Extreme Festival heads for the chequered flag this weekend

The 2019 Extreme Festival will come to a dramatic conclusion at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas on Saturday, with six national racing disciplines on the menu, and a number of title chases still to be concluded.

Heading up the programme will be the final two rounds of this year’s Global Touring Car championship, with five drivers still in with a chance of becoming the year’s overall Drivers’ champion.

Current points leader Keagan Masters (Volkswagen Motorsport Jetta) will face a stern challenge from Simon Moss (All Power Audi), with little to choose between them in terms of pace around the complicated Red Star Raceway.

With a variety of permutations applying, the title chase can also be won by Daniel Rowe (Volkswagen Motorsport Jetta), Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Toyota Corolla) and Johan Fourie (EPS Couriers BMW). Tschops Sipuka (All Power Audi) and Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics BMW) will do all they can to interfere in the title fight.

Volkswagen Motorsport Golf GTI drivers Bradley Liebenberg and Adrian Wood will fight for the year’s GTC2 title, with Charl Smalberger (Universal Health Golf GTI) hovering in the wings.

TITANIC STRUGGLE. Bradley Liebenberg (Hello Mobile Polo) and Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Health Polo) will conclude a fierce season-long war for the year’s overall Falken Polo Cup championship.

The day’s most fiercely contested title fight should be for the season’s Falken Polo Cup title, with Bradley Liebenberg (Hello Mobile Polo) and Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Health Polo) set to conclude a season-long fight for supremacy.

Able to cause them problems should be drivers like Matt Shorter (Monroe Polo), Jurie Swart (Alpine Autohaus Polo), Chris Shorter (AE Engines Polo), Clinton Bezuidengout (Glyco Engines Polo), Jonathan Mogotsi (VW Motorsport Polo), Justin Oates (SIKA Polo), Keegan Campos (Campos Transport Polo), Dario Busi (Upstream Connect Polo) and Delon Thompson (Universal Health Polo).

Jaco Schriks (Lube Station Rhema) will go to Delmas as the favourite to clinch this year’s Hankook Formula Vee championship, with his only title rival being Gert van den Berg (Hankook Rhema). Those able to spoil their fight include drivers like Lushen Ramchander (Forza Vee), Peter Hills Lubefusion Rhema), Lendl Jansen (Bull Security Forza), Richard Carr (Lucky Star Rhema) and Brandon Hills (Maganza Rhema).

With this year’s title already awarded, the Investchem Formula 1600 brigade will go to Red Star with Julian van der Watt (SARD Mygale) and Nicholas van Weely (Magnificent Paints Van Diemen) fighting for the runner-up spot.

Others who could interfere will include Alex Gillespie (ERP Trucking Mygale), Siyabonga Mankonkwana (Investchem Mygale), Brendan Tracy (Investchem Mygale), Andrew Schofield (Investchem Mygale) and Ricard Schuhart (RS Mygale).

Clynton Seller (King Price Yamaha R1) and Steven Odendaal (Petra Yamaha R1) should fight for the SA 1 000cc Superbike victories, with Byron Bester (Hi-Tech Yamaha R1) and Dylan Barnard (NPL Yamaha R1) in the wings.

Blaze Baker (JRB Yamaha YZF R6) should be the man to beat in the SA 600cc Supersport races, challenged by riders like Kewyn Snyman (Hillbilly Yamaha YZF600), Taric van der Merwe (Hi-Tech Yamaha R6), Dino Iozzo (King Price Yamaha 600) and Jared Schultz (ASAP Yamaha R6).

The Red Star gates will be open from 7 am, with qualifying sessions in the morning and racing proper from 10.50 am. Admission will cost R50 per adult, with kids under the age of 12 going in for free. Food and drink will be on sale or you may take your own, parking is plentiful and free.

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