Summarize

The South African Touring Cars delivered great racing in glorious Cape spring sunshine as Jagger Robertson scored his maiden win and Keegan Campos bounced back to take Killarney’s second race on Saturday. Bridesmaid on both occasions, Michael van Rooyen however just missed out on securing the title, but local lad Tate Bishop secured the SATC SupaCup championship on a day where VW man Jason Loosemore and Jonathan Mogotsi won the Extreme Festival powered by Coca-Cola races. 

Fourth and third in the chase, Jagger Robertson took a delighted maiden pole position aboard his Chemical Logistics WEC Volkswagen Golf GTI TC by all of four hundredths from Keegan Campos’ Campos Chemical Logistics FAST BMW 128tc. Home hero Julian van der Watt’s Chemical Logistics Golf GTI and log leader Michael van Rooyen’s Gazoo Toyota Corolla stood on the second row from Gazoo teammates Sa'aad Variawa and Nathi Msimanga, and Andrew Schofield’s Safair BMW to set up and epic day’s racing.

Tate Bishop’s Angri LTR SupaPolo meantime moved a point closer to the SATC SupaCup title with the pole position bonus point ahead of Volkswagen duo, Jason Loosemore’s Astron Energy car and title contender Jonathan Mogotsi’s Genuine Parts version. Another local, David Franco was fifth in his Graphix Design SupaPolo ahead of Dawie van der Merwe’s lone Gazoo Toyota SupaStarlet, Dylan Pragji and Dean Venter and Masters duo, Andre Bezuidenhout and Rob Franco after Karah Hill failed to set a time.

Jagger Robertson made best of his pole to open an early advantage over the squabbling pack, but Jason Campos was soon all over his tail with Nathi Msimanga between them and the duelling Michael van Rooyen and Julian van der Watt. Van der Watt moved up to third, only for him and Variawa, and then Campos to all slow and leave Robertson in a huge lead en route to his maiden Touring Car win from van Rooyen and Variawa. Msimanga well back as Campos limped home way back in fifth and van der Watt retired.

Jason Losemore’s robust tactics could not prevent Tate Bishop from taking the lead in a messy SupaCup first turn. His efforts however, soon paid off has he went ahead and then held the combative Bishop off to a maiden SupaCup win. Bishop all but wrapped up the SupaCup title in second from Mogotsi, the impressive David Franco, Dean Venter, Dylan Pragjl and Karah Hill, while Roberto Franco took the Masters win from Andre Bezuidenhout.

Keegan Campos wasted little time to find his way around Nathi Msimanga into turn 2 of the opening lap of the second, reverse grid race, before Nathi moved over to allow his GR teammate Michael van Rooyen into second. First race winner Jagger Robertson’s fourth place lasted little more than a lap before his Golf ground to a halt, causing the safety car to be deployed to remove it. That left Julian van der Watt to find his way past Sa'aad Variawa and Andrew Schofield for fourth from Schofield and Variawa, while Campos raced to an easy win from van Rooyen and Msimanga up front.

Jonathan Mogotsi took early advantage to get ahead of Tate Bishop in the SATC SupaCup race, with Jason Loosemore in chase until he found a way past Bishop on lap 5. Behind them Dawie van der Merwe put in a sterling drive to climb to fourth ahead of Dean Venter, Karah Hill, David Franco, Dylan Pragjl and SupaCup Masters winner Roberto Franco. 

Third was enough to secure the SATC SupaCup title for home hero Tate Bishop, who heads to the Zwartkops final in an unassailable championship lead. It’s not that clear cut in premier division South African Touring Cars, where Michael van Rooyen sits a tantalising provisional four points away from his cherished first title. Only rookie Jagger Robertson is mathematically able to unsettle him. Jagger’s concern is behind, where both Keegan Campos and Julian van der Watt sit far closer in third and fourth.

So it’s all eyes on Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria for the South African Touring Cars and SATC SupaCup finale at the National Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola of the year on Saturday 25 October.