Pretoria, South Africa. 11 October 2025
The fifth and penultimate round of the South African Endurance Series (SAES) unfolded at Zwartkops Raceway, a short but mighty circuit that never forgives hesitation. At just 2.4 kilometres, its rhythm is constant, its space limited, and its grip mercilessly revealing. With the Kyalami 9 Hour season finale looming, the weekend became a test of focus and mechanical discipline, not only for endurance contenders but for every category that took to the track.
The headline race: 4h of Zwartkops
The 4-hour race on Saturday afternoon saw Into Africa Racing deliver a measured yet dominant performance. Stuart White and Xolile Letlaka guided their Lamborghini Huracán GT3 to overall and Class A victory with 229 laps in 4:00:06.044; the only team to break the 230-lap barrier and the only car to dip under one minute, clocking a 59.646 best lap.
Their race was defined not by risk but by rhythm, with clean overtakes, faultless pit work, and an unflappable approach to traffic.
Behind them, Graphix Supply World Racing (David and Roberto Franco) shone in their Volkswagen Supa Polo, taking Class C honours and finishing second overall on 192 laps. Their consistent pace made them the day’s surprise giant-killers.
Matching that total, Team Pesty Racing (Barend and Harm Pretorius) claimed Class D victory in their Backdraft Roadster, running mistake-free to the flag. G&H Racing’s Audi R8 GT4 (Gianni and Riccardo Giannoccaro) won Class B, also completing 192 laps, ahead of Sphere Motorsport’s Toyota Altezza on 174 laps and Combined Racing’s Honda Type R on 160.
Zwartkops demanded control, and those who mastered pace rather than chased it were rewarded.
The 1-Hour Dash: Short, Sharp & Relentless
At the start of the four-hour marathon, the 1-Hour Dash began and condensed the discipline into sixty minutes of unbroken intensity. Andrew Horne’s Ligier JS49 prototype took victory, completing 55 laps with a best of 1:02.944. Wayne Roach’s Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo and Damian Hammond’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 followed closely.
Sports & GT Category
The Sports & GT category delivered three sprint races packed with world-class machinery and millimetre-close duels.
Xolile Letlaka took two victories and a runner-up finish in his Lamborghini Huracán GT3, securing the weekend’s overall category win on 42 laps (43:12.407). Damian Hammond kept the pressure on throughout, taking one race win and second overall in the Mercedes-AMG GT3. The cars’ exchanges under braking at Turn 2 became a highlight of the weekend.
Andrew Blunden brought his Huracán GT3 home third, while Wayne Roach’s Gallardo Super Trofeo completed the class after a valiant run despite technical troubles. It was the sharp end of SAES racing, with respect traded corner by corner.
Every start, every braking zone, every lap, was a rehearsal for Kyalami’s grand stage coming up in November.
GT Cup SA
The GT Cup SA category told a story of its own…
Charl Arangies, in the Stradale Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R, was untouchable with three wins from three starts, and fastest laps of 59.640, 59.853, and 1:00.961.
Behind him, Nicky Dicks, Jay Jay Deysel, and Andre van der Merwe staged tight fights that kept spectators fixed on the midfield. Further back, George Avvakoumides, Roy Obery, and Andre van Vuuren completed consistent runs through all three races, while Willie de Beer was listed DNS for the final heat.
MRSSA: Three Races, One Rider Above Them All
The Motorcycle Racing Series of South Africa (MRSSA) brought its trademark chaos, and one of the weekend’s most complete performances.
Twenty-one riders lined up for Race 1, representing six categories: Open Superbikes, Unlimited 1000, BOTTS V4, Masters, 600 SBK, and Open SBK.
Amid the noise, Tyler Richardson, riding a Yamaha YZF-R6, delivered perfection. The 600cc rider won all three races outright against the litre-bike Superbikes, using precision and momentum to outthink rather than outrun his rivals. Across twelve laps in each heat, his rhythm never broke.
Jaco Gous on the Suzuki GSX-R was Richardson’s closest challenger and the outright pace-setter, recording the fastest lap in all three races (1:04.164, 1:04.165, and 1:03.963, securing the Masters class win)
David Veringa’s BMW M 1000 RR topped Unlimited 1000, while Mick Landi’s Ducati V4R claimed the BOTTS V4 honours, chased by Alan Hulscher and Gavin Aab. Dieter Huysamen took Open SBK, and Richardson, naturally, sealed the 600 SBK crown.
By Race 3, the midday heat turned Zwartkops into a furnace. Grip fell away, yet Richardson’s lap times stayed within three-tenths of his morning pace. Gous, ever the fighter, stayed in sight but could never close the gap. In the end, Richardson’s clean sweep of three wins, three starts, and three flawless rides, made him the undisputed star of the MRSSA weekend.
Zwartkops: Where Focus Defines the Finish
By the final hour, the sun dipped low over Pretoria, reflecting off bodywork and bike fairings scuffed by four hours of honest competition. Zwartkops had, as always, told the truth.
Into Africa Racing proved that speed is nothing without structure.
Graphix Supply World Racing showed that consistency can defy horsepower.
Team Pesty Racing demonstrated that endurance is an art of repetition.
And across the sprints, Arangies, Letlaka, and Richardson defined excellence through control.
Now, everything points to the Kyalami 9 Hour; a track longer, faster, and infinitely more punishing. Zwartkops tested precision; Kyalami will test endurance itself. For those still in contention, the road to the title runs through one truth: the fastest survive, but the calmest win.
Published by: Cindy van der Laan
Photography by: Jeff Latham Photography
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