What Extreme Festival Round 5 Preview
Where Aldo Scribante, Gqeberha EP
When Saturday 15 August 2026
Community South Africa National
Nelson Mandela Bay welcomes Extreme Festival back to town
When it was clear that necessary track safety improvements to the classic East London Grand Prix Circuit would not be completed in time for the coming 15 August National Extreme Festival races, the neighbouring Algoa Motorsport Club immediately offered its Aldo Scribante racetrack for the weekend. The Border Motorsport Club immediately accepted the kind gesture and will now run this weekend’s Festival at Scribante.
Not only does that ensure a seamless transition for the fifth round, but it also hands Gqeberha race fans a unique triple header with two National Extreme Festivals sandwiching an away Gauteng Regional Festival in a row at Scribante. Getting back to the action, Saturday 15 August now offers a full program of Dunlop Extreme Supercars, South African Touring Cars, and SupaCup, Astron Energy Polo Cup, Investchem MSA4 and SunBet ZX10 Masters, as well as Volkswagen Rookie and Gazoo Toyota Cup rounds.
Julian van der Watt’s Volkswagen Golf GTI may lead the South African Touring Cars, but looking at recent form, he may not be the man to beat. Late starters, returning triple champion and winner last time out, Robert Wolk’s Golf GTI and Keegan Campos’ BMW have shown great pace of late. And rookies, KC Ensor-Smith’s Golf GTI and Jason Coetzee’s Toyota Corolla, his reigning champion teammate Michael van Rooyen and Andrew Schofield’s BMW have also all won races this year.
Former Polo Cup champion Jason Loosemore has eked out a handy advantage in the all-Volkswagen SupaPolo SATC SupaCup chase. Reigning Polo champion, SupaCup rookie Rory Atkinson will be out for revenge after a Zwartkops weekend to forget and a subdued run last time out. Also watch for rookie Judd Bertholdt, Niko Zafiris, Mo Wally, and Davide Franco among this lot. And it’s not a far stretch of the imagination that reigning champion Tate Bishop will make another wildcard appearance at Aldo.
The 30th birthday Astron Energy Polo Cup is another race where leader Hannes Scheepers may not be the form man at Aldo. Closest rival Charl Smalberger has won two of the last three races, but then all Scheepers needs now do is finish the rest of the races well to clinch it. But will he? Rookies Mauro Da Luz and Chris Tait have shown great pace of late, while Roshaan Goodman and Shiren Rajpaul are also right in there. Leader Wayne Masters meantime has Derick Smalberger and John Kruger out to prevent him taking a Polo Masters title hattrick.
Expect the spectacular battle for Dunlop Extreme Supercars superiority to continue at Aldo between Jonathan du Toit’s wailing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO and thundering Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO duo Charl Arangies and Damian Hammond. Fast lady Karah Hill and Marius Jackson’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evos, Paul Hill’s glorious Aston Martin Vantage, the Giannoccaro clan and the rest are ready to put on a glorious Gqeberha Supercar show.
There’s still nothing to split former British F4 racer Aqil Alibhai and ’25 runner-up Mikel Bezuidenhout in the Investchem MSA4 single seaters. Each has won four of the eight races so far but Alibhai has eked out all of a three-point title advantage. And with Karabo Malemela, Renzo Ribiero, Shrien Naidoo, Guido Bidoli and Kent Swartz literally falling over each other to catch and beat the leaders, expect more great MSA4 action on tight and twisty Aldo Scribante.
The SunBet ZX10 Masters motorcycle races are also a case of the leader perhaps not being the man to beat. Dominant Damion Purificati had dominated the first three rounds, but double champion Clint Seller returned to reset the pecking order last time out. Rest assured, Purificati would love to beat Seller, but he really does not need to as he keeps Keith Agliotti, Hein McMahon, Trevor Westman, Henk Kruger, and the rest in the championship in check.
The Volkswagen Rookie Cup makes its third visit to Aldo with leaders Luke Hill and Jack Moore under pressure from double winner last time out, Keyaan Dwomoh. And Connor Weston, Kobus Reynecke and Emma Dowling are the kids to beat in the GR86 Rookie Cup, where Devon Scott and Nabil Abdool remain in charge of their respective GR Yaris Dealer and GR Corolla Media Cup chases.
It may be a substitute, but the country’s fastest machinery racing on the tight and twisty confines of the Aldo Scribante racetrack are set to thrill the Gqeberha faithful as much as it may East London visitors who may make the trip to support their home club’s away races this Saturday. Be there!
Issued on behalf of Extreme Festival
Photography by: Darryl Kukard, Extreme Festival, Volkswagen Motorsport and Toyota Gazoo Racing
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