Youngster Saood Variawa is expected to be one of the frontrunners in the Global Touring Car race in his Gazoo Toyota Corolla. Picture: Reynard Gelderblom.
The Eastern Cape Aldo Scribante circuit outside Gqeberha will host the 2023 National Extreme Festival this weekend, with eight separate competition disciplines in action.
Officially, the event’s top billing will belong to the Global Touring Car category, where current championship leader Saood Variawa (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) and defending title holder Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics Toyota Corolla) will continue their season-long duel for supremacy.
Able to interfere with their efforts will be drivers like Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla), Nathi Msimanga (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla), Andrew Rackstraw (Sparco Volkswagen Golf GTI) and Josh le Roux (Vitro Audi S3).
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Meanwhile, Julian van der Watt has recovered from his Kyalami crash injuries earlier this year and is expected to take the wheel of the Chemical Logistic team’s all new BMW 128ti GTC.
Bradley Liebenberg (Hype Energy SupaPolo) will be the man to beat in the SupaCup category, challenged by the likes of Keegan Campos (Carello Auto SupaPolo), Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Motorsport SupaPolo), Arnold Neveling (Goscor Stradale SupaPolo), Dominic Dias (Chemi Liquid Energy SupaPolo), Tato Carello (Carello Auto SupaCup) and Tate Bishop (Angri LTR SupaPolo).
Adding much uncertainty to the form book, the SupaPolos will be racing on Dunlop’s new Direzza semi-slick tyres for the first time in the Eastern Cape, replacing the formula’s former full slick rubber.
The ultra close CompCare Polo Cup races should have front runners like Jason Loosemore (Security Fencing Polo), Giordano Lupini (Tork Craft Polo), Charl Visser (Universal Polo), Dawie van der Merwe (Nathan Polo), Nathan Victor (Summit Polo), Bryce Pillay (Techtisa Polo), Farhaan Basha (OV Polo), Ethan Coetzee (JRT Polo) and Tyler Robinson (AF Fans Polo).
The event’s quickest lap times should be set by the G&H Transport Extreme Supercar contenders.
Top podium chasers should include Franco Scribante (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR), Jonathan du Toit (TAR Lamborghini Huracan), Charl Arangies (Mercedes-AMG GT3), Mark du Toit (TAR Audi R8), Gianni Giannoccaro (Nissan GT-R), Chris Budnik (Dodge Viper), Silvio Scribante (Lamborghini Huracan), Aldo Scribante (Lamborghini Huracan) and Joseph Ellerine (Audi R8).
Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Jaguar XK8), Julian Familiaris (Lube-Net Chevrolet Corvette), Thomas Reib (Mobil 1 Chevrolet Corvette), Warren Lombard (Bumper to Bumper Ford Falcon) and Steve Herbst (Prei Chevrolet Corvette) should be the men to watch in the Mobil 1 V8 Supercar races.
Troy Dolinschek (Sujean Mygale) must be the man to beat in the Investchem F1600 category, challenged by the likes of Gerard Geldenhuys (Abacus Mygale), Nicholas van Weely (Magnificent Paints Van Diemen), Jason Coetzee (Mint Wrapworks Mygale), Siyabonga Mankonkwana (Investchem Mygale), Antwan Geldenhuys (Abacus Mygale), and Alex Vos (DV Building Mygale).
In the SunBet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters Cup category defending champion Graeme van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks) will face off against people like Hein Mahon (K3 Law), Klint Munton (SunScan), Brian Bontekoning (Jaguar), Johan le Roux (Avidan) and Jayson Lamb (Max 4).
The Toyota Gazoo Racing Cup will also make its appearance in two separate class; the GR Yaris Racing League contested by the likes of Saeed Variawa, Karah Hill, Taariq Adam and Nikki Vostaris, and the GR86 League campaigned journalists Dennis Droppa, Chad Luckhoff, Setshaba Mashigo and The Citizen‘s Road Test Editor Mark Jones.
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