What Astron Energy Polo Cup 2024 Round 2 Report
Where Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
When Saturday 13 April 2024
Community South Africa National
Nathan and Jason still neck and neck with two wins each
Nathan Victor and Jason Loosemore once again shared out the Astron Energy Polo Cup victories at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit’s blockbuster Extreme Festival on Saturday in a brilliant display of racing at the home of South African motorsport. Volkswagen Motorsport driver Kyle Visser was once again the best of the rookies, while Wayne Masters bounced back to take a double Masters class win and claw the over-50s championship lead from rival John Kruger.
With no Superpole at Kyalami, qualifying was even more important this weekend. Cape Town lad Nathan Victor was however on point to put his Summit Racing Polo onto his second pole position in a row. He edged Charl Smalberger’s Sabertek car and Killarney winner, Richards Bay title rival Jason Loosemore in his Security Fencing & Alarms Team Red version. Volkswagen Motorsport rookie Kyle Visser meanwhile slotted onto the outside of the second row.
Ethan Coetzee’s JRT Racing Experience Polo and Mo Karodia’s Fast 5 Motorsport car followed from AF Fans Team Red lass Tyler Robinson, Dainfern Dental Doctor Hannes Scheepers, Gqeberha lad Jeandre Marais in his Syrabix Team Red car and debutant Pierluigi Muzzulini’s FSS International entry. Muzzulini was however sent to the back of the grid on a technicality, promoting Team Red driver Roshaan Goodman and Nirav Singh’s Racing Spirit car each a position up the grid.
Wayne Masters likewise took a back-to-back Astron Energy Polo Cup Masters pole position with the sixth quickest lap overall in his Alpha ESS Polo to line up next to Killarney winner John Kruger’s Habot Oils car on that separate grid. Sabertek driver Derick Smalberger and Elna Croeser’s ATE Brakes entry shared row two from PABAR man Mike Barbaglia, Luigi Ferro in his second Alpha ESS Polo Cup, Johan Gouws’ Keller Williams Realty Polo and Masters debutant, Elio Muzzulini’s FSS International car.
Nathan Victor made a great start to lead Charl Smalberger and a quick starting Ethan Coetzee, but Ethan was soon overcome by Kyle Visser and Jason Loosemore. Mohammed Karodia followed from Tyler Robinson, Jeandre Marais, Roshaan Goodman, Nirav Singh, Hannes Scheepers and Pierluigi Muzzulini. Behind them, Wayne Masters led John Kruger Derick Smalberger, Luigi Ferro Mike Barbaglia, Elna Croeser, Johan Gouws, and Elio Muzzulini in the Masters. That did not last too long before Kruger hit trouble and ground to a halt.
Back up front, Victor initially edged away from Smalberger and Loosemore, but Coetzee chased and soon re-passed Visser, leaving him to fight Karodia off. Behind them Robinson, Marais, Goodman, Scheepers and a closing Muzzulini diced hard, before Scheepers and Muzzulini clashed. There was action up front too, as Smalberger hunted Victor down and Loosemore was under pressure from Coetzee. The chequered flag however flew after only six laps to prevent that grandstand finish.
So Nathan Victor took the first race win by half a second from Smalberger, with Loosemore and Coetzee similar gaps adrift. Best rookie Visser held on to a fine fifth from Karodia, while Robinson, Marais, Goodman, and Singh survived the wrought. Scheepers and Muzzulini followed among the Masters after their tangle. Wayne Masters took an ultimately dominant Masters win from Smalberger, Ferro, Barbaglia, Croeser and Elio Muzzulini after Gouws also hit trouble.
Ethan Coetzee was on pole position for the second race ahead of Jason Loosemore, Nathan Victor and Charl Smalberger. Coetzee got away well to lead the way from Nathan Victor and Charl Smalberger, with Mo Karodia next up from Kyle Visser. Karodia was however on the move and soon past Smalberger and then Victor. But Nathan was having none of it and fought back before chasing down the two ahead.
Loosemore then made his move on Coetzee, which took half of a lap to complete as Victor closed in while they fought it out side by side. Once ahead, Jason had to work to keep his pursuers at bay, But Coetzee kept a push to pass for the final dash for the line and only just missed stealing the win by a hundredth of a second. So Loosemore took the win from Coetzee, Victor and Smalberger, who found his way back past Karodia and a lonely trio, top rookie Visser, Tyler Robinson and Jeandre Marais.
It was anything but lonely behind them as a wild spat soon ejected Hannes Scheepers and Nirav Singh to leave Pierluigi Muzzulini and Roshaan Goodman to the minor placings.
The Masters class action was just as intense. John Kruger managed to get ahead of Wayne Masters to lead the way, only for Wayne to strike back later in the race. Kruger lost another place to Derick Smalberger as Masters led Smalberger, Kruger, Elna Croeser, Mike Barbaglia, Luigi Ferro, Johan Gouws, and Elio Muzzulini home. Barbaglia however incurred a 30 second jump start penalty to relegate him to the back.
All of which leaves Nathan Victor and Jason Loosemore neck and neck in the Astron Energy Polo Cup title chase with two wins apiece. Victor has a tiny advantage due to his pole position and fastest lap bonus points. Volkswagen Motorsport Rookie Cup winner Kyle Visser delivered another strong run to sixth overall. Wayne Masters and John Kruger have also shared out the Masters wins, but Masters leads through better consistency.
Astron Energy Polo Cup now remains in Gauteng as it heads to its third round at Zwartkops Raceway’s National Extreme Festival on Saturday 18 May. The tight and twisty Pretoria circuit is known to deliver blistering Astron Energy Polo Cup racing. This year’s action should be no different.
Issued on behalf of Volkswagen Motorsport
MSA Publishes media releases from a host of different sources on our website as a service to the sport. It is not practically possible to vet/approve every release that is published. Some news items and articles are written by correspondents and do not necessarily represent MSA’s views.