The 2026 GR Cup season got off to an emphatic start at Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town this weekend, as the opening round of the championship delivered thrilling racing across all three categories during the National Extreme Festival.
With practice sessions taking place on Friday, competitors returned to the circuit on Saturday for qualifying and two eight-lap sprint races in mild and sunny conditions. The weekend produced standout performances across the field, with SuperSport’s Nabil Abdool securing a commanding double victory in the GR Cup Media Challenge, while Devon Scott dominated the GR Cup Dealer Challenge with two convincing wins. The GR86 Development Academy also delivered close racing as the championship’s young drivers began their 2026 campaigns.
ABDOOL DELIVERS PERFECT MEDIA CHALLENGE WEEKEND
The GR Cup Media Challenge produced a commanding performance from SuperSport’s Nabil Abdool, who launched his 2026 campaign with a flawless double victory.
Qualifying proved challenging with a large 23-car field searching for clean air around the tight Cape Town circuit, but Abdool produced a strong lap to secure pole position in the GR Cup Media Challenge.
In Race 1, Abdool controlled the race from the front to secure a lights-to-flag victory. AutoTrader’s Taye Mbiri finished second after a consistent drive, while News24’s Craig Nicholson completed the podium in third.
Race 2 followed a similar pattern, with Abdool again delivering a composed performance to secure his second class victory of the weekend. Nicholson improved to second place, while eNCA’s Justin Ford completed the podium.
Behind the leading trio, Brandon Jacobs and Naresh Maharaj also featured in the battles throughout the weekend as the Media Challenge field settled into the rhythm of the new season.
SCOTT PERFECT IN DEALER CHALLENGE
Devon Scott enjoyed a near-perfect start to the season in the GR Cup Dealer Challenge, claiming pole position before converting it into two overall race victories at Killarney.
Scott quickly established himself as the driver to beat during Friday’s practice sessions before securing pole position in Saturday morning’s qualifying.
In Race 1, Scott controlled proceedings from the front to take the overall victory, while Werner Venter and Theo Brits completed the Dealer Challenge podium after strong drives throughout the race.
Race 2 produced another confident performance from Scott, who again held off early pressure before building a comfortable advantage to secure his second win of the weekend.
Behind him, Venter and Brits once again finished second and third respectively, while Werner Horn, Riaan de Ru, Andries de Villiers, Marius Claasen, Kevin Crowie and Johan Boonzaaier were all involved in competitive battles throughout the two races.
The strong opening performance underlined the pace and reliability of the GR platforms as the Dealer Challenge competitors began their 2026 campaigns.
STRONG START FOR GR86 DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY
The GR86 Development Academy once again produced close racing and competitive lap times as the development category returned to action for the new season.
Vatiswa Mokonoana set the early benchmark by topping the times in qualifying, narrowly ahead of Kobus Reyneke, Emma Dowling and Connor Weston.
However, Reyneke emerged as the strongest performer across the two races. He secured victory in Race 1 ahead of Weston and Dowling, before backing it up with another win in Race 2.
Dowling improved to second place in the second race, while Weston completed the podium after another consistent performance.
Just behind the leading trio, Mokonoana, Kian Fussell, Reagile Mailula, Miklos Hegyi and Tshepang Shisinwana all gained valuable experience during the opening round as they began their 2026 campaigns in the highly competitive development category.
With the first round complete, the GR Cup championship now heads to Red Star Raceway for Round 2, which will take place on 17 and 18 April 2026.
