Great weather and excellent on-track action greeted spectators at the Zwartkops Raceway
Great weather and excellent on-track action greeted spectators at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, when the venue hosted round four of the 2025 Extreme Festival, presented by Coco Cola.
Top billing belonged to the South African Touring Car championship brigade, with 22 cars facing the starter.
Race one went to Keegan Campos (Campos Transport BMW 128i), chased to the flag by Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Toyota Corolla), Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics VW Golf 8 GTI) and Nathi Msimanga (Gazoo Toyota Corolla).
Race two was red-flagged almost immediately, when the Chemical Logistics BMW 128it of Andrew Schofield and the Campos BMW 128it made brutal contact in the Zwartkops hairpin.
Both Campos and Schofield got their vehicles out of the sand trap and, with a brand new race declared, could rejoin the grid.
Then the new race ended behind the Pace Car under double waved yellow flags, when Siyabonga Mankonkwana went off in the ultra-fast Turn One and parked his Investchem Toyota Corolla deep, deep in the sand trap.
After all of which Michael van Rooyen won, followed by Saood Variawa (Gazoo Toyota Corolla), Julian van der Watt and Nathi Msimanga (Gazoo Toyota Corolla).
The first SupaPolo heat was won by Jonathan Mogotsi (VW Genuine Parts SupaPolo), leading home Jason Loosemore (Astron Energy SupaPolo), Tate Bishop (ANGRI SupaPolo) and Charl Visser (Charl Engineering SupaPolo).
Jonathan Mogotsi won the next race as well, chased over the line by Tate Bishop, Jason Loosemore and Charl Visser.
The Astron Energy Polo Cup category tackled three race heats on the day, making Dunlop tyre conservation a vital part of drivers’ strategy.
Rory Atkinson (Industry Petroleum Polo) won race one from Mohammed Karodia (Fast 5 Polo), Hannes Scheepers (Dainfern Dental Polo) and Dhivyen Naido (Production X Polo).
Atkinson won race two as well, this time ahead of Karodia, Judd Bertholdt (Rookie Cup Polo) and Roshaan Goodman (Upward Spiral Polo).
Race three was red-flagged on the opening lap when four cars spun off in the hairpin and got stuck.
Everybody managed to rejoin though, and the race went to Atkinson, holding off Karodia, Tyler Robinson (AF Fans Polo) and Goodman.
Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3) won the first Dunlop Extreme Supercar race ahead of Charl Arangies (Stradale Porsche GT3R), Gianni Giannoccaro (G&H Transport Nissan GTR) and Kris Budnik (Bucketlist Components Dodge Viper).
In the process Du Toit set the day’s quickest overall lap time of 59,67 seconds.
Arangies parked the Porsche on the warm-up lap of race two, leaving Du Toit to win again, followed by Giannoccaro, Paul Hill (KALEX Audi R8 GT3) and Kris Budnik (Bucketlist Dodge Viper).
Du Toit made it a full triple by winning race three, ahead of a returned Arangies, then Gianni Giannocarro and Ricky Giannocarro (G&H Transport Mercedes AMG GT3).
Multiple Superbike champion Clinton Seller (King Price ZX10) led the opening SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup from lights to flag, finishing ahead of Damion Purificati (Amulgum Welding ZX10), Jayson Lamb (Tyremart EL ZX10) and Hein McMahon (K9 Law ZX10).
Seller won race two easily as well, followed by Purificati, Greame van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks ZX10) and McMahon.
The all-new Investchem MSA4 single-seater category made its long-awaited debut, with 14 of the one-litre, turbocharged cars on the grid.
Former Formula Ford racer KC Ensor-Smith (African Heating MSA4) took the race one victory, chased to the flag by Shrien Naidoo (Production X MSA4), Renzo Ribiero (Metal Used Spares MSA4) and Nicolas van Weely (Inves) tchem MSA4).
Ensor-Smith won race two as well, followed by Ribiero, Adriaan Nel (SignFactory MSA4) and Liam Polome (Red Dot MSA4).
Race three went to Mikeil Bezuidenhout (Corsa Dei Gemelli MSA4), ahead of Karabo Malemela (KMFT Morita MSA4), Liam Polome (Red Dot MSA4) and Ensor-Smith.
The MSA4 cars look good, sound good, race close and lap Zwartkops in under 64 seconds.
They are also cheaper to run than karts or Formula 1600, and, if controlled carefully, could become a major national class for talented youngsters.
The first VW Rookie Cup race went to Josh Moore (BPW Puma Polo Vivo), leading home Christopher Tait (Sportex Polo Vivo), Mauro da Luz (Retail Polo Vivo) and Uzair Khan (TSS Polo Vivo).
Tait won race two ahead of Moore, Da Luz and Khan.
The Gazoo Cup Racing brigade again produced top spectacle, with close racing in all three classes.
Devon Scott (Gazoo Yaris) took the opening Dealership Cup race from Mario da Sousa (Gazoo Corolla), Werner Venter (Gazoo Corolla) and Paul de Vos (Gazoo Corolla).
Scott, Da Sousa and Venter filled the Dealership Cup race two podium as well, this time followed by Paul de Vos (Gazoo Corolla).
Nadil Abdool (Yaris) won the first Yaris Cup heat ahead of Phuti Mpayane (Yaris), Kyle Kock (Yaris) and Lawrence Minnie (Yaris).
Abdool won the next Yaris Cup race as well, followed by Mpayane (Yaris), Charl Bosch (The Citizen Yaris) and Minnie (Yaris).
The first 86 Cup race went to Jason Coetzee (Toyota 86), leading home Kent Swartz (Toyota 86), Khya Nggenya (Toyota 86) and Justin Rogers (Toyota 86).
Coetzee won race two as well, chased by Swartz, Nggenya and Brandon van der Walt (Toyota 86).
The next round of the 2025 Extreme Festival will be a Regional Round at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas on Saturday.
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