Memorable day at Zwartkops in National Extreme Festival finale

Titles were clinched, heroes emerged and the outright circuit record was broken – all in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd. That is how last Saturday’s 2023 National Extreme Festival finale at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria will be remembered.

Heading up proceedings were two Races for Global Touring Cars. Race one provided a shower of dust and expensive body parts when Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics BMW), Sa-ood Variawa (Toyota GR Corolla) and Michael van Rooyen (Toyota GR Corolla) tried to occupy the same piece of tarmac at high speed. All three went off, leaving Julian van der Watt (Investchem Toyota Corolla) to win from Andrew Rackstraw (Sparco VW GTI), Wolk and Variawa.

Race two, started from an inverted grid, saw Variawa win from Nathi Mismanga (Toyota GR Corolla), Van Rooyen, Wolk and Van der Watt. Theoretically that should leave Variawa as the year’s South African champion, but a flurry of protests and counter-protests followed, meaning the title will be fought for by stern, expensive, legal practitioners in dark suits over the months to come.

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Liebenberg wins twice

Bradley Liebenberg (Hype Energy SupaPolo) took both the SupaCup races ahead of Jonathan Mogotsi (VW Motorsport SupaPolo), with Arnold Neveling (GOSCOR SupaPolo) and Tate Bishop (Angri SupaPolo) taking turns in the respective third places. In the process, Liebenberg clinched the year’s SupaCup title.

Youngster Anthony Pretorius (Fast Development Polo) took the first CompCare Polo Cup race ahead of Dawie van der Merwe (Nathan Polo) and Charl Visser (Universal Polo).

Van der Merwe won race two from Farhaan Basha (QV Polo) and Nathan Victor (VW Polo). Visser finished a cautious fourth, to clinch the year’s title for the Universal team.

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Record time

Stuart White (Into Africa Aston Martin Vantage) set the Zwartkop Raceway’s quickest ever race lap time of 58.132 seconds in the first G&H Transport Extreme Supercar race. Then the Aston retired with a holed fuel tank.

That left Franco Scribante (Scribante Porsche 997) to win all three of the day’s races, leading home Jonathan du Toit (TAR Lamborghini Huracan). Charl Arangies (Stradale Mercedes AMG) and Xolile Letlaka (Into Africa Lamborghini Huracan) swapped the respective third places.

Jason Coetzee (Mint Wrapworks Mygale) won the first Investchem 1600 single seater race ahead of Siyabonga Mankonkwane (Investchem Mygale) and Alex Vos (Investchem Mygale), with already crowned 2023 champion Troy Dolinschek (Sujean Mygale) fourth.

Mankonkwane won race two ahead of Vos, Dolinschek and Nicolas van Weely (Magnificent Paints Mygale).

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Bike action

Trevor Westman (Wayward ZX10R) won the opening SunBet ZX10 Masters race from Damon Purificati (Amalgum ZX10), Jayson Lamb (Tyremart ZX10) and Greame van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks ZX10).

Westman won race two as well, leading home Purificati, Van Breda and McMahon (K9 Law ZX10).

The first two Mobil 1 V8 Supercar races went to Julian Familiaris (Lube-Net Chev Corvette), ahead of Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Jaguar XKR) and Franco di Matteo (Deltec Batteries Jaguar XKR).

Adlem won the third race from Familiaris and Warren Lombard (Bumper to Bumper Falcon).

Variawa in charge

Already crowned Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris League champion Sa’aad Variawa (Bucketlist Toyota) won their first race from Karah Hill (Bucketlist Toyota) and Taarixc Adan (Bucketlist Toyota).

He won race two as well, followed by Bjorn Bertholdt (Bucketlist Yaris) and Ryan Necker (Bucketlist Yaris).

The opening GR Cup win went to Chad Luckhoff (GR 86), ahead of The Citizen Motoring‘s Mark Jones (GR 86) and Denis Droppa (GR 86).

Luckhoff won race two as well, followed by Riaan Esterhuizen (GR 86) and Setshaba Matshigo (GR 86).

The next event at Zwartkops will be the last round of the 2023 Regional Extreme Festival, on Saturday, 18 November.