Rookies more seat and longer stints behind the wheel to help develop their concentration levels and consistency, lap after lap.

Young drivers interested in learning more and joining the Volkswagen Rookie Cup can email driving@vwsa.co.za with the subject line ‘Ref: VW Rookie Cup, and Volkswagen’s dedicated Rookie Cup team will be in touch. The Rookies already committed for 2025 meanwhile commence their season under the National Extreme Festival spotlight at Killarney on 08 March. Start your engines!