Summarize

It was a case of back to the future for the South African Touring Cars when former champions Robert Wolk and Tate Bishop took comeback victories in the feature race at Aldo Scribante at Gqeberha on Saturday. Rookie Jason Coetzee then took a maiden Touring Car win in the reverse grid sprint race as Jason Loosemore won in SupaCup. 

Triple former South African Touring Cars champion Robert Wolk took a little time to get up to speed as he stepped back into his new Chemical Logistics WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI after a year away, three rounds back. If there were any cobwebs, they were clearly well blown away by the time Robert stepped aboard at Aldo Scribante on Friday.  

Wolk blitzed qualifying to take pole position by two tenths of a second over log leader, Julian van der Watt’s similar Investchem WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI. Keegan Campos’ Veloce Campos Chemical Logistics FAST BMW 128ti lined up third alongside rookie KC Ensor-Smith’s African Heating Investchem WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI. Gazoo Toyota Corolla teammates, Michael van Rooyen and Jason Coetzee followed from Andrew Schofield’s FlySafair Chemical Logistics BMW 128ti.

It was also a case of deja vu in the all-SupaPolo SATC SupaCup. Reigning champion Tate Bishop and his familiar Angri Polo made a surprise return after missing the first three rounds. Immediately back on the pace, Tate ended up on the front row, just two hundreths off pole man and championship leader, Jason Loosemore’s Renegade SupaPolo. Nicholas Vostanis edged Judd Bertholdt’s Union Power Energy machine to second ahead of Muhammad Wally, VW man Rory Atkinson, Niko Zafiris, Paulo and Rick Loureiro and Jared Rossouw.

Robert Wolk made no mistake as he shot into the lead off pole and held Keegan Campos at bay to take a welcome comeback victory. Behind them, Michael van Rooyen and Jason Coetzee’s Toyotas made a demon start to lead van der Watt, Schofield and 

Ensor-Smith. Julian then picked off the Toyotas to end third from van Rooyen and Coetzee as Ensor-Smith also found a way around Schofield.

The SupaCup race proved far more entertaining. Tate Bishop got the jump at the start as pole man Jason Loosemore slumped into the pack behind Vostanis, Bertholdt, Rory Atkinson, Niko Zafiris, Paulo and Rick Loureiro and Jared Rossouw. Jason fought back to sixth, which became fifth when Vostanis was demoted to behind Loosemore for his participation in Jason’s drop down the pack. So it was Bertholdt who ended second from Atkinson, Zafiris, Loosemore, Vostanis, Paulo Loureiro, Wally, Rick Loureiro and Roussouw.

As usual, the half-points reverse grid second heat delivered a spectacular race, but nobody was going to stop delighted rookie maiden winner Jason Coetzee and his most capable bouncer Michael van Rooyen from leading a lights to flag Toyota 1-2. It was however the dice behind roadblock van Rooyen that truly entertained. Ensor-Smith, Campos and Wolk all had turns in taking up the chase, but it was young gun KC who took third in the end from Wolk and Andrew Schofield. Campos slumped to sixth ahead of leader van der Watt, who limped home after an early off. 

As much as the SATCs entertained, SupaCup delivered a far more straightforward standard grid second race. Jason Loosemore gained revenge in a lights to flag romp over upstart Tate Bishop, Atkinson, Vostanis, Bertholdt, Zafiris, Wally, Paulo Loureiro and Jared Rossouw in chase after Rick Loureiro stopped early. Overall it was the day of the comeback wins as Robert Wolk took the SATC day from Michael van Rooyen and Jason Coetzee, and Tate Bishop beat Jason Loosemore and Judd Bertholdt to SupaCup honours.

The South African Touring Cars and SupaCup will return to the East London Grand Prix Circuit on Saturday 15 August after National Extreme Festival enjoys its midwinter break.