Once known as the Cape Southeaster Races, Killarney International Raceway’s traditional season-opening mid-March National Championship Extreme Festival lived up to every expectation with brilliant motorsport on a blustery autumns afternoon.
Topping the bill, Robert Wolk and his BMW commenced the new South African Touring Cars era in style with an ultimately comfortable feature race victory over Nathi Msimanga’s Toyota, Julian van der Watt’s Golf and Anthony Pretorius’ Corolla after Toyota teammates Saood Variawa and Michael van Rooyen collided. That put them on the front row for reverse gris race 2 and that’s where they stayed as Variawa went ahead of van Rooyen late in the race. Overall winner Wolk only just ran out of time to catch them, with van der Watt fourth.
Behind them, rookie Polo Cup champion Charl Visser started his prize Volkswagen Motorsport SupaCup career in style has he held Keegan Campos at bay for a debut SATC SupaCup victory. Jonathan Mogotsi was third from Tate Bishop, David Franco, and VW refugee champion Brad Liebenberg’s new Toyota SupaStarlet. Mogotsi reversed the order to lead Campos home in a tight second race with Visser fourth from Liebenberg as they ended in that order overall on an encouraging debut for the new Toyota.
After qualifying his Lamborghini Huracán on pole from Jonathan du Toit’s similar car and local hero Dayne Angel’s Ferrari 458, SA international GT3 racer Stuart White pulverised the Extreme Supercars Driven By Dunlop first race field. Franco Scribante’s Porsche emerged second from du Toit, Arnold Neveling’s Audi R8 GT3 and Angel. Scribante took no prisoners to edge White in heat 2 from du Toit, Silvio Scribante’s Huracán, and Neveling. Franco Scribante won again from White, Neveling du Toit and Silvio Scribante in the final. White however did enough to take the day from Franco.
With none of the largest Astron Energy Polo Cup grid ever having have won before, and despite Jason Loosemore’s best efforts, Nathan Victor made best of his local knowledge to hold on to a lights to flag maiden win. Mo Karodia held best rookie Kyle Visser off for fourth from Ethan Coetzee and Jeandre Marais. John Kruger came from the back of the over-50 Masters grid to beat Wayne Masters to the win. Loosemore then shaded Victor to a heat 2 photo finish from Karodia, Coetzee, Visser and Marais. Kruger did the Masters double from Masters and Smalberger.
Durban lad Shrien Naidoo stormed to his maiden Investchem Formula 1600 victory from KC Ensor Smith and Jason Coetzee. Nicholas van Weely topped the dogfight for third from Alex Vos, a resurgent rookie pole man Robertson and Ewan Holtzhausen. Behind them, Duncan Vos led Rick Morris, Ron van Weely, and Allen Meyer to win Formula Ford Kent after Ian Scofield retired from the lead. A feisty Coetzee then led a four-car train through race 2 to take the win from Robertson, Naidoo, who beat Coetzee by 0.06 seconds overall, Ensor Smith and local lad Storm Lanfear. Ian Schofield took the second Kent race from overall winner Vos and Morris.
Clinton Seller dominated the opening SunBet ZX10 Masters motorcycle race from Allan Jon Venter, who only just held a fast-starting Trevor Westman off for third. David Enticott ended fourth from Hein McMahon and Class B winner Graeme van Breda, while Johan Le Roux took Class C. Seller quickly overcame a slow start, Westman, Venter and the gale force wind to destroy his race 2 opposition. Westman ended a close second from Venter this time, with McMahon fourth from Class C 1-2 Jayson Lamb and Brian Bontekoning and B winner Piers Canute after van Breda took a tumble.
Formula 1600 winner Shrien’s brother, Dhivyen Naidoo won a close opening Volkswagen Rookie Cup race from former karting rivals Jayden Goosen and Judd Berthold, Uzair Khan and Josh Moore. Berthold was however demoted to fifth behind Khan and Moore on a startline penalty. Naidoo concluded his grand slam with second dace victory too, from Bertholdt, Goosen and Moore, while Goosen took second for the day from Bertholdt.
Polo Cup refugee Dawie van der Merwe took no prisoners as he stormed to a debut Gazoo Racing Toyota GR86 Cup win from karting graduate Niko Zafiris, Setshaba Mashigo and Dylan Pragji. Sean Nurse meanwhile thrashed his journalist buddies in the GR Corolla Media Cup, where Hannes Visser ended a distant second. Van der Merwe repeated his dominance in race 2 from Mashigo, Zafiris and Ryan Naicker this time, while Nurse once again decimated Visser and the rest of the media.
The National Extreme Festival now heads to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit’s three-day lucky for some 11-13 April blockbuster weekend.
