National Extreme Festival ends year on a action packed note

This year’s National Extreme Festival concluded at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, with seven champions crowned.

Touring Cars

The premier title was not among them, with Robert Wolk (BMW 128ti) having tied down the overall Touring Car Championship prior to the meeting.

The Touring Car races still carried the day’s top billing, with the opening heat won by Saood Variawa (Toyota Corolla). He was chased to the flag by Anthony Pretorius (Toyota Corolla) and Julian van der Watt Toyota Corolla).

Already crowned champion Wolk finished fourth, ahead of Andrew Schofield (BMW 128ti).

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The Toyota Gazoo Racing Corollas of Michael van Rooyen and Nathi Msimanga retired after trying to occupy the same piece of tarmac in the circuit’s hairpin bend.

Race two was red-flagged on its opening lap, due to two separate crashes, the first involving Wolk and Variawa with the latter emerging with a crumpled 128ti soon after.

A more dramatic fate befell SupaCup drivers Dominic Dias (Volkswagen SupaPolo), Brad Liebenberg (Toyota SupaStarlet) and Dean Venter (Volkswagen SupaPolo), whose involvment in a chain reaction crash a few corners later forced a prolonged delay to clear-up bits of car.

After the restart, Wolk, in a now battered but repaired BMW, went on to win the last heat of the season, ahead of van Rooyen, Pretorius and Msimanga (Gazoo Toyota Corolla).

SupaCup

Keegan Campos (Volkswagen SupaPolo) and Jonathan Mogotsi (Volkswagen SupaPolo) had to fight for the year’s SupaPolo title.

Campos won the opening race from Tate Bishop (Volkswagen SupaPolo), Mogotsi and Jason Campos (Volkswagen SupaPolo).

When race two eventually started after the mentioned accident, Mogotsi needed only a second place behind Campos to become champion.

That was exactly what he produced, finishing second behind Campos, Bishop and Sa’aad Variawa (Toyota SupaStarlet).

Single-seaters

Jagger Robertson (Mygale) won the opening Investchem F1600 race, to snatch the year’s national title. He was chased over the line by Karabo Malemela (Mygale), KC Ensor-Smith (Mygale) and Alex Vos (Mygale).

Malemala won race two, followed by Vos, Robertson and Ensor-Smith.

Supercars

Arnold Neveling (Audi R8 LMS GT3) won the first Dunlop Extreme Supercar race, to take the year’s national title.

He was followed by Aldo Scribante (Lamborghini Huracan), Silvio Scribante (Lamborghini Huracan) and Charl Arangies (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup).

Neveling won race two as well, chased to the flag by Jonathan du Toit (Lamborghini Huracan), Arangies and Gianni Giannoccaro (Nissan GT-R).

Polo Cup

Rory Atkinson took the opening Aston Energy Polo Cup race. Second, but clinching the season’s title, was Jason Loosemore, followed by Charl Smalberger and Hannes Scheepers.

Atkinson, Loosemore and Smalberger filled the race two podium as well, ahead of Kyle Visser.

Two wheels

Clinton Seller won both the SunBet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters heats from AJ Venter, Damion Purificati and Hein McMahon.

That was enough to make him this year’s champion.

GR Cup

Dawie van der Merwe took overall victory in the GR86 leg of the Toyota Gazoo Racing from Niko Zafiris and Dylan Pragji.

In the GR Corolla media section, newly crowned champion Sean Nurse made it another double to finish as the overall day’s winner ahead of Gazoo Racing head and guest driver, Riaan Esterhuysen, and The Citizen‘s Head of Motoring, Jaco van der Merwe.

Taking overall victory in the dealer sanctioned GR Yaris cup was Paul de Vos from Theo Brits and Mario da Sousa.

VW Rookie Cup

Judd Bertholdt took the first Volkswagen Rookie Cup race from Uzair Khan and Dhivyen Naidoo.

Naidoo then took race two ahead of Khan and Josh Moore, all driving identical road-going Polo Vivo GTs.

Up next

The next event at Zwartkops will be the final round of the 2024 Regional Extreme Festival on Saturday, 16 November.

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