What Extreme Festival 2023 Round 5 Report
Where Killarney International Raceway
When Saturday 9 September 2023
Community South Africa National
Locals expected to fly at Cape Town Extreme Festival
Local drivers can be expected to star when national championship circuit motor racing returns to the Killarney International Raceway’s Cape Town Extreme Festival on Saturday 9 September. More than one Cape driver also stands to be crowned a South African champion on a focussed day featuring Global Touring Cars, GTC SupaCup and CompCare Polo Cup. Add splendid Investchem Formula 1600 single seaters, the ultra-fast G+H Extreme Supercars, and the Gazoo Toyota Racing Leagues.
The Global Touring Cars focus may be on Toyota Corolla GTC archrivals, title leading youngster Saood Variawa’ Gazoo Racing Hatchback, and double reigning champion Robert Wolk’s blue Chemical Logistics Sedan. But rest assured that local stars, Andrew Rackstraw will be looking to repeat his maiden win last time out at home at Killarney in his Volkswagen Golf this weekend. Cape compatriot Julian van der Watt also knows how to win, and where better than to give his brand new BMW M 128 ti a maiden victory than at home? Also keep an eye on two more Gazoo Corollas in rookie Nathi Msimanga and Michael van Rooyen’s hands, and Josh Le Roux in his Audi S3.
Behind them, GTC SupaCup championship leader Keegan Campos has taken the weekend off to get married. Which hands the title fight to Bradley Liebenberg and Volkswagen factory driver Jonathan Mogotsi. Liebenberg has dominated while the going is good, but Mogotsi is fresh off a maiden SupaCup victory last time out. The big local SupaCup interest is rookie Polo Cup graduate Tate Bishop looking to impress in front of his home crowd in his private title battle with Arnold Neveling, with JP van der Watt and lady racer Kara Hill in chase. Other Cape interest sees two more locals complete the entry list. David Franco makes his SupaCup comeback and it’s a big day for newly crowned double SA National Rotax DD2 karting champion Sebastian Boyd, who makes his main circuit racing debut.
Town lad Charl Visser only needs to increase his title advantage by three points to clinch the 2023 CompCare Polo Cup championship. He not only has Dawie van der Merwe, Anthony Pretorius and another local in Nathan Victor to deal with, but there’s another phenomenon at play in Giordano Lupini. The Franschhoek lad sits fifth thanks to missing two races, but Lupini has won three of the last four Polo Cup races at Killarney off three pole positions on the trot. Also watch for Farhaan Basha, Jason Loosemore, Dean Venter and Ethan Coetzee, lady racer Tyler Robinson and local wildcard Razleigh Harris in the three Polo Cup races.
Investchem Formula 1600 is another highlight for Cape Town race fans at Killarney this weekend. Local lad Troy Dolinschek is another young Capetonian standing on the threshold of championship glory at his home track on Saturday. Having won seven of the ten races so far this season, Troy’s closest championship contender is another young Cape Town star in Jason Coetzee. Race winner last time out, Nicholas van Weely leads the Gauteng charge with Gerard Geldenhuys, Siya Mankonkwana, Antwan Geldenhuys, KC Ensor-Smith, Alex Vos and yet another quick Cape lightie, Storm Lanfear in chase.
Without doubt the fastest cars at the weekend’s Extreme Festival, expect the G+H Extreme Supercars to fly as always at Killarney. Jonathan du Toit and his mighty Lamborghini, Franco Scribante’s powerful Porsche and Charl Arangies Mercedes-AMG GT3 remain the cars to beat. But there’s likely to be some local wildcard interference too. Will Dane Angel’s Porsche and dad Marcel and Jason Ibbotson’s Ferraris be out among visitors, Gianni Giannoccaro’s Nismo GT-R GT3, Paul Hill and his Aston Martin and Marius Jackson’s Audi R8 LMS GT3, among others?
The Gazoo Toyota Yaris League will see little Variawa brother Sa’aad out to avenge being beaten just a second time this season at the last races. Lady racer Karah Hill was the culprit, while young Nikki Vostanis has also won a race this season. Bjorn Berthold, Ryan Naicker, and Taariq Adam certainly would like to beat all three of them at Killarney. Setshaba Mashigo is the form man in the GT86 Media League, where Denis Droppa, Mark Jones, Reuben van Niekerk, Chad Luckhoff and Brendon Staniforth will be doing their best to do exactly that.
Killarney’s Cape Town Extreme Festival starts with Thursday and Friday practice before Polo Cup Qualifying Friday afternoon. The rest qualify Saturday morning 9 September, followed by three races for Polo Cup and two each for the rest, commencing mid-morning. Tickets will be available at the gate for R100 per person. Under 12s get in free. See you at Killarney 9 September!
Issued on behalf of Extreme Festival
Photography by: Motorsport Fanatix
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