Eastern Cape teenager Josh Moore showed encouraging pace as one of several rookies contesting the opening round of the 2026 Astron Energy Polo Cup at Killarney International Raceway this past weekend.
Having previously competed in two seasons of the VW Rookie Cup, Moore arrived at the Cape Town circuit with valuable experience of the fast and technical 3.2 km layout. That familiarity quickly translated into competitive pace during the weekend’s sessions.
Moore delivered an impressive performance in qualifying, setting a best lap of 1:25.587 to secure a spot in the SuperPole Shootout where he again finished fourth among the highly competitive Polo Cup field. A post session penalty, however, would see Moore demoted three places for Saturday’s opening race.
Starting from the fourth row, Moore found himself in the thick of a tightly packed midfield battle. The rookie kept his composure throughout the eight-lap encounter and maintained a solid rhythm, eventually crossing the finish line in eighth.
Race two proved far more challenging for the Worx Motorsport SA driver. Starting from 10th on the grid, Moore again ran competitively in the midfield pack during the early stages of the race. Unfortunately, with three laps remaining, Moore became involved in an on-track incident that forced him to retire from the race after completing only five laps, cutting short what had otherwise been a promising weekend.
Despite the disappointment in the final race, the weekend provided valuable experience for the young driver as he continues his rookie campaign in one of South Africa’s most competitive single-make championships.
“It was a tough way to end the weekend, but there were plenty of positives to take from the opening round. The pace was there, and we showed that we can run inside the top ten,” said Moore. “A big thank you to my sponsors and the entire team for all the effort and support this weekend. I’m already looking forward to the next round and building on what we learned here.”
With the season now underway, Moore will shift his focus to the next championship round where he will aim to convert his early promise into strong results.
Published by: Raymond Cornwell
Picture Caption: Josh Moore
MSA Publishes media releases from a host of different sources on our website as a service to the sport. It is not practically possible to vet/approve every release that is published. Some news items and articles are written by correspondents and do not necessarily represent MSA’s views.