What National Extreme Festival Finals Preview
Where Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria
When Saturday 25 October 2025
Community South Africa National
One championship point splits top two Tait & Moore
The Volkswagen Rookie Cup heads to the Zwartkops Raceway National Extreme Festival Finals presented by Coca-Cola with its leaders split by just a point and four drivers still in with a shot at the title. Perhaps even more exciting, is that this year’s champion will have the choice of a Volkswagen Motorsport prize drive in either the Astron Energy Polo Cup, or in the Volkswagen-powered Investchem MSA4 wings & slicks single seaters for 2026.
“We have an epic title fight going down at Zwartkops this weekend,” Volkswagen Head of Motorsport Mike Rowe explains. “But perhaps even bigger news is that whomever of the young men wins on Saturday, will have the choice of either a Volkswagen Motorsport-run Astron Energy Polo Cup, or a Volkswagen-powered Investchem MSA4 single seater prize campaign in 2026, as their reward for the 2025 championship.
“We’ve found that while many of our rookies plan to race tin-tops in the future, others may prefer a single-seater racing career. So this year, we’re delighted that our champion will have the choice of either a Polo Cup or a MSA4 campaign for the coming season. But that’s only next year! For now, we have an epic finale to look forward to. All we can tell Christopher, Josh, Mauro, and Uzair is, may the best Rookie win!”
VW Challenge Class C champion and series rookie Chris Tait and Rookie Cup sophomore karting graduate Josh Moore have enjoyed a ding-dong season to arrive at Zwartkops split by just a single championship point. Behind them, rookie Mauro da Luz and 2024 Cup runner-up Uzair Khan also remain well in title contention, and once again just a point apart in third to make Saturday a true Rookie Cup cliffhanger at Zwartkops.
Behind them, three more first season Rookies are fighting it out for fourth in the championship. Former karter Luke Hill, racing lass Berlin Robinson and first year racer Luke Corbett are all keen to close their seasons off as memorably as possible. So expect entertaining close battles throughout the field on Saturday.
Young drivers keen to take advantage of the series’ rich pickings should not hesitate to contact Volkswagen Motorsport about the 2026 Rookie Cup as soon as possible. An initiative open to young racing drivers between 14 and 16 years of age who hold a valid MSA licence, Rookie Cup is designed to deliver a seamless transition for that all-important step up to main circuit motor racing while competing in a pack of identical Volkswagen Polo Vivo GTs through the season.
Rookie Cup works as an academy of motor racing that reaches well beyond just best racing lines, ideal brake markers and racecraft. Recruits are trained in every aspect of racing with an eye to a future career on track. Young drivers interested in joining can email driving@vwsa.co.za with the subject line ‘Ref: VW Rookie Cup’, and Volkswagen’s dedicated Rookie Cup team will be in touch.
*Volkswagen Motorsport salutes its Rookie Cup racing partners, Dunlop Tyres, Astron Energy, Sparco and Volkswagen Advanced Driving.
Issued on behalf of Volkswagen Motorsport
Photography by: Abri de Bruin
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