What Chemical Logistics Race Report
Where Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria
When Saturday 17 October 2026
Community South Africa National
Julian secures a fourth Touring Cars title for Chemical Logistics
Julian van der Watt and Chemical Logistics WCT Engineering secured the 2026 South African Touring Cars Championship at Zwartkops Raceway’s National Extreme Festival Finals on Saturday. Van der Watt drove a measured opening race to start the reverse-grid Race 2 from the front row and secure victory and the National Drivers’ title.
“Congratulations to Julian on a truly hard-earned maiden South African Touring Cars championship and to Andrew Thompson and the WCT team on an incredible fourth title in six years,” Team Principal Ian Schofield confirmed. “This is certainly a high point in a bittersweet year.” Van der Watt’s teammates, title runner-up rookie KC Ensor-Smith and pole man and Race 1 winner Keegan Campos, delivered solid point-scoring drives, while Andrew Schofield endured a tough outing.
Keegan Campos started the weekend on the front foot, storming to pole position with a 1 minute 02.172 lap in his Veloce Campos FAST BMW 128ti. Ensor-Smith planted his African Heating Chemical Logistics Golf MK8 GTI in third behind Campos and just five-hundredths of a second clear of WCT teammate van der Watt’s WeBuyCars Chemical Logistics Golf MK8 GTI in fourth. Andrew Schofield qualified sixth in his FlySafair FAST BMW 128ti.
Feature Race 1 proved a masterclass from Campos, who led lights-to-flag to take an emphatic victory. “That’s the way we like it!” Keegan beamed after. “Pole and a dominant South African Touring Cars race victory. What better way to spend a Saturday morning?” Behind him, Ensor-Smith defended fourth ahead of van der Watt in fifth, with Schofield bringing his BMW home sixth.
All of which meant that champion-elect Julian van der Watt started on the outside front row for the reversed-grid Sprint Race 2. He immediately grabbed the lead, and held outgoing champion Michael van Rooyen off to win by half a second and secure the SATC title. “This has been a long time coming and it’s been a hard road at times, but man, all that makes it an even better moment,” Julian, an SATC regular since 2019, admitted. “This one’s for you, Robbie!”
Behind the new champion, Campos followed with a podium third, while in the wars earlier in the race, Ensor-Smith brought his battle-scarred Golf home fifth in Race 2 to clinch a team championship 1-2. “I could not ask for more in my rookie South African Touring Cars season,” KC admitted. Andy Schofield did not start Race 2 following Race 1 engine damage.
Van der Watt’s Race 2 win also earned him third overall on the day. The team now looks ahead to defending its new Number 1 plate in 2027.
Issued on behalf of Chemical Logistics Racing
Photography by: Colin Windell & Extreme Festival
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