As the BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series Turbo Cup resumes at Red Star Raceway this coming weekend (15-16 May), Anton Pommersheim will look to fend off a host of challenges in a bid to hold onto his championship lead after the first two rounds of the 2026 season.
This weekend will see competitors take on the anti-clockwise circuit layout. For Pommersheim, who also heads up Class A, the circuit will bring back a host of fond memories. In 2023, he made a superb debut around the clockwise layout. The most recent outing around the anti-clockwise layout, 2025’s fifth round, saw him finish the day with his first Class B victory.
Having opted to move to Class A in 2026’s season opener, he has built a handy advantage on the class points table. He finds himself 20 points clear of Lenard Archer, while third-placed Keshan Naicker, the only other driver to have a race win, is four points adrift. However, Naicker will be absent this weekend. Nishal Singh trails Naicker by only one point and has been looking solid since starting this season in Class A. Sav Gualtieri will also not be in action, with Leon Loubser, three points behind Singh, the next challenger. The past three seasons have established Loubser as one of the most consistent frontrunners at the circuit outside Delmas. Bob Neill will also look to get his fortunes pointed in the right direction. The weekend will also see two further competitors joining the fray. Ethan Coetzee, who made his victorious debut in last year’s visit, will also be fitting slick tyres and join the Class A brigade, while Bilal Ahmed will have his first outing in his BMW F30 M3.
Having competed in the NA Cup in Round 2, Renier Smith, the reigning two-time BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series champion, will be the sole entrant in Class B. However, with breakouts possible, this picture may change during the weekend.
The battle at the front of Class C has not been short of entertainment in the first rounds. The top three, Anand Naidu, Bennie Luyt, and Oz Biagioni, all have a race win to their names and are separated by only seven points. As mentioned, fourth-placed Coetzee, the other winner, will not be in this fight in Round 3, with Cameron Christian and Hein van der Merwe eager to make up some places. Nick Naidoo, Nicky Dicks, Salvi Gualtieri, Sheldon Chetty, Varish Ganpath, and Wessel Mostert will also look to improve their current positions.
Class D sees Craig Herbst hold a 10-point advantage following his two wins. Alan Hilligenn and Johan Miller are both 10 points adrift, with a win each. Also tied with this pair is Eugene Gouws, while Gerald Anthony is a further five points back. Michael Grobler and Theo Chetty are the other two competitors with results to their names this season. Willie Kok will make his first appearance for 2026. Reinhardt Miller will become the first driver to compete in the Turbo Cup and NA on the same weekend. Shriyav Naidu, formerly competing in the NA Cup, now joins the Turbo Cup in a new BMW F82 M4 Turbo.
Pommersheim leads Herbst by 11 points in the Turbo Cup, who is one clear of Naidu. Luyt trails him by three points, with Biagioni fifth, four adrift.
Qualifying is scheduled for Friday afternoon, with Saturday’s races taking place at 12:15 and 15:45. Race 1 will be completed over eight laps, ahead of the 10-lap second race. Spectator tickets will be available at the Red Star Raceway entrance gate, at R150 per adult, and with children under 12 entering for free. Both races will also be broadcast live on the Extreme Festival website.
Published by: Reynard Gelderblom
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