The Zwartkops Raceway crowd was treated to a spectacular National Extreme Festival season finale this past weekend (18-19 October), during which a host of 2024’s national championship battles were settled.
The eight-year run of the Investchem Formula 1600 series, which will be replaced by the new MSA4 single-seater series in 2025, concluded with Jagger Robertson (Liqui Moly) taking the final title. The 2024 debutant, who previously won the INEX Legends championship and competed in various saloon car series, won Saturday’s opening race to wrap up the title, while former leader KC Ensor-Smith (African Heating) finished third.
One of the day’s star performances came from Karabo Malemela (KMFT Morita). He started the first race from pole position, from where he finished as runner-up after hounding Robertson to the finish line. However, the season’s final race saw him take his maiden win, with Alex Vos (Investchem) second and Robertson third.
Behind them, the Formula Ford Kent brigade battled it out. Pole starter Nicholas van Weely (Magnificent Paints & Hardware) and Ian Schofield (Investchem) jostled for the lead throughout the opening race, with Van Weely taking the win. The second race saw Schofield turning the tables and winning with Van Weely in tow. Duncan Vos completed the podium in both races.
Judd Bertholdt (Sizanani Plastics) took the Volkswagen Rookie Cup crown and, in doing so, earned himself a drive in the 2025 Astron Energy Polo Cup. Uzair Khan (TSS) started the competitive portion of the weekend by securing Race 1’s pole position in the all-Volkswagen Polo Vivo GT series’ qualifying session, held on Friday afternoon. Saturday’s first race saw Bertholdt and his only title rival, former points leader Dhivyen Naidoo (Production X), quickly to the front of the field. However, while Bertholdt built a gap at the front, Naidoo had to contend with Khan, with the latter taking second place just after the midway mark. While Bertholdt extended his advantage at the top of the points table, the battle carried over into the final race.
Following a cat-and-mouse battle at the front, Naidoo beat Khan to the Race 2 win, with Josh Moore ( Fleet Dynamics) completing the podium. Bertholdt knew that all he needed was a points finish, and a level-headed performance saw him cross the line in fourth place to take the title.
While Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics SATC BMW 128 ti) had already wrapped up his third South African Touring Cars title in the previous round, this weekend saw the battle for the runner-up spot and Manufacturers’ honours conclude. Wolk continued his dominant season by taking the pole position in Saturday morning’s qualifying session. However, the outgoing champion, Saood Variawa (Toyota Gazoo Racing SATC Toyota Corolla), took the day’s first win on his return to the series after missing the previous round while recovering from an injury. Michael van Rooyen (Toyota Gazoo Racing SATC Toyota Corolla) looked to swing the battle for second place on the points table into his favour, but a retirement at the start of the final lap resulted in this threeway contest becoming even closer before Race 2. Anthony Pretorius (OMP SATC Toyota Corolla) finished second, with Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics SATC Volkswagen Golf GTI) in third. While Van Rooyen was left stricken on the outside of Turn 1, he was classified in sixth place, resulting in only six points between this trio heading into the final race.
Race 2 was aborted twice due to incidents. The first was caused by Wolk and Van der Watt making contact going into Turn 1. However, both cars could make it back for the first restart, which was also aborted due to incidents in the SATC SupaCup pack. From Start number three, Van Rooyen led the way, but on Lap 4, Wolk passed him to finish his excellent season with a win, with Van Rooyen and Pretorius concluding the podium. Van der Watt finished sixth. In the process, Toyota also took their fourth consecutive Manufacturer’ crown.
The SATC SupaCup produced action throughout the day. Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Motorsport Volkswagen Polo SupaCup) held the lead on the points table heading into the weekend, but it was his rival Keegan Campos (Campos Transport Volkswagen Polo SupaCup) who started Race 1 from pole position. Campos went on to win, while Mogotsi finished third, with Tate Bishop (Angri Racing Volkswagen Polo SupaCup) splitting the pair.
Campos was involved in one of the aforementioned Race 2 incidents, his one at Turn 2 with Calvin Dias (Chemi Volkswagen Polo SupaCup). Their siblings Jason Campos (Turn 1 Insurance Brokers Volkswagen Polo SupaCup) and Dominic Dias (Chemi Volkswagen Polo SupaCup) were involved in the second at Turn 4, which also saw Brad Liebenberg (Sparco Toyota Starlet SupaCup), David Franco (Graphix Supply World Volkswagen Polo SupaCup), and Dean Venter (VDN Auto Cars Volkswagen Polo SupaCup) unable to make the third start.
However, Keegan Campos made the restart and delivered a faultless drive to take the win. Mogotsi’s second-place finish saw him take his first national title, while Bishop notched up another podium finish in third.
At the evening’s prize-giving ceremony, Campos’s spirited performance earned him the Cosmo-Net Driver of the Day award.
Arnold Neveling (Bobcat powered by GOSCOR Lift Trucks Audi R8 GT3 EVO) delivered a solid performance in the Extreme SuperCars Driven by Dunlop series, taking a grand slam of pole position, race wins, and fastest laps. He also took both Class A+ wins.
In Race 1, Neveling shared the race podium with fellow Class A+ competitor Aldo Scribante (Scribante Concrete Lamborghini Huracan) and GT3 Class winner Silvio Scribante (Cemza Lamborghini Huracan). In fourth place, Charl Arangies (Stradale Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR) won Class A, ahead of Kris Budnik (Bucketlist Racing Dodge Viper) in fifth. Sixth-placed Gianni Giannoccaro (BISC Transport Nismo GT3) took the runner-up spot in the GT3 class, while Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO), who finished seventh in the running, concluded the class podium. Anthony Blunden’s (G&H Transport McLaren MP4-12c GT3) eighth place saw him complete the Class A podium. Shayur Harpal (Stradale Motorsport Porsche 997 GT3 Cup), in 10th, and Uli Sanne (BMW Z4), in 11th, won Classes B and C, respectively.
The second race saw Du Toit finish as runner-up and take the GT3 Class honours, with third-placed Arangies winning Class A. Gianni Giannoccaro was the next over the line and the second driver on the GT3 podium, while Ricky Giannoccaro (G&H Transport McLaren MP4-12c GT3) was second in Class A. Silvio Scribante’s sixth place saw him complete the GT3 podium, Blunden, in seventh, doing the same in Class A. Harpal won Class B. Aldo Scribante retired after 11 laps, but having completed the minimum distance, was classified second in Class A+.
The Astron Energy Polo Cup title was the first to be decided this weekend, with Jason Loosemore (Security Fencing and Alarms) taking) taking the all-Volkswagen Polo GTI series honours in Friday afternoon’s qualifying session. Rory Atkinson (Industry Petroleum) took the pole position and, crucially, the point that Ethan Coetzee (JRT Racing Experience) needed to stay in the running.
Atkinson went on to take a lights-to-flag win in both races from Loosemore. Hannes Scheepers (VCSA) was promoted to the final podium spot in Race 1 after third-placed finisher Charl Smalberger (Sabertek) received a 10-second penalty for a Push-to-Pass violation. In Race 2, Scheepers looked good to make it two podiums, but after the halfway mark, he started to drop positions. The first driver to pass him was Smalberger, who went on to complete the podium.
Wayne Masters (AlphaESS) took the Masters Class title in Race 1 after beating Derick Smalberger (Sabertek) and John Kruger (Habot Oils). Masters made it a double victory in Race 2, this time with Kruger as runner-up, while Elna Croeser (ATE Brakes) took the final podium of the season.
While Clinton Seller (King Price Xtreme) had already claimed the title in the all-Kawasaki ZX10 SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup, he delivered another dominant performance to win both races and Class A from AJ Venter (Vault Markets) and Damion Purificati (Amalgam Welding Shop).
Graeme van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks), who had already wrapped up the Class B title, won both races from David Veringa (East Rand Bike & Boat World) and James Barson (Steel Monkey). The Class C title was also already settled with Johan le Roux as champion. Joao Cruz (Firm Faith) won both races, with Raymond Keel (Stromabex) second and Ian Harwood (IRP Distributors) third.
All three Gazoo Racing South Africa Cup Driven by Netstar titles were also wrapped up earlier this season, with Dawie van der Merwe winning Class GR 86, Sean Nurse Class GR Corolla, and Devon Scott Class GR Yaris.
However, Van der Merwe also made history with another rare feat. By winning both the GR 86 races, he achieved a 100% win record, with 14 wins from 14 starts. Niko Zafiris finished as runner-up in both races. Ryan Naicker completed the Race 1 podium, while Dylan Pragji, who also made his SATC SupaCup debut on the weekend, finished third in Race 2.
Sean Nurse made it 13 wins from 14 GR Corolla starts with his double victory. In both races, Toyota South Africa’s Public Relations Manager, Riaan Esterhuysen, finished second twice, while Bernie Hellberg and Jaco van der Merwe finished third in Race 1 and 2, respectively.
Theo Brits (NMI Toyota Menlyn) won the first GR Yaris race from Paul de Vos (GR Driving Academy) and Mario de Sousa (MOTUS Toyota). In Race 2, De Vos took the win from De Sousa and Brits.
The last event on the 2024 Extreme Festival calendar will be the season finale for the regional roster on 15-16 November, also to be held at Zwartkops Raceway. The Extreme Festival Tour Management also looks forward to announcing a fascinating 2025 calendar for both rosters.
Issued by Brandsponential on behalf of Extreme Festival
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.