Summarize

If the first four races of 2026 are anything to go by, Gauteng race fans can expect a spectacular show when the South African Touring Cars circus marches to Pretoria for their third round Zwartkops’ National Extreme Festival races on Saturday 23 May.

With two wins under his belt out of the four starts so far this season, Capetonian Julian van der Watt’s Investchem WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI leads the chase to Pretoria. But that’s by no means a guarantee for further success. Rookie teammate KC Ensor-Smith caused a sensation when he won Killarney feature race on debut aboard his African Heating Investchem WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI from fellow first timer, Jason Coetzee’s Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla.

Like Ensor-Smith, Cape driver Coetzee has continued to impress up front and sits third in the chase ahead of ever-consistent Andrew Schofield’s FlySafair Chemical Logistics BMW 128ti and reigning champion Michael van Rooyen. He’d prefer to forget the first part of his 2026 campaign aboard his Gazoo Corolla. But canny veteran Michael is never out of the picture, so expect him to be right in there at his home track.

That is only half the story. Two more leading drivers only joined the grid at Red Star last time out, and both of them are huge news. Keegan Campos’ Veloce Campos Chemical Logistics FAST BMW 128ti and triple champion Robert Wolks’ Chemical Logistics WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI may have clashed on their Delmas return, but Campos bounced back to win the reverse grid second race. And rest assured that Wolk won’t take his rough baptism sitting down. Light blue touch paper, step back five paces…

The all-Volkswagen SupaPolo SATC SupaCup likewise promises spectacular action at Zwartkops. Rookie Astron Energy Polo Cup champion, Rory Atkinson’s Volkswagen Motorsport entry leads the way home off a Red Star maiden double victory. He’s not the only one on a roll, however. Rory’s Polo Cup champion predecessor, Richards Bay lad Jason Loosemore won both Killarney races in his Nathans SupaPolo and arrives in Pretoria fresh off winning the opening Hot Rod Nationals at home last week.

Other SupaCup hot tickets include rapid Judd Bertholdt’s Union Power Energy machine and rookie AF Fans lass Tyler Robinson fresh off her impressive German SupaCup debut. Add Niko Zafiris, Nicholas Vostanis and Cape driver David Franco, brothers Rick and Master driver Paulo Loureiro and his rival Jared Rossouw, and Saturday’s SupaCup action promises to be just as huge a thrill as the action up front.

A highlight of the spectacular National Extreme Festival Investchem, the South African Touring Cars and SupaCup promises seismic action in Pretoria on Saturday. See you at  Zwartkops!