What Global Touring Cars Round 6 Preview
Where Killarney International Raceway
When Saturday 9 September 2023
Community South Africa National
Will home heroes benefit from a Variawa & Wolk title fight fallout?
South Africa’s premier circuit racing category, the Global Touring Cars returns to Cape Town’s Killarney International Raceway’s 9 September with scores to settle and a bitter war raging for championship honours. That may just allow title rivals Saood Variawa and Robert Wolk’s Cape Town rivals the opportunity to thrill their home fans with a shock win or two on Saturday.
While Robert Wolk’s blue Chemical Logistics Toyota Corolla Sedan may indeed have been first home in both East London races last time out, all was not as it seems. Subsequent courtroom shenanigans saw him demoted to fourth, to hand that second reverse race win to Saood Variawa and his white Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla Hatchback. The upshot of all that is that Variawa now arrives at Killarney in a 13-point lead, rather than the seven point deficit Wolk held before that courtroom change. Which means Wolk now has a bigger job to do if he wants this year to be a hat trick of GTC titles, so anything could happen at Killarney, although the points positions remain subject to ongoing off track deliberations.
There’s just as big a dice for third behind them too. Variawa’s Gazoo Toyota Corolla teammates, rookie Polo Cup graduate Nathi Msimanga and veteran Michael van Rooyen sit two points apart in the title chase. And not too far ahead of Sparco LTR RDSA VW Golf GTC driver Andrew Rackstraw. Now Rackstraw is one of two Cape Town local heroes in the field, and while his Golf has proven troublesome at times this year, he took his maiden GTC win at Killarney the last time the Global Touring Cars visited his home track, back in March. Andrew would simply love to delight his loyal home fans with another win, or two.
Fellow Capetonian Julian van der Watt did not race that weekend in March following his huge accident at the previous Kyalami round. But Julian has regularly won at home in Global Touring Cars and Killarney would also be the perfect venue to give his all-new Chemical Logistics BMW M 128 ti its maiden victory, and Julian his first win since his return to GTC action two races back. Van der Watt is also involved in his own private championship battle as he closes down on rookie Josh Le Roux’s older GTC specification Master Stairs Investchem Audi S3 GTC for fifth in the championship chase.
So, the Killarney faithful have much great Global Touring Car action to look forward to, come Saturday 9 September. Not least of all a no love lost championship battle. And a couple of home heroes ready to pick up the pieces. Be there!
Issued on behalf of Global Touring Cars
Photography by: Andre Laubscher
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