TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) heads to Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria this weekend for Round 3 of the 2026 season, where both the GR Cup and South African Touring Cars (SATC) championships will continue their early-season battles.
The compact 2.4 km circuit remains one of the most popular venues on the national calendar, combining flowing sections with tight technical corners that place a premium on precision and rhythm. While overtaking opportunities can be limited, Zwartkops has a reputation for producing close racing and dramatic late-braking moves, particularly as drivers fight for track position through the circuit’s demanding infield section.
This weekend’s programme will again feature practice on Friday, followed by qualifying and two races on Saturday. Conditions are expected to be cool and cloudy on Friday before improving to crisp and clear weather for race day.
The full GR Cup field will once again be in action, alongside TGRSA’s SATC entries, while the weekend will also mark the debut of the new GR Cup Hot Seat. Sim racer, content creator and rookie rally driver Girlie Lukhele will join the GR Cup Media Challenge field as a guest driver, becoming the first of three high-profile personalities set to experience the intensity of circuit racing in the GR Yaris AT race car this season.
“Track racing is still very new to me, so I’m looking forward to learning as much as possible,” said Lukhele ahead of her debut. “Rally has always been my comfort zone, but I’m excited for the challenge and hoping I can apply some of what I’ve learned there to the circuit environment.”
After two rounds, Nabil Abdool leads the GR Cup Media Challenge standings on a perfect 28 points, following a dominant start to the season. Craig Nicholson is in second place on 19 points, while Justin Ford and Kumbi Mtshakazi, who shares the seat with Brandon Jacobs, are tied for third on 12 points each. Tayedza Mbiri is on eight points, while Naresh Maharaj rounds out the table on 6 points.
The GR Cup Dealer Challenge has also begun to take shape, with Devon Scott leading the standings on 28 points after winning all four races so far this season. Werner Venter and Theo Brits are tied for second place on 18 points, while Werner Horn is in fourth on nine points.
In the GR86 Development Academy, Kobus Reyneke holds a slender lead over Connor Weston after two closely contested opening rounds. Reyneke is in first place on 24 points, just one point ahead of Weston, while Emma Dowling remains firmly in contention in third place on 17 points.
The South African Touring Cars Championship
The SATC championship battle is equally close heading into Zwartkops. Jason Coetzee has enjoyed an impressive start to his rookie SATC campaign and is currently in third place in the standings on 47 points, just five points behind championship leader Julian van der Watt.
Reigning champion Michael van Rooyen is in fifth place on 32 points after two difficult opening rounds, but the experienced GR Corolla driver will be aiming to reduce the gap at a circuit where consistency and racecraft often prove decisive.
With the various championships beginning to take shape and Zwartkops expected to produce another weekend of close competition, TGRSA will be aiming to continue its strong start to the 2026 season across all categories.
Published by: Karabo Sethusha
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.