Cape Town’s Killarney International Raceway crowd saw top-class action in the penultimate outing (20-21 September) for this year’s National Extreme Festival tour.
With the absent Clinton Seller already having wrapped up the 2024 SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup series and Class A titles, Cape Town’s Trevor Westman (Team Wayward Powered by Project Sixty SA) had his sights set on securing the runner-up spot in the all-Kawasaki ZX10 series, particularly after securing the pole position.
However, his weekend ended following a Race 1 accident that necessitated medical attention for Westman. Fortunately, after an operation, he is on the road to recovery.
AJ Venter (Vault Markets) dominated the restarted first race and completed his weekend with a second win later in the afternoon. David Enticott (Motorwise) and Hein McMahon (K9 Law Enforcement) also repeated their overall and Class A positions in both races. Graeme van Breda (Stefanutti Shocks) won Class B from James Barson (Steelmonkey) in both races, with Dieter Huysamen (Trucella Angling Supplies) and Sfiso Themba (Wakahina Racing) taking the final podium spots in the respective first and second races. Pieter de Vos (Jongingozi Outsourcing) and Lionel Black traded the Class C win. The other competitor in the class, Ian Harwood (TRP Distributors), only started the first race and finished third.
The Investchem Formula 1600 Championship lead changed hands, with Jagger Robertson (Liqui Moly) retaking the position. KC Ensor-Smith (African Heating), who took the lead from Robertson in Round 4, had a horrible weekend, starting with an engine failure on Friday morning and the young driver struggling with pace throughout the rest of the weekend. Robertson, in turn, won both races comfortably from Jason Coetzee (Mint Wrapworks), with Alex Vos (Investchem) and Shrien Naidoo (Production X) taking the final spots in the two respective races. Ensor-Smith’s highlight was a fourth-place finish in Race 1.
South Africa’s premier single-seater series since 2017 also saw Ian Schofield put the new MSA4 car through its paces in front of the Killarney International Raceway crowd. The MSA4 series will replace the Investchem Formula 1600 series in 2025.
The Astron Energy Polo Cup title battle will also go down to the season finale. Points leader Jason Loosemore (Security Fencing & Alarms) won the first of three races on the day for the all-Volkswagen Polo GTI field, from Kyle Visser (Volkswagen Rookie Cup) and Charl Smalberger (Universal Motorsport). Race 2 saw Visser take the honours after holding off Rory Atkinson (Industry Petroleum). Ethan Coetzee (Slayer Energy) finished third. The final race saw Smalberger take the win from Visser and Loosemore.
In the Masters’ Class, Wayne Masters (AlphaESS) took a triple victory. Elna Croeser (ATE Brakes) held off John Kruger (Habot Oil) for the runner-up spot. Kruger also featured on the Races 2 and 3 podiums, finishing second and third, respectively. Derick Smalberger (Sabertek) traded positions with Kruger in the latter two races.
The day saw the last GR Cup Driven by Netstar class titles for 2024 wrapped up. Dawie van der Merwe, who already wrapped up the GR 86 championship in East London, continued his 100% win record for the season. In Race 1, he had his work cut out to hold off Niko Zafiris, with Dylan Pragji third. He had a bit more breathing space in Race 2, with Ryan Naicker beating Setshaba Mashigo to second.
Sean Nurse took two wins to wrap up the GR Corolla Class title for 2024. Hannes Visser and Alex Shahini traded the second and third spots in the respective races.
Devin Scott’s (GR Driving Academy) two wins saw him wrap up the GR Yaris Class title. Mario de Sousa (MOTUS Toyota) and Theo Brits (NMI Toyota Menlyn) finished second and third in both races.
The Extreme SuperCars Driven by Dunlop races produced the day’s fastest action, along with a host of different winners. Stuart White (Into Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3) took a comfortable Class A+ win from Arnold Neveling (Bobcat Powered by GOSCOR Lift Trucks Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO). Having started the race in Class A, Charl Arangies (Stradale Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 MR Gen 2) broke out, seeing him third in Class A+ on the revised results. Between White and Neverling, the GT3 class produced a fierce contest, with Silvio Scribante (Cemza Lamborghini Huracan) beating Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO). Further back, Gianni Giannoccaro (BISC Transport Nissan GTR) completed the class podium. Arangies’ breakout saw Ant Blunden (McLaren MP4) take the Class A win from Ricky Giannoccaro (G&H Transport McLaren GT3). Imaad Modack (M.I.M Carriers Porsche GT2R) won Class B from Marco Retter (Progress Precision Engineering BMW E46 Turbo) and Mike Verrier (NDT Racing BMW Z4). Jimmy Giannoccaro (G&H Transport Audi R8 974) was the sole Class C finisher.
In Race 2, an incident involving Dawie Joubert (Wild Rose Gin Lotus Exige) and White saw the latter having to carve his way through the field. He finished second, while Neveling won the race and Class A+. Arangies again finished third. Du Toit took the GT3 win from Gianni Giannoccaro. A visit to the pits to change a tyre saw Scribante lose a lap but finish third. Ricky Giannoccaro won the Class A, while Blunden was classified second after completing nine laps. Modack, Retter, and Verrier repeated their Class B results, with Jimmy Giannoccaro taking Class C.
The South African Touring Cars started the weekend with early headlines relating to driver changes. Sa’aad Variawa stepped into 2023 champion Saood Variawa’a Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla for the weekend. Shameer Variawa, in turn, replaced Sa’aad in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Starlet SupaCup.
Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics BMW 128 ti) took a double win to clinch his third SATC Drivers’ title, now seeing him equal with Michael Stephen. This also marked the first time the title was decided with a round to spare. In both races, Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI) finished second, with Micheal van Rooyen (Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla) and Anthony Pretorius (OMP Toyota Corolla) third in Races 1 and 2, respectively.
Tate Bishop (ANGRi Racing Polo SupaCup) beat Keegan Campos (Campos Transport Polo SupaCup) and Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Motorsport Polo SupaCup) in the first SATC SupaCup race. The results for Race 2 remain provisional until further notice. Mogotsi beat Brad Liebenberg (Sparco Starlet SupaCup), with Bishop third.
The National Extreme Festival season finale will be held at Zwartkops Raceway on 18-19 October.
Issued by Brandsponential on behalf of Extreme Festival
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