The 2024 South African Touring Car Championship (SATC) season concluded in spectacular fashion this past weekend at the Zwartkops International Raceway, near Pretoria. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) capped off a successful year by securing the 2024 Manufacturer’s Title, thanks to solid performances by the TGRSA squad throughout the season.
While Robert Wolk (BMW) had already clinched the Drivers’ Championship ahead of this final round, the focus shifted to the manufacturers’ battle, with Toyota narrowly edging out BMW to claim the crown.
The TGRSA squad showed promising pace during qualifying. Saood Variawa qualified in second place, just 0.101 seconds behind Wolk, while Michael van Rooyen and Nathi Msimanga followed closely in third and fifth, respectively. Anthony Pretorius, a privateer driver campaigning a privately entered GR Corolla, also delivered a solid performance, qualifying in sixth. The team looked set for a strong showing in both races.
In Race 1, Saood Variawa made an electric start, immediately taking the lead at the lights and staying ahead of the pack. By the end of the 12-lap race, he had pulled a commanding lead of almost 5 seconds, securing a convincing win for TGRSA.
“We had a really good qualifying, we were on for pole but after my first flyer, I chose not to go for another lap just so I could start on the inside for Race 1,” said Saood. “I was really quick with my reaction when the start lights extinguished, and I was ahead of the leader by Turn 1. We managed to stay ahead and pulled a massive gap to P2, which was close to 5 seconds.”
Meanwhile, Van Rooyen finished in a solid third place, securing valuable points for the team. Pretorius, driving his privately entered GR Corolla, also delivered a strong performance, crossing the line in second to complete a Toyota 1-2 finish, while Msimanga struggled with pace and retired from the race early on.
The reverse-grid Race 2 proved to be just as dramatic. Saood started from sixth on the grid and had a strong getaway but contact with another car forced a restart. Following the restart, Saood defended his position fiercely, eventually crossing the line in sixth after some close battles. Van Rooyen finished in second place, ensuring he secured second in the overall Drivers’ Championship standings.
“I started in P6 due to the top 6 reverse grid,” Saood commented. “It was quite a dramatic start to the race as I got a good start but unfortunately got taken out. We then had a restart, and we just managed to defend the VW till the end of the race, which secured P2 for Michael in the championship.”
In the SupaCup, Sa’aad Variawa was back in action in the Toyota SupaStarlet, competing in his first full season in the category. Sa’aad qualified in 11th place but showed strong pace in both races.
In Race 1, Sa’aad steadily moved up the field and finished in 10th place after a closely fought battle with the VW drivers. In Race 2, he managed to improve further, finishing in 4th place despite tough competition.
Looking back at the 2024 SATC season, TGRSA enjoyed a highly successful campaign. Across the seven rounds, the team secured an impressive four pole positions and amassed six race wins, demonstrating their consistency and competitiveness throughout the year. The squad’s unwavering teamwork, culminated in Toyota claiming the prestigious Manufacturer’s Title for the season.
