What GTC SupaCup Round 5 Report
Where East London Grand Prix Circuit
When Saturday 22 July 2023
Community South Africa National
Volkswagen Motorsport driver Jonathan takes overall honours
Volkswagen Motorsport driver Jonathan Mogotsi bounced back to take a maiden GTC SupaCup victory as he beat race 1 winner Bradley Liebenberg to overall victory in the East London Grand Prix Circuit’s fifth round National Extreme Festival races on Saturday. It was also a good day for rookie Tate Bishop in third, as Danie van Niekerk took Masters honours on the day.
The formbook was expected to normalise since the series switched to Dunlop Direzza semi-slick tyres for the first time at the previous meeting and Championship challenger Bradley Liebenberg duly got his weekend off to a flying start with pole position aboard his Hype Energy SupaPolo. He qualified five hundredths of a second clear of Volkswagen factory pilot Jonathan Mogotsi, while Cape Town rookie Tate Bishop delivered his best SupaCup qualifying yet as he claimed third on the grid aboard his Angri LTR car. He lined up alongside championship leader Keegan Campos in his Veloce Cars Carello Auto machine.
Goscor Stradale racer Arnold Neveling stood on the inside of the third row ahead of lady racer Karah Hill’s Kalex version, and SupaCup Masters duo, Cape Town driver Danie van Niekerk and Scottish visitor Paul Luti. Bradley Liebenberg made a great start as Tate Bishop dived inside Jonathan Mogotsi for second into Copabana at the end of the main straight on lap 1. Keegan Campos held on to fourth from Arnold Neveling, Danie van Niekerk, Paul Luti and Karah Hill.
Bishop kept the pressure on Liebenberg, but he too came under pressure from Mogotsi, who found his way past Tate to take the fight to Liebenberg up front. Behind them, Arnold Neveling also found a way past Keegan Campos, who was having none of it and was back to fourth a couple of laps anon. Keegan had good late race pace, but it was a case of too little too late as his watched his title rival Liebenberg take the win from Mogotsi and Bishop. Campos ended fourth from Neveling, with Masters duo Danie van Niekerk and Paul Luti next up from Karah Hill.
Bradley Liebenberg got the jump to lead the second race from Jonathan Mogotsi and Tate Bishop, who outpaced Arnold Neveling at the start. Keegan Campos was in what would soon become a lonely sixth, while Paul Luti’s race lasted all of a lap, leaving Danie van Niekerk to lead Masters while dicing Karah Hill. But the big action was up front, where Liebenberg was clearly not having it his own way as Volkswagen Motorsport man Jonathan Mogotsi closed right down on the Hype machine.
Mogotsi made his move with a couple of laps left to race and opened up a small gap to take a delighted maiden GTC SupaCup victory. Second was good enough for Liebenberg though, as he closed his championship deficit down to just a handful of points. And rookie Tate Bishop was delighted with a double third on the day, his best SupaCup results to date, ahead of Neveling and Campos. Karah Hill duly overcame Masters winner Danie van Niekerk for sixth.
Jonathan Mogotsi was close enough behind Bradley Liebenberg in the first race, and far enough ahead of him in the second, to claim a happy overall victory as well. Tate Bishop was just as happy in third from Arnold Neveling and Keegan Campos, while Danie van Niekerk took the Masters win in sixth, ahead of Karah Hill.
GTC SupaCup now takes a midseason break before returning the sixth round Extreme Festival at Killarney in Cape Town on Saturday 10 September
Volkswagen Motorsport thanks its partners CompCare Medical Scheme, Dunlop SportMaxx, Motul, Sparco and VW Genuine Parts.
Issued on behalf of Volkswagen Motorsport
Photography by: Andre Laubscher
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