The 2024 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing SA GR Cup delivered another weekend of thrilling racing at the East London Grand Prix Circuit on 27 July. The cool but dry weather provided ideal racing conditions, and the drivers across all categories engaged in a series of exciting battles around the highly challenging circuit.
GR Cup Media Challenge (GR Corolla)
Qualifying: The qualifying session saw Sean Nurse (AutoTrader) securing pole position with a time of 1:35.410. Hannes Visser (La’t Wiel) and guest driver Anand Pather (Toyota SA Motors’ Vice-President for Customer Services) followed closely behind, with Visser just 1.412sec of Nurse’s pace. Unfortunately, Bernie Hellberg (Driven) had a significant crash during qualifying, rendering his car a write-off and preventing him from competing for the rest of the weekend. The Driven scribe was shaken but unhurt, which is testimony to the quality and durability of the GR Corolla and its additional protection, which is required for race use.
Race 1: Race 1 was dominated by Sean Nurse (AutoTrader), who maintained his pole position to take the win. Despite feeling that his car was slightly down on power, Nurse managed to finish with a time of 13:18.526. Alex Shahini (CAR) and Anand Pather (Toyota SA Motors) rounded out the podium. Hannes Visser (La’t Wiel) had an incident involving the NMI Toyota Menlyn Yaris of Theo Brits, leading to his retirement with a broken tie rod end.
| Position | Name | Total Time | Gap |
| 1 | Sean Nurse | 13:18.526 | |
| 2 | Alex Shahini | 13:33.430 | +14.904 |
| 3 | Anand Pather | 13:36.575 | +18.049 |
| 4 | Kumbi Mtshakazi | 13:44.435 | +25.909 |
| 5 | Jaco van der Merwe | 13:50.113 | +31.587 |
| 6 | Hannes Visser | 10:14.057 | -2 laps |
Race 2: Race 2 was a different story, with Sean Nurse experiencing a mechanical failure before the start, forcing him to retire. “I pulled up to the start line and the car cut out,” Nurse said, expressing his disappointment. “I tried to do the formation lap, but the car kept sputtering and cutting out.”
Alex Shahini capitalised on this opportunity to secure his first win of the championship. Shahini was ecstatic about the victory, which boosted his confidence significantly. “It’s been a long time coming,” said Shahini. “The car felt great under me, and each lap that went by, I was just feeling more and more in tune with the Corolla.” Anand Pather and Kumbi Mtshakazi completed the top three.
| Position | Name | Total Time | Gap |
| 1 | Alex Shahini | 11:52.258 | |
| 2 | Anand Pather | 11:54.311 | +2.053 |
| 3 | Kumbi Mtshakazi | 11:54.762 | +2.504 |
| 4 | Jaco van der Merwe | 12:02.067 | +9.809 |
Championship Standings:
| 1. | Sean Nurse (AutoTrader) | 63 points |
| 2. | Alex Shahini (CAR) | 44 points |
| 3. | Hannes Visser (La’t Wiel) | 30 points |
| 4. | Jaco van der Merwe (Citizen) | 26 points |
| 5. | Kumbi Mtshakazi (Kumbi-M on Cars) | 24 points |
| 6. | Bernie Hellberg (Driven) | 15 points |
GR Cup Dealer Challenge (GR Yaris)
Qualifying: In the GR Cup Dealer Challenge, Devon Scott (GR Driving Academy) secured the pole position with a time of 1:36.412. Mario de Sousa (Motus Toyota) and Theo Brits (NMI Toyota Menlyn) were close behind, Mario lagging just 0.210sec behind Devon; and Theo relinquishing only 0.546sec to the pole sitter.
Race 1: Devon Scott maintained his qualifying form to win Race 1 with a time of 13:16.736. Mario de Sousa and Theo Brits followed, rounding out the top three. Andries de Villiers (Rola Toyota) and Johann Snyman (Rustenburg Toyota) completed the order.
| Position | Name | Total Time | Gap |
| 1 | Devon Scott | 13:16.736 | |
| 2 | Mario de Sousa | 13:29.649 | +12.913 |
| 3 | Theo Brits | 13:31.436 | +14.700 |
| 4 | Andries de Villiers | 13:45.815 | +29.079 |
| 5 | Johann Snyman | 14:06.820 | +50.084 |
Race 2: Race 2 saw Devon Scott (GR Driving Academy) drive superbly once again to take the win, followed by Mario de Sousa (Motus Toyota) and Theo Brits (NMI Toyota Menlyn). Scott’s consistent performance further solidified his lead in the championship.
| Position | Name | Total Time | Gap |
| 1 | Devon Scott | 11:45.405 | |
| 2 | Mario de Sousa | 11:51.891 | +6.486 |
| 3 | Theo Brits | 11:54.762 | +9.357 |
| 4 | Andries de Villiers | 12:02.227 | +16.822 |
| 5 | Johann Snyman | 12:33.237 | +47.832 |
GR86 Development Academy
Qualifying: Dawie van der Merwe (GR86) was the fastest in qualifying with a time of 1:36.373, closely followed by Setshaba Mashigo and Niko Zafiris.
Race 1: Dawie van der Merwe dominated Race 1 with a time of 13:08.609, maintaining his lead in the championship. Ryan Naicker and Dylan Pragji rounded out the podium. The race saw close battles throughout, with all drivers displaying impressive skills.
| Position | Name | Total Time | Gap |
| 1 | Dawie van der Merwe | 13:08.609 | |
| 2 | Ryan Naicker | 13:11.276 | +2.667 |
| 3 | Dylan Pragji | 13:12.163 | +3.554 |
| 4 | Kent Swartz | 13:12.831 | +4.222 |
| 5 | Niko Zafiris | 13:21.789 | +13.180 |
| 6 | Setshaba Mashigo | 13:22.689 | +14.080 |
Race 2: Dawie van der Merwe continued his winning streak by taking first place in Race 2 with a time of 11:26.725. Setshaba Mashigo and Niko Zafiris completed the podium, with Dylan Pragji and Ryan Naicker finishing closely behind.
| Position | Name | Total Time | Gap |
| 1 | Dawie van der Merwe | 11:26.725 | |
| 2 | Setshaba Mashigo | 11:36.104 | +9.379 |
| 3 | Niko Zafiris | 11:36.357 | +9.632 |
| 4 | Dylan Pragji | 11:43.823 | +17.098 |
| 5 | Ryan Naicker | 11:44.211 | +17.486 |
Championship Standings:
| 1. | Dawie van der Merwe (GR86) | 70 points |
| 2. | Niko Zafiris (GR86) | 41 points |
| 3. | Dylan Pragji (GR86) | 32 points |
| 4. | Ryan Naicker (GR86) | 31 points |
| 5. | Setshaba Mashigo (GR86) | 30 points |
| 6. | Kent Swartz (GR86) | 15 points |
The next event in the 2024 GR Cup will take place at the Killarney International Race Circuit in Cape Town in mid-September. As the season heads back to the Western Cape, the competition continues to intensify, with Sean Nurse, Devon Scott and Dawie van der Merwe leading their respective categories. The penultimate round will offer a final chance for competitors to close the gaps to the leaders, before the season concludes at Zwartkops on 19 October, 2024.
Sponsor’s Corner
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TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa Acknowledges Its Sponsors
Toyota enjoys a mutually beneficial relationship with Toyota Financial Services, Garmin, Dunlop, Ferodo and Kinto.
Published by: Karabo Sethusha
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