Summarize

Gauteng’s Dunlop-shod Northern Regions Extreme Festival delivered incredible action when it visited the tight and twisty Aldo Scribante racetrack in Gqeberha for its annual away races on Saturday. The Dunlop V8 Supercars, ATE VW Challenge, BMW M Performance Parts Series and DOE Formula Vee championships are also all far tighter fought following some unexpected outcomes over the weekend.

Terry Wilford’s Mustang claimed a scorching Dunlop V8 Supercar pole position award over Warren Lombard’s similar car, but Wilford took no prisoners as he sped to the first two race wins. From Lombard and Thomas Reib’s Corvette in heat 1 and ahead of Franco Di Matteo’s Jaguar and Wayne Spicer in race 2. Lombard hit trouble and Reib retired to leave them and Wilford tied in the championship lead going into the third and final race. Rieb however bounced back to win and break the tie over Wilford and Lombard and keep that championship chase wide open.

Francis Aldrich took a surprise Dunlop Pole Position Award in the ATE VW Challenge, but rookie Joshua Moore came out fighting to win both races. The first from Ian Walker and Christopher Tait, and the second from Tait and Francis Aldrich. Sebastian Boulliart also won both Class B races, from Jonathan Konig in the first and Max Corbett in the second, while Andy Gossman and Elna Croeser shared the Class C wins and seconds. That sees Moore into the log lead from Tait and absent Anthony Lessing; Bouilliart leads Keyaan Dwomoh in Class B and consistent Stuart Konig is two points clear of Bryce Pillay in C.

Late starter Lee Thompson continued the BMW M Performance Series Turbo comeback with another double win off the Dunlop Pole Position over Anton Pommersheim and Leon Lobser. Ethan Coetzee and Wessel Mostert shared the Class B, Reinhart Miller, and Oz Biagioni the C wins, while Sayen Moodley did the D double. Pommersheim leads D man Michael Grobler in that chase, but all eyes are on fast closing Thompson in third. Richard Gerntholtz took the Naturally Aspirated BMW Dunlop Pole before sharing wins with Andre van Vuuren. Home hero Tim Ball dominated Class C and Henry Platt D. So van Vuuren leads Nick Herbst, Ignus du Plessis, Gerntholtz and Platt in the NA chase.

Kyle Watt was another driver to steal an unexpected, albeit back to back Dunlop Pole Position in the DOE Formula Vees partnered with CIM Fuel, following his dominant recent trip to Maputo. But it was Jaco Schriks who sped to the first two race wins over Watt, Gert van den Berg and Peter Hills. Peter then turned the tables on Schriks, Watt and Brandon Hills on a day that championship leader Lendl Jansen will want to forget. He may have consolidated his lead over Vaughn to 18 points, but brother Brandon and dad Peter now form a formidable Hills gang in far closer pursuit.

There’s no rest for the Dunlop Tyres Team. The National Extreme Festival heads back to Aldo Scribante for its fifth round this weekend.