After a two-month break, the BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series will recommence at Red Star Raceway this coming weekend (15-16 May), and all eyes will be on Ignus du Plessis, who is still unbeaten after two rounds in 2026.
Heading into the race weekend around the anti-clockwise layout of the four-kilometre circuit, Class C leader Du Plessis has four wins, four fastest laps, and two pole positions. However, with him being on the cusp of breaking into Class B, Round 3 will be his final chance to break out and retain 100% of his points.
The races are still looking to be headed up by the Class B field, with no driver having broken into Class A as yet. Andre van Vuuren currently holds the advantage here, six points clear at the top following three wins thus far. He is trailed by Olerato Sekudu, the only other driver to have won a race in the previous two rounds, both of which were held at Zwartkops Raceway. A solid start to the season sees Richard Gernholtz five points adrift in third, and one clear of Bernard de Gouveia, who will be eager to get back into contention following a challenging second round. A steady campaign thus far sees Troy Cochran in fifth place, four points adrift. They will also face challenges from Pieter Lombard and Trevor Long, both of whom have been steadily collecting points.
Du Plessis’s immediate rival in Class C will also look to push hard, be it to catch up or to force him into breaking out. Nicholas Herbst is 17 points adrift, having settled for the bridesmaid spot three times already in 2026. A driver to watch out for will be Kent Swartz, who finished second in his last outing while mixing it up with the Class B brigade. He trails Herbst by seven points and is six clear of Tihan van Rooyen, another young star in the NA Cup, who still has fond memories of his first win at the circuit, albeit in the opposite direction. A solid second round saw Shane Grobler rocket up to fifth place, two points behind Van Rooyen. This class will see a host of other challengers as well, in Claudio Jardim, Eddie Rodrigues, Karabo Malemela, and Mitch Coetzee.
Class D leader, Reinhardt Miller, is set to become the first driver to compete in both the NA Cup and Turbo Cup on the same weekend. On the back of three wins, he holds an eight-point advantage over Henry Platt heading into the weekend. Ruan van der Walt, 10 points adrift, will look to regain the form he showed in this year’s first race, where he took a win on debut. Chloe Stuart and Philp Mostert Snr are tied on points, trailing Van der Walt by six. Stuart does have the advantage at present, though, based on her solitary second-place finish earlier this year. The likes of Arri van Heerden, Craig Platt, Dirk van Loggerenberg, Henry Harber, Justin Brown, Morgan Jacobs, and Philip Mostert Jnr will also be back in contention. Zaheer Seedat and Donovan Mannaru return to action after missing Round 2, while Mariaan Emmenis will have her first outing of the season.
In the NA Cup, it’s Du Plessis who leads Miller by 10 points, with Van Vuuren, Sekudu, and Herbst also in contention.
Qualifying is scheduled for Friday afternoon, with Saturday’s races taking place at 10:20 and 13:35. Race 1 will be completed over eight laps, ahead of the 10-lap second race. Spectator tickets will be available at the Red Star Raceway entrance gate, at R150 per adult, and with children under 12 entering for free. Both races will also be broadcast live on the Extreme Festival website.
Published by: Reynard Gelderblom
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