Latest news with #KyleKock
The Herald
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
TimesLIVE racer finishes second overall at Aldo Scribante
This past weekend Aldo Scribante brought a lot of new things, starting with box-fresh MY25 GR Yaris car fitted with automatic transmissions, and a second place overall finish. It was a hard-won step up though. The media field arrived at the Bay of Bluewaters with horns sharpened and cars visually transformed. Note the now black and yellow TimesLIVE car instead of the multicoloured cousin from last month's race. The shock to the system and a true test of racing mettle started with Friday's two practice rounds. Aldo Scribante has a notoriously coarse tarmac surface, and we initiated ourselves with the track on old tyres. Not surprising that we slithered about all day, learning little about the new car's racing prowess. Saturday morning's qualifying session, and both morning and afternoon races would be completed on fresh rubber though. A racing strategy was another first-time requirement for the band of media challenge racers. Drivers had to make a call whether to use all of the eight qualifying laps on the abrasive surface to hunt for an advantageous grid start position, risking the vitality of the tyres for the main races, or use fewer qualifying laps to preserve the grip and rely on race craft for a good outcome. I opted for the latter, qualifying 14th overall at the start and fourth in the bunched-up dealer and media classes. With fresher tyres fitted, the first race was a spirited affair that saw me pick out opponents, including my closest points and class rival Kyle Kock from Car Magazine after he left the door open at the Dunlop corner. The qualifying gamble paid off, with a second-place finish in the GR Yaris bunch at the end of race one. The second race was an even more frenzied fight. Once more, on the rolling start I managed to outrun Kock and a dealer Corolla GR to the first corner, and onto the rear bumper of class leader Nabil Abdool, who was behind the leading GR Corollas of Paul de Vos and Mario de Sousa. A small lapse in concentration resulted in overshooting a braking point, and onto the grass we went but I held on, rejoining the field behind Kock, who hadn't wasted a second to capitalise.
TimesLIVE
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE racer finishes second overall at Aldo Scribante
The Extreme Festival Tour powered by Coca-Cola visited Gqeberha's Aldo Scribante circuit this past weekend. If you've ever wondered whether a bunch of regular guys who write about cars, and others who sell cars for a living, could be turned into pro-racers in a season, this particular racing tour can give you the answer. TimesLIVE has been right in the middle of the competition with five other media houses in a specific GR Yaris class. There's Toyota dealer staff in GR Corollas, and a youth development class racing in GR 86 coupes. The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA field is popular at race meetings for their menacing black paint colours and the close racing between the amateur race drivers. Two rounds have been completed in Cape Town's Killarney circuit and Kyalami in Midrand thus far. Us media hacks had been using first generation GR Yaris models launched in SA in mid-2021, and equipped with six-speed manual gearboxes. My previous outings have yielded two third-place podium finishes. This past weekend Aldo Scribante brought a lot of new things, starting with box-fresh MY25 GR Yaris car fitted with automatic transmissions, and a second place overall finish. It was a hard-won step up though. The media field arrived at the Bay of Bluewaters with horns sharpened and cars visually transformed. Note the now black and yellow TimesLIVE car instead of the multicoloured cousin from last month's race. The shock to the system and a true test of racing mettle started with Friday's two practice rounds. Aldo Scribante has a notoriously coarse tarmac surface, and we initiated ourselves with the track on old tyres. Not surprising that we slithered about all day, learning little about the new car's racing prowess. Saturday morning's qualifying session, and both morning and afternoon races would be completed on fresh rubber though. A racing strategy was another first-time requirement for the band of media challenge racers. Drivers had to make a call whether to use all of the eight qualifying laps on the abrasive surface to hunt for an advantageous grid start position, risking the vitality of the tyres for the main races, or use fewer qualifying laps to preserve the grip and rely on race craft for a good outcome. I opted for the latter, qualifying 14th overall at the start and fourth in the bunched-up dealer and media classes. With fresher tyres fitted, the first race was a spirited affair that saw me pick out opponents, including my closest points and class rival Kyle Kock from Car Magazine after he left the door open at the Dunlop corner. The qualifying gamble paid off, with a second-place finish in the GR Yaris bunch at the end of race one. The second race was an even more frenzied fight. Once more, on the rolling start I managed to outrun Kock and a dealer Corolla GR to the first corner, and onto the rear bumper of class leader Nabil Abdool, who was behind the leading GR Corollas of Paul de Vos and Mario de Sousa. A small lapse in concentration resulted in overshooting a braking point, and onto the grass we went but I held on, rejoining the field behind Kock, who hadn't wasted a second to capitalise. The small, powerful and loud car that's been as fast and nippy in places where the bigger cars rule was just on song on the day. Though finishing race two in third place, a higher race lap time aggregate ahead of Kock was enough to secure a second overall podium finish on the day and a beautiful Aldo Scribante podium winner's trophy. Four races are still to be staged during 2025, and with a new found vigour among the rookie competitors the series is starting to heat up, and the prospects of turning the car guy next door into a Top Gear Stig ever more curious. Follow the action on YouTube, or better yet, come to the races.
The Citizen
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
2025 Toyota GR Yaris pricing unearthed
Ditching a clutch pedal for flappy paddles, the all-new Toyota GR Yaris is nearly in South Africa, and it promises to turn things up to 11! Here is pricing on the potent all-wheel drive hot hatch. Looking for a new or used set of wheels? Find it here with CARmag! Readying for South African arrival, the evolved GR Yaris has some big shoes to fill. It just went on sale in Japan, and it's officially on Toyota South Africa's radar, with local launch timing expected to be confirmed in the coming months. Fortunately, we've got a sneak peek at how much the hot hatch will cost, but before that, here is what makes the refreshed GR Yaris new and improved. Toyota claim the model benefits from real-world lessons learned in motorsport, including rally stages and circuit racing. It features enhanced mechanical upgrades, including Toyota's Gazoo Racing Direct Automatic Transmission (an eight-speed torque-converter auto), a first for the model. But purists can rest easy — a six-speed manual will remain. Related: Road Test Figures: BMW M3 Touring Under the bonnet is the familiar 1.6l turbocharged three-cylinder engine (G16E-GTS), now tuned for 224kW and 400N.m, sent to all four wheels via the GR-Four system. This is a serious bump in power and torque from the outgoing model, 26kW and 40N.m to be specific. Alongside the mechanical tweaks, Toyota has reworked the suspension and steering feel with input from professional racers. One highlight for track-day warriors is the new Aero Performance Package, due later in 2025. It includes a ducted aluminium bonnet, fender vents, a variable rear wing, and underbody aerodynamic aids. The updated MT model retains the 1 280kg dry weight but the new automatic is 20kg heavier overall. Related: LONG-TERM WRAP-UP: Ford Territory 1.8T Trend AT Inside, Toyota has made ergonomic updates too, such as a wider footrest for automatic variants and the option of a vertical rally-style handbrake. 2025 Toyota GR Yaris pricing GR Yaris Rally MT – R897 400 R897 400 GR Yaris Rally AT – R925 300 Official specification is expected closer to its local launch – stay tuned to CAR Magazine's Kyle Kock during his 2025 GR Cup campaign, which will see the media contingent shift from the previous generation GR Yaris in favour of the eight-speed automatic. Click here and browse thousands of new and used vehicles with CARmag! The post 2025 Toyota GR Yaris Pricing Unearthed appeared first on CAR Magazine. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
