Round 1 – 111 GT Sports & Saloons Championship
Extreme Festival | Zwartkops Raceway
The 2026 Digit FMS 111 GT Sports & Saloons Championship burst into life at Zwartkops Raceway this past weekend, with a record-breaking grid of 46 cars contesting the opening round of the season.
The impressive field included 14 GT category entries and 32 competitors in the 111 classes, highlighting the continued growth and popularity of the championship. With such a strong turnout, organisers elected to run the rookie Class X competitors in their own race, providing newcomers with a valuable opportunity to gain experience and find their feet in the competitive world of circuit racing.
Wellnetix Pole Position Awards
Qualifying honours were decided through the Wellnetix Pole Position Awards, which reward the fastest driver in each class with a R1000 prize. Pole positions were secured by:
• GTA: Marius Truter
• GTB: Wayne Robb
• Class A: Charl Weyers
• Class B: Piet Potgieter
• Class C: Chris Smit
Race 1
The opening race of the season saw Jared Rossouw assert early dominance, taking overall victory and the Class GTA win in the Axon/Sparx VW Polo Supacup. Marius Truter finished second overall in the Strategic Gearbox & Diff Polo 9N, while Mark du Toit completed the podium in the Trans Africa Racing BMW Z4M.
In GTB, Wayne Robb drove the Digit FMS Ford ST to victory ahead of Wouter Roos in the Origen Oil VW Polo Supacup, with Jonathan Visser finishing third in the WIX Filters / Origen Oil Polo 6RZ.
Class A honours went to Charl Weyers (Opel Corsa), followed by Melanie Spurr (Origen Oil Golf VII GTI) and Craig Priestly (Tactical Fluid Polo 9N3).
Class B saw Piet Potgieter (Nathans Motorsport Golf VII GTI) take victory ahead of Mike O’Sullivan (All Things Motoring Honda Ballade) and Wayne Lebotschy (Shield Mk1 VW Golf).
In Class C, Louis Scholtz (Car Care Clinic Honda Civic) crossed the line first, followed by Rob Clark (Container Force Self Storage Honda Ballade) and Henry van Vledder (Stuffall Golf Mk1).
The Class X rookie race produced excellent competition, with Wayne Odendaal (959/Mototech VW Golf Mk1) taking victory ahead of Tihan van Rooyen (Van Rooyen Vision Centre BMW 125i) and Arthur Thorne (VW Polo 6R).
Race 2
Race 2 delivered more close racing throughout the field.
Jared Rossouw once again proved unstoppable, securing a second overall and GTA victory, ahead of Marius Truter and Mark du Toit, replicating the Race 1 podium.
In GTB, Wouter Roos turned the tables to take the win, followed by a strong recovery drive from Tony Szabo (JDM Tuning Honda Civic). JP Norje brought the N4 Autocraft Golf Mk1 home in third place.
Charl Weyers continued his strong form in Class A, taking another victory ahead of Melanie Spurr, while Wayne Masters (Performance Masters Polo 6R) finished third.
The Class B podium remained unchanged from Race 1, with Piet Potgieter again victorious ahead of Mike O’Sullivan and Wayne Lebotschy.
In Class C, Henry van Vledder crossed the line first ahead of Louis Scholtz and Rob Clark.
The Class X rookies again produced great racing, with Wayne Odendaal securing another win ahead of Tihan van Rooyen, while Arthur Thorne completed the podium.
Round 1 Overall Winners
After two races of action-packed competition, the overall class winners for Round 1 were:
• GTA: Jared Rossouw
• GTB: Wouter Roos
• Class A: Charl Weyers (first overall class victory)
• Class B: Piet Potgieter
• Class C: Louis Scholtz
• Class X: Wayne Odendaal
Dogfight of the Day
The First Race Dogfight of the Day Award, presented to the drivers who produce the most entertaining and clean wheel-to-wheel battle, was awarded to Arthur Thorne and JA Freckleton (VO Kit Golf Mk1) for their exciting on-track duel.
Partners and Support
The championship extends special thanks to series title sponsor Digit FMS ( https://digitfms.co.za/ ), whose support continues to play a vital role in making the 111 GT Sports & Saloons Championship possible and in helping the series grow at a rapid pace from the get-go of their support.
Digit FMS also partnered with 947 in the week leading up to the event, promoting the opening round and drawing strong public interest to the series. The 947 AMP Squad broadcast live from the Digit FMS Fan Zone, contributing to a vibrant and energetic atmosphere around the circuit throughout the day.
We would also like to thank Well netix for backing our pole position award and First Race ( https://1strace.co.za/ ) for their support behind the dog fight of the day award.
The organisers would also like to thank Dave Ledbitter for capturing the day’s racing action through his outstanding photography.
Next Round
Following a thrilling opening round and record entries, the championship now turns its attention to Round 2 of the 2026 season, which takes place at Red Star Raceway on 16 May.
With the level of competition already on display, the championship battle is set to intensify as the season unfolds.
Published by: J.Visser – Flat Out Media
Photography by: Dave Ledbitter
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