What South African Touring Cars Round 2 2025 Report
Where Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
When Saturday 12 April 2025
Community South Africa National
Campos wins on South African Touring Cars debut
Keegan Campos basically came, saw, and conquered as he took overall victory on his South African Touring Car debut at Kyalami’s blockbuster Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola on Saturday. It wasn’t all that easy for the reverse grid second race winner however, his victory only came after heat 1 winner Saood Variawa was penalised in the second race. Penalties also shaped the SATC SupaCup weekend, but that would not be enough to stop Volkswagen Motorsport star Jonathan Mogotsi from taking the day.
Regular duo, Michael van Rooyen’s SVR Steelworks Toyota GR Corolla and Julian van der Watt’s Chemical Logistics WCT Volkswagen Golf TC held sway on the front row of a rather different looking Kyalami South African Touring Cars grid. Saood Variawa was back in the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Corolla alongside the debuting Keegan Campos’ Campos Transport BMW 328tc on the second row.
Rookie Jagger Robertson’s Chemical Logistics WCT Sparco Golf and Andrew Schofield’s FlySafair Chemical Logistics BMW shared row 3 ahead of two more Corollas. A Toyota Gazoo Racing version for another comeback kid, Nathi Msimanga and an Investchem car for debuting Investchem Formula 1600 graduate Siyabonga Mankonkwana.
Jonathan Mogotsi delivered a seismic qualifying lap to take a commanding SupaCup pole position in his VW Genuine Parts SupaPolo, ahead of Cape title rivals, Charl Michael Visser’s similar Charl Engineering, and Tate Bishop’s Angri Racing LTR machines. Niko Zafiris lined up fourth in his AZNetworks LTR version ahead of impressive debutant, karting champion Muhammad Wally and Dylan Pragji’s Stylin Auto entry.
Kalex lass Karah Hill, Nicolas Vostanis and Jason Loosemore’s Astron Energy SupaPolos followed from Dawie van der Merwe’s lone Toyota Gazoo Racing SupaStarlet, and David Franco’s Graphix Supply World, Platinum Mile driver Dean Venter and Masters entry, Andre Bezuidenhout’s Weltevreden Bertha Wines SupaPolos.
Saood Variawa pulled a perfect start to jump Michael van Rooyen and Julian van der Watt and lead the opening heat from the get-go. Jagger Robertson also made a great start to jump to third, while van der Watt had to fend Nathi Msimanga off for fourth early on. Msimanga then stopped to join Schofield in retirement and allow Keegan Campos, struggling with a sticky gearbox, and Siyabonga Mankonkwana up to fifth and sixth as van Rooyen shadowed Variawa to his comeback win with Robertson third from van der Watt, Campos and Mankonkwana.
It seemed as if Jonathan Mogotsi had driven to a dominant SupaCup race to victory over Charl Visser, Tate Bishop, who fought back past Dylan Pragji, Niko Zafiris, and Nicolas Vostanis. But Mogotsi, Visser and Zafiris all used their push to pass illegally on the first lap and each copped a ten second penalty. So Bishop inherited the win to make it a hat trick from Pragji, Mogotsi, Vostanis and Visser. Dawie van der Merwe was sixth from Hill, Loosemore, Wally and Franco, the penalised Zafiris, Venter and Bezuidenhout.
With Mankonkwana on the reverse grid second race pole, Keegan Campos used his repaired gearbox to jump into a lead he would not relinquish. There was more drama on the second start when Michael van Rooyen plummeted to the back. So Jagger Robertson grabbed second from Saood Variawa, van der Watt, Msimanga, van Rooyen, Mankonkwana and Schofield, which is how they finished. But Variawa was demoted to behind van Rooyen for helping Michael off, to also cost him the win for the day. Instead Campos took the overall victory from Robertson, van der Watt and Saood.
Jonathan Mogotsi made no mistakes to storm to the second SupaCup win over Bishop, Visser and Karah Hill, who was later penalised for a lap 1 push to pass. Which promoted Niko Zafiris to fourth from Muhammad Wally, Franco, van der Merwe, Venter and Bezuidenhout. So despite his race 1 penalty, Mogotsi still took the day from Bishop and Visser. The South African Touring Cars and SupaCup’s next appointment is at Aldo Scribante’s Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola in Gqeberha on Saturday 10 May.
Issued on behalf of South African Touring Cars
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