Youngster Saood Variawa ruled the opening Global Touring Car race in his Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla. Picture: Reynard Gelderblom.
The 2023 National Extreme Festival performed at the Killarney circuit on Saturday, with seven racing disciplines, on four wheels and two, fully entertaining a large, enthusiastic Western Cape crowd.
Heading up proceedings were two races for Global Touring and SupaCup cars.
Youngster Saood Variawa ruled the opening race in his Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla, leading from pole position to chequered flag while setting the quickest lap time.
Chasing him to the finish line were defending champion Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics Toyota Corolla), Nathi Msimanga (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) and Andrew Rackstraw (Sparco Volkswagen Golf GTI).
ALSO READ: Coastal action guaranteed as Killarney awaits Extreme Festival
Rackstraw won race two, started from an inverted grid, ahead of Variawa, Msimanga and Wolk.
Bradley Liebenberg (Hype Energy SupaPolo) won both the SupaCup races from Keegan Campos (Carello SupaPolo) with Jonathan Mogotsi (VW Motorsport SupaPolo) and Arnold Neveling (Stradale SupaPolo) swapping the respective third and fourth places.
The G&H Transport Extreme Supercar discipline tackled three 10-lap races. Not surprisingly, the category provided the day’s quickest lap.
Franco Scribante (Porsche 911 RSR) posted a time of 1 minute 08.284 seconds en-route to victory in race one, leading home Jonathan du Toit (TAR Lamborghini Huracan), Charl Arangies (Stradale Audi R8) and Marcel Angel (Autohaus Angel Ferrari 488).
Scribante, du Toit, Arangies and Angel filled the top four places again in race two.
Arangies retired when his Audi caught fire in race three, leaving Scribante to win from du Toit, Angel and Jason Ibbotson (Autohaus Angel Ferrari 488).
Local hero Giordano Lupini (Tork Craft Polo) won both the Compcare Polo Cup races.
On the first occasion, he was followed by Dawie van der Merwe (Nathan’s Polo), Charl Visser (Universal Polo) and Nathan Victor (Summit Polo).
In race two Visser, Jagger Robertson (Liqui Moly Polo) and Fahaan Basha (QWVI Polo) filled the top four places.
Troy Dolinschek (Sujean Mygale) won the first Investchem F1600 race from Gerard Geldenhuys (Abacus Mygale), Jason Coetzee (Mint Mygale) and Nicholas van Weely (Magnificent Van Diemen).
Geldenhuys won the next time out, followed by Coetzee, Dolinschek and Siyabonga Mankonkwana (Investchem Mygale).
Both the SunBet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters races saw Capetonian riders Ronald Slamet (ZX10) win from Trevor Westman (Wayward) with Dave Enticott (Motorwise) and defending champion Greame van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks) swapping the respective third and fourth places.
Sa’eed Variawa (Bucketlist Yaris) took both Toyota Gazoo South African Cup victories from Karah Hill (Bucketlist Yaris) and Nikki Vostanis (Bucketlist Yaris).
Behind them, The Citizen’s Road Test editor Mark Jones won the Toyota GR86 class on both occasions, with Dennis Droppa and Setshaba Mashingo swapping the respective second and third places.
The next National Extreme Festival event will be at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, 20 May. Visit the website, zwartkops.co.za, for more information.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.