What Dunlop National Race Report
Where Killarney International Raceway
When Saturday 8 March 2025
Community South Africa National
Dunlop’s biggest racing season yet commenced in the Cape
The entirely Dunlop-shod 2024 South African National Championship Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola started in style in perfect autumn sunshine at the Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town on Saturday.
It was a busy time for the Dunlop ATS fitment centre with every car class on the program running exclusively on Dunlop tyres for the first time over the weekend and every driver and team furiously preparing for the new season. “We have gradually taken the Extreme Festival over the past few seasons, Dunlop Tyres SA Marketing Manager Joanne de Freitas explained at Killarney.
“Now we’re running the tyre affairs of every car competitor at the circuit, so it’s become a major operation that requires a streamlined service to ensure every car is ready to run new tyres when it needs to, but the weekend ran like clockwork as usual. Well done to every member of the Dunlop and ATS team from our hard working tyre fitters who work all weekend, to the Dunlop grid girls who add glamour and our tyre technicians who play a part in perfecting tyre performance across the paddock.”
The real action commenced late Friday with Astron Energy Polo Cup qualifying, before the rest of the classes went into their qualifying sessions on Saturday morning. Polo Cup lass polesitter Tyla Robinson was therefore the first driver to pick up her R3000 Dunlop Pole Position cheque. She was soon joined by South African Touring Car Julian van der Watt, SATC SupaCup polesitter Tate Bishop, Volkswagen Rookie Cup driver Uzair Khan and Toyota GR Cup driver Jason Coetzee.
Bradley Liebenberg then went on to grab an early Extreme Supercars driven by Dunlop championship lead over Charl Arangies’ Porsche 911 and Jonathan du Toit’s Lamborghini Huracan with three straight wins. It was a similar scenario for Anthony Pretorius who left Killarney with the South African Touring Cars title advantage in his BMW over Michael van Rooyen’s Toyota Corolla. Local hero Tate Bishop was another to take maximum points home over Tate Bishop compatriot Charl Visser and champion Jonathan Mogotsi.
It’s much closer in the Astron Energy Polo Cup, where Mo Karodia heads home with a slight championship advantage over Ethan Coetzee, with Hannes Scheepers and lady racer Tyler Robinson also too close for comfort. Gio Fiorotto is Dunlop’s early provisional Volkswagen Rookie Cup championship leader, a short head clear of Uzair Khan, while Jason Coetzee, Devon Scott and Brandon van der Nest are Toyota’s Gazoo Rookie, Dealer and Media challenge leaders.
If Killarney was a huge day for Dunlop Motorsport, then the second round Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit blockbuster Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola is an even bigger weekend over the 11th and 12thof of April. “Not only do we step up to our full National championship compliment when the all-new wings and Dunlop slicks Investchem MSA4 single seaters also race for the first time, but we have a full regional Festival that weekend too,” Joanne de Freitas concludes.
“So on top of Investchem MSA4, the South African Touring Cars and SupaCup, Astron Energy Polo Cup, VW Rookie Cup and Toyota Gazoo Races, we also have the Dunlop V8 Supercars, ATE VW Challenge, M Performance BMWs, DOE Formula Vees, and several other teams and drivers running on Dunlop Tyres! All of which makes for a truly incredible race weekend for fans. See you at Kyalami in April!”
Issued on behalf of Dunlop National Race Report
Photography by: Abri de Bruyn
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