First round of the new season will have 116 competitors taking part.
Michael van Rooyen (Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla) will start his 2026 title defence in Saturday’s South African Touring Car races at Killarney. Photograph: Dave Ledbitter.
This year’s National Extreme Festival will kick off at the Western Cape Killarney circuit on Saturday.
Officially called….
The event will be officially known as the “Extreme Festival Cape Town” round in association with the City of Cape Town, with Smile FM as official radio partner”.
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That huge mouthful will encompass a full day of South African championship circuit racing, with 116 competitors taking to the fast and tricky track.
Touring Cars
Top billing will belong to the South African Touring Cars and SupaCup brigade.
Reigning national champion Michael van Rooyen must be the overall pre-event favourite in his Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla.
Challenging him, though, will bee Andrew Schofield (FlySafair BMW 128ti), Julian van der Watt (WCT Engineering Volkswagen Golf GTi), Jason Coetzee (Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla) and K.C Ensor-Smith (African Heating Volkswagen Golf GTi).
Top contenders in the SupaCup class should include Rory Atkinson (Easy Drive Vehicle Plans Volkswagen SupaPolo), Paulo Loureiro (Combined Racing Fast D Volkswagen SupaPolo), Jared Rossouw (AXON Volkswagen SupaPolo) and Nico Zafires (Volkswagen SupaPolo).
Also in the running will be Rick Loureiro (Combined Racing Volkswagen SupaPolo), Tyler Robinson (AF Fans Volkswagen SupaPolo) and David Franco (Graphix Supply World Volkswagen SupaPolo).
Extreme Supercar
The event’s quickest lap times will certainly be produced by the Dunlop Extreme Supercar category, led by Jonathan du Toit in his Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo.
His closest adversaries will include Charl Visser (Charl Engineering Porsche 911 GT3), Anthony Blunden (G&H Transport Lamborghini Huracan), Marius Jackson (MJR Motorsport Audi R8 LMS), Charl Arangies (Stradale Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO) and Roy Obey (Stradale Porsche 911 GT3 Cup).
Not to be outdone are the likes of Gianni Giannoccaro (G&H Transport Audi R8 GT3 LMS), Weylin Volschenk (IMC SA Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) and Ricardo Giannoccaro (G&H Transport Lamborghini Huracan GT3).
Polo Cup
Wayne Masters (Performance Masters) should be the man to beat in the Astron Energy Polo Cup races.
Chasing him down will be people like Elio Muzzulini (FSS International), Jayden Goosen (AA OMP), Hannes Scheepers (Dainfern Dental), Charl Smalberger (Sabertek Polo), Mike Barbaglia (Haupt), John Kruger (Habot Lubricants) and Bjorn Bertholdt (Union Power Energy).
Single-seaters
Single seater fans will not be forgotten, with 22 competitors lining up for the MSA4 and Formula Ford Kent events.
Podium challengers should include Keegan Campos (Campos Transport), Chase Haskins (Reach for a Dream), Shrien Naido (Production X), Renzo Ribiero (Metal Used Spares MSA4) and Aqil Alinhai (Robyn Oelofse).
Also in the running will be Gianni Pascoal (76 Legacy), Kent Swartz, Karabo Malemela (KMFT Morita) and Liam Polome (Red Dot Vantage Digital).
Running behind them in the Formula Ford Kent class will be people like Ian Schofield (Investchem Mygale), Alex Vos (DV Building Supplies Van Diemen), Allen Meyer (Investchem Van Diemen) and Ronald van Weely (Magnificent Paints Van Diemen).
Two-wheels
Clinton Seller (King Price Extreme) should win both the Sunbet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters races.
His closest rivals should include Hein McMahon (K9 Law Enforcement), Gerhard Vrey (Project Sixty Sealpro), Jayson Lamb (Tyremart East London), Dirk Stols and Abrie Marais (First Digital).
Not to be ruled-out are Reginald Seale (HXCS AS), Adrian van Dalen (UAG Automotive), Damion Purificati (Amalgum Welding) and Henk Kruger (Zeemans).
Rookie Cup
Rounding out the programme will be two Volkswagen Rookie Cup races, with seven youngsters in identical Polo Vivo GT models waging war.
They will be Max Corbett, Sebastian Dias, Jack Moore, Sebastian Venkov, Luke Hill, Anwill April and Kayaan Dwomoh.
When and how much?
The Killarney gates will be open from 07h00, with qualifying sessions for all classes in the early morning. Racing proper will commence at 09h50.
Admission will cost R150 for adults and R100 for students, with kids under the age of 12 going in for free.
For more information, call the Killarney circuit office at 021 557 1639.
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