What ATE VW Challenge 2026 Preview
Where Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria
When Saturday 7 March 2026
Community Gauteng Regional
ATE VW Challenge all set for another, spectacular season
Among South Africa’s longest running racing series, the ATE VW Challenge came to being when 1980s GTi Club members wanted something more exciting to do than just spit, shine and the odd gymkhana. It has since evolved into a most competitive MSA-sanctioned Northern Regions racing championship long recognised as an ideal feeder to national racing.
Offering a level playing field, thanks to a strong, time tested rules set and technical parity across three classes racing mainly Polos and Vivos, the Volkswagen-only Challenge rewards driver skill as much as it does racecraft and meticulous preparation. Now following a season of some technical transformation and plenty incredible action, the ATE VW Challenge is right and ready for a spectacular new 2026 season.
Expect more entertainment up front where Class A has bounced back from a relatively small 2025 grid as it transformed to a fresh turbo engine specification. Big news there is multiple Class B champion Stuart Mack stepping up to a new AutoZone Polo alongside young guns, Josh Moore’s similar Worx BPW Puma, and Christopher Tait’s King Price Extreme machines. Francis Aldrich is another to step up from Class B, while newcomer Drikus du Plessis joins old hands Anthony Lessing’s Raless car, Mellow Velo man lan Walker and Mweza Trans racer Dewald Theron, all back in their Polo 6Rs.
The Class B grid may be thankful that many time champ Mack has moved on, leaving Chris Davison as the class madala. He has quite some competition on his hands. Sophomore historic graduate Jonathan Konig will be looking to go better than his impressive maiden season, while Martin de Beer is up from Class C in his MLP Polo. Rookie Sebastian Bouilliart not only has an impressive season of 111 racing behind him, but dad Anthony was one of the first to emerge from those old GTi Club days en route to winning a Group N Class E championship. A handy tool in the Applied Heat pit corner?
It’s business as usual in the all-Polo Vivo Class C Brat Pack between champion Adriaan de Beer’s familiar red Ukwazi Engineering racer. Except for the new Number 1 plate, of course! 2025 archrival Bryce Pillay starts his season in race 1 this year in his Sustech Vivo. Had he done that last year… who knows? Veteran Philip Croeser is back for yet another season aboard his ATE Vivo, as are Northern Bolt & Tool lad Stuart Konig and young Dimitri Zapheriou.
The new season starts with a couple of heats at Zwartkops Raceway’s Extreme Festival on Saturday, before touring around Gauteng, the Free State and even a bit further over seven rounds through 2026. Let the racing begin. See you At Zwartkops!
*The ATE VW Challenge salutes series partners, Dunlop Tyres South Africa, and ATS Motorsport: Norbrake, Pabar and AutoZone.
Issued on behalf of ATE VW Challenge
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