Persistent rain at Killarney International Raceway could not stop Cape Town’s maiden Extreme Festival from delivering top-class performances this past weekend (9-10 August).
With sunshine a scarcity only briefly spotted on Friday, competitors and teams alike had their work cut out for what showed early promise to be a race day where the elements would play a part. This added to some predicted intrigue, with the weekend also being the first outing at the circuit for a host of regular competitors.
The programme was started by the DOE Formula Vee partnered with CIM Lubricants, with the first of their three races. Peter Hills (Mangaza Racing VW Thema 2 1.4) jostled for the Race 1 honours with Lendl Jansen (VW Rhema 2 1.4) and Theodore Vermaak (DOE Quality Parts & StartMyCar VW Forza 1.4), while the top eight all kept themselves in close contention and ready to pounce.
Peter Hills made it two wins a bit later, but not after Vermaak and Jansen had their shot at leading the field. This time, Brandon Hills (Mangaza Racing VW Rgema 2) trailed him over the line, with Vermaak also in close contention.
Race 3, in heavier rain, saw Vermaak eliminated on the formation lap. Peter Hills completed his hat-trick of wins with a superb display of wet-weather driving. Almost 17 seconds adrift, Jansen won the battle for the runner-up spot, with Richard Carr (VW Rhema 2 1.4) completing the podium.
A day that saw a host of Cape Town-based drivers delivering inspirational performances also saw the Western Province Motor Club’s Laude Classics produce exceptional support races. Franco Donadio (Donadio Plant Hire Ford Escort) took both race- and 8-Cylinder Class wins. In Race 1, James Temple (Lindenberg Racing Shelby Daytona Coupe) finished as runner-up, with Mark Uytenbogaardt (Superior Elevators Ford Fairmont) completing the podium. However, Temple was one of four drivers in the class not to start the second race, while Mark and Malcolm Uytenbogaardt (Superior Elevators Ford Fairlane) both retired after the halfway mark.
Dave Kopke (JW De La Porte Ford Escort) and Wynand Nell (Donadio Plant Hire Ford Escort) traded the win in the 4-Cylinder > 2L Class. Marius Fourie (PHB Racing Volkswagen Jetta) was classified third in Race 1, albeit two laps short, and he did not compete in Race 2.
Bruce Avern-Taplin (Toyota Corolla) took both 4-Cylinder < 2L Class wins, with Ferdi van Niekerk Jr (Porsche 356 Speedster) as runner-up in Race 1 and Malcolm Pheiffer (Alfa GT aM) in third. Pheiffer finished second in Race 2 after Van Niekerk Jr did not start.
David Alhadeff (BMW 325is), Robert Rowe (Veldt Reared BMW 325i), and Charles Arton (Porsche 914-6 2.2L) repeated their 6-Cylinder Class positions in both races.
The BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series made their much anticipated first outing in Cape Town, with Classes D & E contingent the first to put their racecraft on display. However, it was the local list of BMW drivers who made the biggest impact, notably Ernest Page (Mischief Motorsport BMW E36 328i), who took the Class E and race win on debut from Class D winner Claudio Jardim (Mixbox Automotive BMW E36 330i). The next two drivers to cross the line also saw Class E debutant Faizal Jacobs (Century Karting BMW E46 M3) beating Class D regular Trevor Long (Roof Surgeon BMW E36 328i). Matthew Wadeley (BMW Car Club Gauteng Track Taxi E46 330i Touring) completed the Class E podium in fifth place, while seventh-placed Dewald Smith (Amtec Racing Fuels BMW E46 M3) took third place in Class D. The race was initially led by Ebrahim Levy (Jive Cooldrinks BMW E30 325is).
Class A’s Nian du Toit (NDT Racing BMW E36 328i Turbo) dominated the Class A, B & C first race at home, with Ryan Naicker (BMW E92 M3) and Renzo Torrente (ATM Chiptuning (BMW F82 M4) third. Mansoor Parker (Parkers Parts Center BMW E46 M3), another Capetonian, won Class B from Gqeberha-based debutant Dean Ball (Champion Motors BMW E36 330i Turbo) and Renier Smith (Fast Development BMW E36 M3 Turbo). Reinhardt Miller (Amtec Racing Fuels BMW E36 328i Turbo took Class C from Oliver Hintenaus (Coastal Engineering Supplies BMW E46 M3), and Daanyaal Coetzee (V-Test Roadworthy BMW E46 M3).
Programme changes and a necessity to optimise the available daylight resulted in the second race seeing the first five-class combined BMW ///M Performance Race Series outing since Round 3 at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. Du Toit continued his dominance in Class A, with Naicker second and Marco Retter (Progress Precision Engineering BMW E46 328i Turbo) third. Class B saw a repeat of Race 1, with Parker beating Ball and Smith. Again, Miller took Class C, with Coetzee second and Varish Ganpath (Grobler Motorsport BMW E92 335i) completing the podium. Long had the upper hand in Class D this time over Jardim, with Shane Grobler (Mayfair Gearbox BMW E46 330i) completing the podium. Page again beat Jacobs in Class E, with Gqeberha’s Stephen Aucamp (Aucamp Racing BMW E36 328i) third.
Next was the PABAR VW Challenge, albeit only for Classes A & C, with a host of late, local entries requiring Class B to share the circuit with the Volkswagen Rookie Cup.
Class A saw the Capetonians dominate the podium in Race 1, with Nathan Victor (Summit Racing Volkswagen Polo Gti) beating Jurie Swart (Alpine Autohaus Volkswagen Polo Gti) and Schalk Geldenhuys (G & A Motorsport Volkswagen Polo 6). The first of the regular series campaigners to cross the line was Bevan Masters (The CPS Warehouse.co.za Volkswagen Polo 6R) in sixth place.
Class C saw Christopher Tait (Sportex Volkswagen Polo) jostle Andy Gossman (Volkswagen Polo) for the win, with Philip Croeser (ATE Brakes Volkswagen Polo) third.
The second race was aborted around the midway mark following an incident which eliminated lead contenders Victor, Clinton Bezuidenhout (Progress Precision Engineering Volkswagen Polo 6), Dean Ross (Volkswagen Polo), and Miguel Dias (PMD Volkswagen Polo 6R). The race was restarted as a three-lap sprint to the finish.
Again, it was an all-Cape Town podium in Class A, with Swart beating Geldenhuys and Hintenaus (Volkswagen Polo Gti), the latter being one of several drivers to do double duty on the weekend. Tait again beat Gossman at the front of Class C, with Mitch Coetzee (JRT Racing Experience Volkswagen Polo) completing the podium.
Class B also saw the hosts taming the visitors. In Race 1, Nur Abass (Spice Mecca Volkswagen Polo 6) beat Mohammed Khalfey (Mad Performance Volkswagen Polo), with third-placed Stuart Mack (Creation Wealth Volkswagen Polo) being the first of the regular campaigners. It was an all-Cape Town podium in Race 2, with Raazeigh Harris (Cooltouch Racing Volkswagen Polo) beating Dewald Theron (Ardfinn Car Towing Volkswagen Polo) and Kyle Wiltshire (Bloomsbury Investment Cars & Ops Volkswagen Polo 6).
Behind them, Judd Bertholdt (HPE Sizanani Plastics) took both wins in the Volkswagen Rookie Cup, with the latest Volkswagen Polo Vivo being the car used by all competitors. Jayden Goosen (Motorsport Fanatix) narrowly lost to Berthold in Race 1, with Josh Moore (Fleet Dynamics) third.
The second race saw Goosen spin out of second place on a very wet surface with two laps to go. This promoted Dhivyen Naidoo (Production X) to second place. Volkswagen Motorsport driver coaches Jonathan Mogotsi and Daniel Rowe were the next to cross the line. However, in fifth place, Uzair Khan (Tactical Security Services) was the next driver eligible for points to finish.
The Ferro Energia 111/GT Sports & Saloons field was dominated by Philip Meyer (Pple Group Porsche 924 GTR), and George Economides (Wealth Avenue Volkswagen Golf), who traded the GT Class wins in the respective races. Dawie Olivier (International Race Supplies BMW E30 3L) completed the podium on both occasions.
Lindsay Clur (Nathan’s Motorsport Volkswagen Golf) beat Piet Potgieter (Volkswagen Golf) and Wayne Robb (Ford Focus 225ST) in Class A in Race 1, while the top three inverted for Race 2. Current 111 Sport & Saloons points leader Melanie Spurr (Car Care Clinic Volkswagen Golf) finished fourth in both races.
Luigi Ferro (Eco Simpluy Solar Volkswagen Polo) took the Class B honours in Race 1 from Dias, again competing in his PMD Volkswagen Polo 6R, and Madodana Mydi Mfana (Clean Renewables Volkswagen Polo). In Race 2, Mfana crossed the line first, with Jonathan Visser (Auto Express Car Service & Repair Volkswagen Polo 6RZ) second and Ferro third.
Class C saw Wouter Roos (Car Care Clinic Volkswagen Polo) win both races. Keegan Nathan (Nathan’s Motorsport Volkswagen Polo) and Marius Malherbe (M Kruger Auditing Inc Porsche 924) traded the runner-up spots in the respective races.
Robert Clark (Honda Ballade) was the sole Class D competitor and completed both races.
Louis Scholtz (Car Care Clinic Honda Ballade) beat Roland Hopkins (Rietchard Scrap Metal Volkswagen Golf) and Nicole Lombard (PSA Africa Volkswagen Polo) twice for the Class X honours. This class is for new driver/car combinations.
George Aldrich (Opel Corsa) was the sole SuperHatch entrant on the weekend and completed both his races.
Some of the weekend’s most noteworthy developments occurred in the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars, which shared the circuit with the local V8 Masters. An initial attempt to race came just after the first spell of rain on Saturday and an incident involving the all-APV347is V8 Masters leaders Rui Campos (Campos Transport) and Jason Ibbotson (Autohaus Angel.
A changed programme saw Race 1 restart later in the afternoon. Julian Fameliaris (Lube-Net Chevrolet Corvette) showed his skills on a wet circuit by taking a dominant Mobil 1 V8 Supercars GT Class win over Thomas Reib (Café 9 Automotive Chevrolet Lumina) and Warren Lombard (PepBoys Automotive Ford Mustang). None of the GT2 Class drivers started the race.
Sean Moore (Ziegler Logistics) beat Ibbotson after the latter jumped into Marcel Angel’s spare Autohaus Angel car, with Gary Thomson third.
The second race was rescheduled for the end of the programme, but more heavy rain and a lack of daylight saw the start scrapped.
The next Regional Extreme Festival will see the tour return to Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria on 13-14 September. Cape Town will again feature on the Extreme Festival calendar the weekend after, with the penultimate round of 2024’s national tour.
The Regional Extreme Festival visited Cape Town 
Peter Hills took a hat-trick of wins 
Franco Donadio dominated the local Laude Classics 
Nian du Toit showed the way to the BMW visitors 
Jurie Swart brought his A-game 
Judd Bertholdt took two wins 
George Economides in control 
George Aldrich was the sole SuperHatch competitor 
Julian Fameliairs raised the rain-game 
Sean Moore took V8 Master honours
Issued by Brandsponential on behalf of Extreme Festival
Photography by: Jason Hanslo and Willie Pretorius
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