National Extreme Festival turns-up the heat at Killarney

South Africa’s premier circuit racing series, the National Extreme Festival, visited the Western Cape Killarney circuit in Cape Town this past Saturday.

GTC

Heading up proceedings were two Global Touring Car (GTC) races, with 16 cars taking to the tarmac.

Andrew Rackstraw (Sparco Volkswagen Golf GTI) surprised the regulars by taking pole position during Saturday morning’s official qualifying session.

The youngster backed that up by leading race one from lights to flag, chased by Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics BMW 128ti), Nathi Msimanga (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla), Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics Toyota Corolla), Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) and Josh le Roux (Vitro Frameless Audi S3).

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Pre-event favourite, Saood Variawa, dropped to last place when his Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla developed technical problems, resulting in a visit to the pits and retirement.

Race two, started from an inverted grid, was eventually won by Wolk, ahead of van der Watt, Msimanga, Rackstraw, Variawa and Le Roux.

This time, the Gazoo Racing Corolla of Michael van Rooyen dropped out with electronic maladies.

Polo action

Bradley Liebenberg (Hype Energy) took the opening SupaCup race ahead of Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen Motorsport), Arnold Neveling (Stradale) and Tate Bishop (Angri).

Mogotsi won race two from Liebenberg, Neveling and Bishop.

Dawie van der Merwe (OMP) won the first CompCare Polo Cup race ahead of Nathan Victor (Summit), Farhaan Basha (QV) and Anthony Pretorius (BucketList).

Pretorius returned to take race two after a faultless drive, leading home Charl Visser (Universal), Basha and Jason Loosemore (Security Fencing).

Van der Merwe won race three from Visser, Basha and Victor.

Supercars

Stuart White (Into Africa Aston Martin Vantage) was a star of the show, by winning the first two of the day’s G&H Transport Extreme Supercar victories, leading home on both occasions Jonathan du Toit (TAR Lamborghini Huracan), Charl Arangies (Stradale Mercedes-AMG GT) and Xolile Letlaka (Into Africa Lamborghini Huracan).

In the process, White set the day’s quickest lap time at one min: 07.746.

White also crossed the line first in the category’s final race, but he was penalised 30 seconds for a start line infringement.

That left the du Toit to take the victory, followed by Arangies, White and Letlaka.

Single seaters

The first Investchem Formula 1600 heat went to Troy Dolinschek (Sujean Mygale), ahead of Gerard Geldenhuys (Abacus Mygale), Jason Coetzee (Mint Wrapworks Mygale and Nicolas van Weely (Magnificent Paints Mygale).

Dolinschek won race two as well, this time pursued by Coetzee, Alex Vos (DV Building Mygale) and Andrew Schofield (Investchem Mygale).

GR Cup

Teenager Sa’aad Variawa took both the Toyota Gazoo Cup races, beating Niki Vostanis, Karah Hill and Ryan Naicker to the flag.

Setshaba Mashigo won both the Toyota Gazoo GR86 Cup races leading home Brendan Staniforth, Chad Luckhoff and Dennis Droppa.

In race two, Mashiga made it a double, chased home by Luckhoff, Staniforth and Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Senior Manager, Riaan Esterhuysen.

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