What Extreme Festival Round 5 Preview
Where Aldo Scribante, Gqeberha EP
When Saturday 15 August 2026
Community South Africa National
Julian ahead but South African Touring Cars all to play for
The South African Touring Cars will make an unexpected second trip to Gqeberha for its fifth of seven rounds when they return to Aldo Scribante on Saturday 15 August. Most intriguing, the championship chase remains wide open after leader Julian van der Watt scored his least points of the season last time out, allowing most rivals to close in. Now back to Aldo in place of the planned East London weekend, it’s all to play for.
Still, van der Watt holds a handy seventeen point advantage following a fine first half of the season aboard his Investchem WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI. WCT teammate, rookie KC Ensor-Smith has impressed beyond his years to sit second in the chase in his African Heating Investchem WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI. He’s a further nine points clear of Gazoo Toyota Corolla teammates, reigning champion Michael van Rooyen and rookie Jason Coetzee, with Andrew Schofield’s FlySafair Chemical Logistics BMW 128ti fifth.
The most interesting bit is that the drivers close behind in sixth and seventh, multiple champion Robert Wolk’s Chemical Logistics WCT Volkswagen Golf GTI and Keegan Campos’ Veloce Campos Chemical Logistics FAST BMW 128ti both started the season late and now appear to be the men to beat. How that all pans out back at Scribante, and over the following four rounds at Killarney and Zwartkops, remains to be seen. But the 2026 South African Touring Cars touch paper certainly has been lit.
It’s a little clearer cut in the all-Volkswagen SupaPolo SATC SupaCup. Former Astron Energy Polo Cup champion Jason Loosemore has built up a handy advantage in his privateer Renegade SupaPolo. Reigning Polo Cup champion Rory Atkinson sits second in his factory backed SupaPolo and keen to make up for a challenging past few races. They can expect pressure from Judd Bertholdt’s Union Power Energy car, Niko Zafiris, Nicholas Vostanis, Paulo and Rick Loureiro and Jared Rossouw. And will reigning champion Tate Bishop make another wildcard appearance?
Racing as part of the National Extreme Festival roadshow, the South African Touring Cars and SupaCup are sure to thrill once again in Gqeberha on Saturday. See you at Aldo Scribante!
Issued on behalf of South African Touring Cars
Photography by: Darryl Kukard and Extreme Festival
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