Race for the podium on in Toyota GR Cup in East London

The Toyota GR Cup during Round 4 of the Extreme National Race Series at Red Star Raceway was a somewhat humbling experience.

The track near Delmas is long, with stupid hairpin-type corners all over the place, and this translated into that many more places where one could lose time and never make it up again.

Runaway series leader Ashley Oldfield and second-placed Thomas Falkiner showed their class once again and dished out lessons to the rest of the field as they romped home untroubled in the dark.

ALSO READ: Smash-hit Toyota GR Yaris repriced as more units arrive

This weekend for Round 5, we are off to the East London Grand Prix circuit. This coastal region lays claim to being the birthplace of motorsport in South Africa and the first home of the Formula One Grand Prix.

Perched right on the beach, this iconic track, which has remained unchanged since the 1950s, is the fastest in the country. It is home to the much-revered Potter’s Pass, which is a right-hand sweep that is the only corner in South Africa where if you can go flat through it without lifting, you are awarded an “I’ve got the balls for Potters” sticker.

I have one, but that was a long time ago and done with a slower car than the Toyota GR Yaris we are racing.

My hope is that because the East London circuit does not have too many technical sections, and more flat-out parts, I will stay in contention and give my nemesis, Sean Nurse, a good dice at the same time.

After East London, the sixth and penumitmate round of National Extreme Series which will be back at the Killarney Raceway in Cape Town on 17 September.

• The Citizen Road Test Editor Mark Jones is one of six motoring journalists competing in the inaugural Toyota GR Cup.

For more information on the Toyota GR Yaris, visit the manufacturer’s website.