The BMW M Performance Parts category will visit Zwartkops with a total of 50 cars this Saturday. Picture: Dave Ledbitter.
This year’s Regional Extreme Festival series kicks off at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, with 147 competitors in six separate categories taking to the circuit.
Heading up proceedings with 50 entries to face the starter will be two rounds of the BMW M Performance Parts Series with the field split in two due to its size.
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Pre-event Class A and B victory favourites should include Leon Loubser (330i), Bob Neill (M3 Turbo), Fabio Fedetto (M4), Andreas Meier (318 STC), Carlo Garbini (328i Turbo), Nek Makris (335i), Oz Biagioni (M3) and Renier Smith (M3 Turbo).
Chasing Class C, D and E wins should be drivers like Jan Eversteyn (M3), The Citizen‘s Road Test Editor Mark Jones (335i), Andre’ de Lange (328i), Gary Martins (M2), Alan Hilligen (328i Turbo), George Economides (330i), Trevor Long (330i), Arrie van Heerden (328i), Shaun Dodd (328i) and Johan Miller (328i).
The PABAR VW Challenge category will bring 36 contenders to the party, led by Wayne Masters (Polo), Luigi Ferro (Polo), Bevin Masters (Polo), Mike Barbaglia (Polo), Chris Dale (Polo), Dean Ross (Polo), Adriaan de Beer (Polo), Tyler Robertson (Polo), Ethan Coetzee (Polo), Francis Aldrich (Polo) and Martin de Beer (Polo).
Reigning champion, Julian Familiaris, (Chevrolet Corvette) should be the man to beat in the Mobil 1 V8 Supercar races, chased by people like Warren Lombard (Ford Mustang), Thomas Reib (Chevrolet Lumina), Terry Wilford (Ford Mustang), Johnny Eekhout (Chevrolet Corvette), Andrew Katay (Chevrolet Corvette) and Sam Dahl (Ford Falcon).
The 111 GT Sport and Saloon Car races will boast 28 entries, with the front-running Class X contenders to include Wouter Roos (Volkswagen Golf GTI), Jonathan Visser (Volkswagen Polo), Mike O’Sullivan (Honda Ballade), Melanie Spurr (Volkswagen Golf GTI) and Charles Fowlds (Subaru Impreza WRX STI).
Rounding out events will be two SuperHatch races, with victory chasers to include Jonathan du Toit (Honda Civic), Ishmael Baloyi (Honda Civic), Mark du Toit (BMW Z4) and Trishan Govender (Honda Civic).
National title defendant Jaco Schriks (Rhema) will face off against tough opposition in the DOE CIM Lubricants Formula Vee races.
They will include Peter Hills (Rhema), Lendl Jansen (Rhema), Theodore Vermaak (Forza), Brandon Hills (Rhema), Blane de Meillon (Sting), David Austin (Rhema), Klinton Kane (Sting) and Marcel Blignaut (Forza).
The Zwartkops gates will be open from 07h00, with racing to commence at 09h00.
Admission will cost R130 per adult, R90 per student and children under the age of 12 go in for free.
As always, the pits will be open to all spectators on foot and the venue’s Mini Moke trains will run between the pit gate and the spectator areas throughout the day. Food and drink will be on sale or you may take your own.
For more information, call the circuit office at 012 384 2299 or visit the www.zwartkops.co.za website.
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