What Astron Energy Polo Cup Race Report
Where Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
When 13-14 November 2026
Community South Africa National
Tait chasing a maiden Astron Energy Polo Cup victory
Volkswagen Motorsport’s Christopher Tait heads to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit for the 30th anniversary Astron Energy Polo Cup finale over the Kyalami 9 Hour weekend of 13-14 November, determined to turn his blistering front-running pace into a maiden race victory.
With teammate Rory Atkinson’s season already wrapped up after securing a hard-fought second overall in the SATC SupaCup championship at Zwartkops, full factory focus shifts to Tait for the two-race finale alongside the international endurance headliner.
“Our 2026 season wraps up in style on one of the great stages in world motorsport at the Kyalami 9 Hour,” Head of Volkswagen Motorsport Mike Rowe explains. “Christopher showed sensational raw speed at Zwartkops by taking Superpole in a deeply competitive field and he’s also been on that illustrious Astron Energy Polo Cup podium through the season. He now heads to Kyalami with the confidence that the car and his pace can fight right at the very front.”
Reigning Rookie Cup champion Tait delivered the headline moment of the previous round by taking a stunning outright Superpole on Friday afternoon. While race-day traffic in Pretoria proved turbulent, the young rookie showed top-drawer speed in both heats and is eager to finish his debut factory campaign on the top step.
“Taking Superpole at Zwartkops showed what we are capable of when everything hooks up,” Christopher points out. “Kyalami is such a fast, flowing, and legendary circuit where slipstreaming and track position mean everything. We have one more bite at the cherry this year, so the goal is simple: qualify up front, get clean starts, and chase that maiden victory. Bring on Kyalami!”
“Kyalami always provides fantastic racing, and doing it in front of the Kyalami 9 Hour crowd makes it even more special,” Mike Rowe concludes. “We invite all our Volkswagen fans, friends, and motoring enthusiasts to join us trackside for a spectacular festival of speed to close out 2026.”
*Volkswagen Motorsport salutes its racing partners, Astron Energy, VW Genuine Parts, and Dunlop Tyres.
Issued on behalf of Volkswagen Motorsport
Photography by: Colin Windell and Volkswagen Motorsport
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.