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The Citizen
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
National Extreme Festival gives the Zwartkops faithful their wish
First winter months round of this year's series promised action and delivered the heat. Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) extended his South African Touring Car championship at Zwartkops on Saturday. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. Great weather and excellent on-track action greeted spectators at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, when the venue hosted round four of the National Extreme Festival Presented By Coca-Cola. Touring Cars Top billing belonged to the South African Touring Car championship brigade, with 22 cars facing the starter. Race one went to Keegan Campos (Campos Transport BMW 128ti), chased to the flag by Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla), Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics Volkswagen Golf GTI) and Nathi Msimanga (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla). Race two was red-flagged almost immediately when the Chemical Logistics BMW 128it of Andrew Schofield and the Campos BMW 128it made brutal contact at the turn two hairpin. ALSO READ: National Extreme Festival gives it its all at Aldo Scribante Both Campos and Schofield got their vehicles out of the sand trap and, with a brand new race declared, could rejoin the grid. The new race then ended behind the safety car under double waved yellow flags after Siyabonga Mankonkwana went off in the ultra-fast turn one and parked his Investchem Toyota Corolla deep in the sand trap. After all of which van Rooyen won, followed by Saood Variawa (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla), van der Watt and Msimanga. SupaCup The first SupaCup heat was won by Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Genuine Parts SupaPolo), leading home Jason Loosemore (Astron Energy Volkswagen SupaPolo), Tate Bishop (ANGRi Volkswagen SupaPolo) and Charl Visser (Charl Engineering Volkswagen SupaPolo). Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Genuine Parts SupaPolo) won both of Saturday's SupaCup races. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. Mogotsi won the next race as well, chased over the line by Bishop, Loosemore and Visser. Polo Cup The Astron Energy Polo Cup category tackled three race heats on the day, making Dunlop tyre conservation a vital part of drivers' strategy. Rory Atkinson (Industry Petroleum) won race one from Mohammed Karodia (Fast 5), Hannes Scheepers (Dainfern Dental) and Dhivyen Naido (Production X). Rory Atkinson (Industry Petroleum) won all three of the Astron Energy Polo Cup races. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. Atkinson won race two as well, this time ahead of Karodia, Judd Bertholdt (Rookie Cup) and Roshaan Goodman (Upward Spiral). Race three was red-flagged on the opening lap when four cars spun off in the hairpin and got stuck. Everybody managed to rejoin though, and the race went to Atkinson, holding off Karodia, Tyler Robinson (AF Fans) and Goodman. Supercars Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan) won the first Dunlop Extreme Supercar race ahead of Charl Arangies (Stradale Porsche 911 GT3 R), Gianni Giannoccaro (G&H Transport Nissan GT-R) and Kris Budnik (Bucketlist Components Dodge Viper). In the process, du Toit set the day's quickest overall lap time of 59.67 seconds. Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan) won all three Dunlop Extreme Supercar races. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. Arangies parked the Porsche on the warm-up lap of race two, leaving du Toit to win again, followed by Giannoccaro, Paul Hill (Kalex Audi R8 GT3) and Budnik. Du Toit made it a full house by winning race three as well, ahead of a returning Arangies, Giannocarro and Ricky Giannocarro (G&H Transport Mercedes-AMG GT3). Two-wheels Multiple Superbike champion Clinton Seller (King Price) led the opening SunBet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters Cup from lights to flag, finishing ahead of Damion Purificati (Amulgum Welding), Jayson Lamb (Tyremart East London) and Hein McMahon (K9 Law). Seller won race two easily as well, followed by Purificati, Greame van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks) and McMahon. MSA4 The all-new Investchem MSA4 single-seater category made its long-awaited debut, with 14 of the one-litre turbocharged Volkswagen-powered cars on the grid. Former Formula Ford racer KC Ensor-Smith (African Heating) took the race one victory, chased to the flag by Shrien Naidoo (Production X), Renzo Ribiero (Metal Used Spares) and Nicolas van Weely (Investchem). Former Formula Ford racer KC Ensor-Smith (African Heating) took two of the three Investchem MSA4 single-seater races. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter. Ensor-Smith won race two as well, followed by Ribiero, Adriaan Nel (SignFactory) and Liam Polome (Red Dot). Race three went to Mikeil Bezuidenhout (Corsa Dei Gemelli), ahead of Karabo Malemela (KMFT Morita), Polome and Ensor-Smith. Volkswagen Rookie Cup The first Volkswagen Rookie Cup, in which all drivers uses standard Polo Vivo GTs, went to Josh Moore (BPW Puma), ahead of Christopher Tait (Sportex), Mauro da Luz (Retail) and Uzair Khan (TSS). Tait won race two ahead of Moore, Da Luz and Khan. Toyota GR Cup The Toyota Gazoo Cup Racing brigade again produced top spectacle, with close racing in all three classes. GR driving instructor Devon Scott (GR Yaris) took the opening dealership Cup race from Mario da Sousa (GR Corolla), Werner Venter (GR Corolla) and Paul de Vos (GR Corolla). Scott, da Sousa and Venter filled the Dealership Cup race two podium as well, followed by. Nadil Abdool (SuperSport) took both media event victories, leading home Phuti Mpayane (TimesLive) on both occasions, with Kyle Kock (CAR Magazine) placing third in race one and The Citizen's Charl Bosch in race two. The first GR86 race went to Jason Coetzee, ahead of Kent Swartz, Khya Nggenya and Justin Rogers. Coetzee won race two as well, chased by Swartz, Nggenya and Brandon van der Walt. Next up The next round of the National Extreme Festival will be at the East London Grand Prix on 19 July. ALSO READ: Kyalami shows its teeth to National and Regional Extreme Festivals
The Citizen
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
National Extreme Festival gives it its all at Aldo Scribante
Championship's second coast visit gave the Friendly City crowd more action than it could have hoped for. Keegan Campos (Campos Trucking BMW 128ti) led the first Touring Car race from beginning to end. Photograph: Brandsponential. Brilliant racing and a large crowd braving extremely windy conditions typified round three of this year's National Extreme Festival Presented by Coca-Cola at the Aldo Scribante circuit outside Gqeberha on Saturday. Touring Cars Top billing belonged to the South African Touring Car category, with the rear-wheel drive two-litre turbocharged brigade racing on their own. Keegan Campos (Campos Trucking BMW 128ti) led race one from lights to finish line, chased by Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla), Julien van der Watt (Chemical Logistics Volkswagen Golf GTI) and Saood Variawa (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla). Jagger Robertson (Sparco Volkswagen Golf GTI) finished fifth ahead of Nathi Msimanga (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla). ALSO READ: Kyalami shows its teeth to National and Regional Extreme Festivals DNF's was recorded by Andrew Schofield, who was forced to stop on the final lap with mechanical maladies in his Safair BMW 128ti, and the Toyota Corolla of Syabonga Mankonkwane. Race two saw a lot of robust action, after which Variawa took the victory ahead of van Rooyen, Campos, Msimanga, Schofield, Mankonkwane, Robertson and van der Watt. With a number of protests still pending, the results are provisional. SupaCup Championship leader Tate Bishop (Angri Volkswagen SupaPolo took the opening SupaCup race from defending champion Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Motorsport SupaPolo), Muhammad Wally (Volkswagen SupaPolo), Charl Visser (Charl Engineering Volkswagen SupaPolo and Jason Loosemore (Astron Energy Volkswagen SupaPolo). Championship leader Tate Bishop (Angri Volkswagen SupaPolo) had a perfect weekend, setting pole position and winning both the SupaCup races. Photograph: Brandsponential. Bishop finished a perfect weekend by winning race two as well, leading home Visser, Mogotsi, Wally and Nicolas Vostanis (Volkswagen SupaPolo). Polo Cup The first Astron Energy Polo Cup race was red-flagged after one lap when the Charl Engineering Polo of Kyle Visser crashed in the esses. At the restart, pole sitter Mohammed Karodia (Fast 5) jumped into the lead and he stayed there, leading home Charl Smalberger (Sabertek), Roshaan Goodman (Upward Spiral) and Hannes Scheepers (Dainfern Dental). Mohammed Karodia (Fast 5) took both the Astron Energy Polo Cup races. Photograph: Brandsponential. Wayne Masters (Performance Masters) took the Masters category from Derick Smalberger (Sabertek), John Kruger (Habot Lubricants) and Mike Barbaglia, Karodia ended a perfect weekend by taking the second heat as well, followed by Judd Bertholdt (Rookie Cup), Smalberger and Goodman. John Kruger took the Masters category ahead of Masters, Barbaglia and Smalberger. Two-wheels Multiple former Superbike champion Clinton Seller (King Price Extreme) had to start the Sunbet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters Cup races from the back of the grid after failing to visit the scrutineering bay following Friday's qualifying session. He was not fazed and blasted through the race one field to win from Damion Purificati (Amulgum Welding), Graeme van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks) and Jayson Lamb (Tyremart). Clinton Seller (King Price Extreme) took both the Sunbet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters races, despite having to start from the back of the grid. Photograph: Brandsponential. He also set the day's quickest two-wheeler lap time of one minute 02.43 seconds. Seller won race two as well, followed by van Breda, Lamb, David Enticott (ZX10) and Purificati. Volkswagen Rookie Cup The opening Volkswagen Rookie Cup race went to Josh Moore, ahead of Uzair Khan, Luke Hill and Mauro Da Luz. Christopher Tait took race two, leading Khan, Moore and da Luz. GR Cup The opening Toyota GR Cup race in the GR86 class went to Jason Coetzee ahead of Mbuso Ngwenya, Justin Rogers and Brandon van der Nest. Veteran Mario da Sousa won the GR Corolla category ahead of Werner Venter, Andries de Villiers (Corolla) and Rudi Boonzaaier. Coetzee won the second GR86 race as well, followed by Ngwenya, Rogers and Kent Swartz. The same applied to da Sousa, who took race two ahead of GR Academy driving instructor Paul de Vos, Venter and Riaan de Ru. The opening GR Yaris event, in the new eight-speed automatic models, went to championship leader Nabil Abdool (SuperSport) from Phuti Mpyane (TimesLive), Kyle Kock (CAR Magazine) and and Lawrence Minnie (AutoTrader). A fraught second race two Abdool take victory in race two ahead of Kock, Mpayane and Minnie. Zwartkops next The next round of the National Extreme Festival Presented by Coca-Cola will take place at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, 21 June. ALSO READ: National Extreme Festival opens 2025 up with a show of note
