- Volkswagen is taking prodigy Mogotsi to the epic Nürburgring 24-Hour
- Former Driver Search winner, SupaCup champion will qualify to race
- Jonathan will race a Max Kruse Racing Volkswagen Golf 8 TCR
Max Verstappen is not the only champion hot-stepping his way to the epic Nürburgring 24-Hour. 2024 South African Touring Cars SupaCup champion Jonathan Mogotsi will follow a similar route to earn his Grade A ‘Ring Licence’ through the NLS1 and NLS2 4 Hour races at the legendary circuit, to qualify to race in the 24-Hour in May.
Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa veteran, Mogotsi will be part of the Max Kruse Racing team, which runs Golf 8 TCRs supported by Volkswagen AG. The team run a trio of Golf TCRs in the qualifiers and then in the 24-Hour, where Jonathan is allocated to Car 2 of the lineup.
“I am absolutely delighted to confirm that we will be taking my next step in my incredible ten-year Volkswagen Motorsport journey when I qualify for, and race in the 2026 Nürburgring 24-Hour,” Mogotsi confirmed. “Like the rest of this incredible trip, it’s a dream come true and a cannot thank Mike Rowe and Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa team more.”
“We have realigned our plans this year, which left Jonathan with nowhere to race locally,” Head of Volkswagen Motorsport, Mike Rowe explained. “So, we took it to the next level! Jonathan will race the two NLS 4 Hours to qualify for the big race and then compete in the Nürburgring 24-Hour in May. It’s one of our most exciting projects in years and we cannot wait to see it coming to life.”
A popular driver with a great motorsport following, Mogotsi has become highly respected as a top South African racing driver. Having remained loyal to the Volkswagen Family, Mogotsi’s 2026 Nurburgring 24-Hour programme is the next step in his Volkswagen fairytale journey, which began when he won the 2016 Volkswagen Driver Search.
Mogotsi had learned his racecraft in gaming, where he won several online racing titles and came very close to winning an international competition that would see him compete in world GT3 races. Undaunted, the Johannesburg business analyst never gave up on his dream of becoming a real race driver.
So when Volkswagen announced the Driver Search in 2016, Mogotsi was among the first to apply. Jonathan starred throughout the intensive 3-month programme. It culminated in a track shootout, which led to the judges handing him the competition’s illustrious 2017 Engen Volkswagen Polo Cup drive.
It was a baptism of fire in the cauldron of South Africa’s most competitive young driver championship, but Mogotsi scored his maiden win at Volkswagen’s Aldo Scribante home track en route to ninth in that most competitive chase. Jonathan was third in the 2018 Polo Cup championship topped by a double win off pole position at East London.
In 2019, Jonathan raced in the new turbo era Polo Cup, which coincidentally celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026. Jonathan moved up to the new SupaCup with Volkswagen for lockdown 2020, ending third off a string of podium finishes. He scored his maiden SupaCup win, once again at Aldo Scribante en route to a close title second in 2021.
That earned Mogotsi a drive in Global Touring Cars, only for the factory Volkswagens to be destroyed in a tragic accident en route home from the third meeting of the season. Motorsport returned Mogotsi to SupaCup duty for the remainder of that season, which brought a couple of podium finishes along the way.
Back in SupaCup for 2023, Jonathan won twice and scored several podiums on his way to a close second in the championship. He then went all the way to take five race wins en route to the South African National SATC SupaCup title in 2024. 2025 brought five more wins on Mogotsi’s way to second in the championship.
Mogotsi simultaneously made a name for himself as a leading hill climber with a string of class wins driving SupaPolos on the Knysna Simola climb, among others. This year, he will also race at Simola, the Zwartkops Top of the Hill and Cape Town Speed Festival. He is also scheduled for guest drives in the new made in South African Polo Cup Germany.
Volkswagen Motorsport will soon confirm the rest of its 2026 plans including the 30th Birthday Astron Energy Polo Cup, the Volkswagen Rookie Cup and involvement in the SATC SupaCup alongside its hill climbing and international exploits.
