EXTREME SUPERCARS | Neveling Steers Bobcat-One Tough Animal™ Audi to Triple Killarney Podium
Cape Town's Killarney International Raceway was a happy hunting ground for Stradale Motorsport's Arnold Neveling on Saturday. The Goscor Lift Trucks-backed driver put in a stellar performance in the Bobcat—One Tough Animal™ Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO.
Neveling, competing in this season's Extreme SuperCars Driven by Dunlop Championship, celebrated his renewed sponsorship with the world-class brand by claiming a hat-trick of podiums to finish second overall in the popular GT3 class.
After qualifying on the second row of the overall grid on Saturday morning, Neveling put the Audi through its paces to finish in an uneventful fourth place and second in class. In the second race, however, the Johannesburg driver would have to negotiate his way through the field after dropping back to avoid an incident ahead. The red-liveried German supercar soon made its way up to fifth on track before the laps ran out, claiming another GT3 class podium.
With a third race scheduled for the day, Neveling put in his best performance, finishing third on the circuit but, most importantly, claiming the GT3 class win to round off a solid weekend for the team.
"First and foremost, I'd like to thank the team," said Neveling. "They did a stellar job, and the car was strong throughout the weekend. I believe we showed that the Bobcat Audi is, in fact, One Tough Animal™. Thank you, Goscor Lift Trucks, for the support and all the fans who came to watch us today. I hope the racing was as entertaining from the stands as inside the car."
The next round of the championship is set for an exciting return to the iconic Kylami Grand Prix Circuit on 12-13 April 2024. Make sure you save the date.
SATC SupaCup | Defending Champ Liebenberg to Debut Toyota Starlet in Opening Killarney Round
Prepare for an exciting weekend of racing at the Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town when one of South Africa's top driving talents returns to national competition during the season-opening round of the National Extreme Festival. With an impressive record that includes numerous karting and saloon car championships, Bradley Liebenberg will be looking to add another to the list as he sets out to defend his 2023 SupaCup title. This time, however, it will be in the colours of Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa and its newly introduced Toyota Starlet.
Since the inception of the SupaCup championship, Volkswagen, with its purpose-built SupaPolo, has been the only manufacturer on the grid. Therefore, the introduction of the Starlet adds another, with TGRSA set to have a second car to partner with Liebenberg soon.
"I am absolutely thrilled for the first race of the year, as there's always something incredibly exhilarating about it. This year, I'll compete in the all-new Toyota Starlet, which I'm incredibly excited about. While there's a sense of the unknown, I'm not one to shy away from a good challenge. It's going to be formidable going up against numerous Polos as the only Toyota, but I'm confident I have what it takes to come out on top."
The Johannesburg resident has also been appointed as the driver coach for the GR Cup Development Program, which aims to introduce karters to main circuit racing through a diverse development program that sees the winner receive a fully sponsored drive in the 2025 SupaCup Championship! Liebenberg eagerly anticipates the opportunity to impart his vast knowledge and racing experience to the younger generation.
Liebenberg thanks TGRSA, Fast Developments, and Bucklist Racing for the opportunity and Sparco's continued support.
The weekend begins with three practice sessions on Friday, followed by qualifying and two races on Saturday. A live stream will be available on the Extreme Festival's YouTube channel from 10:00 onwards.
Extreme Supercars | Neveling Teams Up with Goscor Lift Trucks for 2024 Season
Goscor Lift Trucks will again support the talented Arnold Neveling as the Johannesburg racecar driver sets out to conquer the 2024 Extreme SuperCars Driven by Dunlop Championship. With the opening round set for this weekend at the Killarney International Raceway, Neveling has been working hard to prepare his Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO for competition in the GT3 class.
An experienced racer, Nevling started racing at five, winning numerous championships, including the European Junior Max Karting Championship and was runner-up in the 2006 DD2 European Karting Championship. After a short stint in the European Formula Renault Cup, a lack of funds saw Neveling return to South Africa, where he returned to karting, winning several national titles and finishing fourth at the 2018 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals.
Neveling returned to the main circuit a few years later, competing in various saloon car championships, including the Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9-Hour event. In 2022, he achieved two pole positions and claimed two wins and five podiums in the South African National GT Championship. This led to a drive in the Creventic 24 Hours of Barcelona, where he finished sixth in a Porsche 992 Cup car as part of the PRO-AM category. In 2023, he finished 4th in the PRO-AM category at Intercontinental GT Kyalami 9-Hour, scoring manufacturer points for the Mercedes-AMG manufacturer.
Neveling, who will again race out of the Stradale Motorsport stable, competed in Goscor colours in 2023 but in the then Global Touring Cars SupaCup Championship, where he claimed numerous podiums on his way to finishing fourth in the overall championship standings.
"We welcome Goscor back on board this season with immense pleasure. This brand is synonymous with excellence; it is an honour to represent them again. This year, we are proud to announce that the branding on our vehicle will be travelling at much higher speeds as we compete in the Audi R8. We are confident that our car will be the most visually appealing on the track, and we look forward to showcasing our partnership with Goscor to the world."
Four practice sessions will be held on Friday ahead of Saturday's all-important qualifying session. Two ten-lap races are scheduled for 12:30 and 16:45 on Saturday. If you cannot attend the event, you can watch the racing live on the Extreme Festival's YouTube channel.
VW Rookie Cup | Goosen Geared for Cup Debut
Jayden Goosen competing in Silver Cup at Kyalami in December 2023
Sixteen-year-old Jayden Goosen will make his national saloon car debut at the Killarney International Raceway this weekend when he gets behind the wheel of a VW Polo Vivo GT. Jayden is one of around a half dozen teenage drivers on the VW Rookie Cup grid, now in its second season.
Having competed in karting for several years, young Jayden honed his skills around the kart circuits of South Africa before switching to tin-top racing, firstly in the Don Bravo INEX Legends Championship and later in Silver Cup racing. Add several practice laps under the guidance of the legendary racer Lee Thompson, and we have an exciting season ahead for the Grade 10 Pretoria student.
"I am both anxious and excited for the upcoming weekend's racing as I will make my national debut at a circuit I have never raced. It will be a challenging start on Thursday as we only have a short test session. However, I plan to use those laps to familiarise myself with the circuit layout before we start focusing on the car's setup ahead of Friday afternoon's qualifying. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible, including Sparco, N4 Autocraft, Liqui Moly, Pretoria Noord Toyota and Motorsport Fanatix."
Drivers will have a short test session on Thursday to familiarise themselves with the circuit, followed by three practice sessions on Friday. The all-important grid-deciding qualifying session will take place later in the afternoon. Two eight-lap races will commence on Saturday at 10:20 and 14:05, respectively.
Saturday’s action will be live-streamed on the Extreme Festival YouTube channel.
Formula 1600 | Ensor-Smith Hoping for a Strong Start to Championship Bid
KC Ensor-Smith is all set to participate in another season of the Investchem Formula 1600 Championship after making an impressive debut in 2023. While he finished seventh in the championship standings last year, he was also the best-performing rookie, with a solid end to his season that included a podium race finish.
Heading to the Killarney International Raceway this weekend for the opening round of the 2024 season, KC will be making his third appearance at the Cape circuit. During his first outing in 2023, the Witbank teenager impressed everyone by finishing fourth in Round 2's opening race, establishing himself as a serious contender for the podium. In 2024, he hopes to build on that achievement and compete for the championship. Here's what he had to say about his goals for the upcoming season:
"Having completed a full season behind the wheel, our goal is to challenge for the championship this year. Nothing is preventing us from achieving this goal. I know the circuits now; we also improved the car throughout last season, allowing us to fight near the front. I'm confident we can do that from the onset this year."
The Formula 1600 is considered the top single-seater class in South Africa and is often seen as a starting point for drivers who aim to compete in international formula racing. Powered by an inline four-cylinder Duratec motor producing around 115 bhp, these cars run on slick tyres and are equipped with front and rear wings, making them agile and capable of lapping any circuit quickly.
The 2024 championship consists of seven national rounds in three provinces, including races at the historic East London and the iconic Kyalami Grand Prix Circuits. Once again, the champion will receive R200 000, the runner-up R100 000, and the third-placed driver R50 000 in prize money.
The weekend's program will include three practice sessions on Friday before qualifying and two races on Saturday. All the Extreme Festival action will be live-streamed on the tour's YouTube channel.
KC thanks African Heating, Vitro Frameless, Master Stairs and Sparco for their support.
Formula 1600 | National Single-Seater Debut Awaits Bezuidenhout
Killarney International Raceway will play host to the National Extreme Festival's opening round this weekend, where Mikel Bezuidenhout will also debut in the Investchem Formula 1600 single-seater championship.
The Formula 1600 is considered the top single-seater class in South Africa and is often seen as a starting point for drivers who aim to compete in international formula racing. Powered by an inline four-cylinder Duratec motor producing around 115 bhp, these cars run on slick tyres and are equipped with front and rear wings, making them agile and capable of lapping any circuit quickly.
The 2024 championship consists of seven national rounds in three provinces, including races at the historic East London and iconic Kyalami Grand Prix Circuits. Once again, the champion will receive R200 000, the runner-up R100 000, and the third-placed driver R50 000 in prize money.
The Johannesburg teenager has worked hard on his driving skills over the past year and is now prepared to take on the challenge of a main circuit. He hopes to continue his journey towards achieving greatness in motorsport and possibly pursue a racing career in the future.
"I am thrilled about the opportunity to compete in single-seater racing this season," said Mikel. "Although I have had some practice laps in the car, it cannot compare to the actual race experience. Therefore, this weekend will be a challenging learning curve for me. However, I am confident that my prior experience in karting will help me grasp the car's dynamics much faster. The plan on Friday is to focus on setting up the car to find the right balance ahead of qualifying and Saturday’s races."
The weekend's program will include three practice sessions on Friday before qualifying and two races on Saturday. All the Extreme Festival action will be live-streamed on the tour's YouTube channel.
MTN Cosmo-Net and Huawei South Africa back Mikel.
POLO CUP | Robinson Prepped For Epic Cape Challenge
Tyler Robinson out at Killarney International Raceway during 2023
Tyler Robinson, an emerging talent in motorsports and a strong advocate for women in the sport is all set to participate in the upcoming season of the Astron Energy Polo Cup Championship. This will be her second season in the championship, where she debuted in 2023. The championship is part of the popular National Extreme Festival tour and is scheduled to kick off this weekend amidst an enthusiastic Cape crowd.
No longer a rookie, Tyler is looking forward to a solid outing in Cape Town, hoping to kickstart her 2024 championship bid. After racing karts, both locally and internationally, the Gauteng teenager made the switch to the main circuit in 2023 and has had some impressive results already. Racing out of the Universal Motorsport stable again this season, Tyler has been diligently preparing for this weekend's opening round.
"I'm eager to get back into the car this weekend and get my national season underway. Killarney is one of my favourite circuits, and I enjoy the challenge that it poses. The racing is usually quite close with very little to seperate the top drivers. Our first goal will be to get the setup right on Friday and hopefully put in a good qualifying performance," said Tyler.
The 2024 championship will have seven national races across three provinces, including rounds at the historic East London and iconic Kyalami Grand Prix Circuits. Killarney and Zwartkops Raceway will each host two rounds, while the Aldo Scribante Racetrack in Gqeberha will host one.
The weekend's program will include three practice sessions on Friday, followed by a late afternoon qualifying session. Two races are scheduled for Saturday. All the Extreme Festival action will be live-streamed on the tour's YouTube channel.
Tyler thanks Universal Racing, AF Fans, Freem, Apex Gaming and RKT Motorsport.
MOBIL 1 V8 SUPERCARS | Victorious Start to Title Defence for Fameliaris
Defending Mobil 1 V8 Supercars Champion Julian Fameliaris launched a successful opening round title defence at Zwartkops Raceway this past weekend (1-2 March) as the 2024 season commenced.
Fameliaris’ outings in Friday’s practice produced confidence-building results in his Lube-Net / Di Matteo Racing / Gavin Wilkins Racing Chevrolet Corvette, which he backed up with third place on Saturday morning’s grid, in a closely contested Qualifying Session where just 0.2 seconds covered the top three.
The first race, reduced to eight laps after an incident, saw the red flag deployed within the first two laps and saw Fameliaris continuing his tussle with pole sitter Thomas Reib and Warren Lombard. On Lap 7, he passed Lombard, but two laps were not enough to make up the ground to leader Reib. This saw Fameliaris finishing as the runner-up.
On the partially inverted grid for the second race, Fameliaris again lined up behind Lombard and passed him on Lap 6 to slot into second place. Two laps later, Familiar passed Terry Wilford for the lead, continuing to take his first race win of 2024.
However, the overall victory points were not yet tallied up for Fameliaris. The Mobil 1 V8 Supercars Championship also awards points to overall winners on a race day, and points are based on accumulated times for the day’s races. Fameliaris’ performance in the second race gave him enough of an advantage over Reib to take the overall win.
“We had a solid start,” said Fameliaris. “We came into the weekend with every indication that this year will be a tough contest, and it certainly lived up to that notion. However, we started our campaign with a solid haul of points. We know that we will have to build on this momentum, as we saw last year, and that it was beneficial not to leave things to the end, and that’s a strategy that we want to repeat this year. We had a good pace this weekend, but we know better than to rest on our laurels, so it’s important to capitalise going forward.”
Round 2 of the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars Championship will take place at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit on April 11-13.
VW CHALLENGE | Robinson Claims Top Five Finish as National Preparation Concludes
Former FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars finalist Tyler Robinson competed in her first event of 2024 after placing in the top five of her class as part of the PABAR VW Challenge this past weekend.
Tyler, no stranger to the Zwartkops Raceway, entered herself into the regional tin-top championship in preparation for her second national saloon car season. No longer a rookie in 2024, Tyler will again compete in the Astron Energy-sponsored Volkswagen Polo Cup Championship.
Friday's practice sessions were focused on finding a balanced setup around the twisty Pretoria circuit ahead of the all-important qualifying on Saturday morning. Reporting back to the crew that she felt the car was underpowered, she qualified her Class B VW Polo Cup car in fourth.
Race 1 would see the Henley-on-Klip resident lose a few positions on the opening lap and have to drive defensively early on. But not one to sit and wait for something to happen, Tyler made a clean pass through Turn 8 to reclaim fifth. However, she lost some ground to the fourth-placed competitor and, with not too many laps remaining, settled for a top-five finish.
Race 2 would see Tyler in a battle for fifth once again. Holding her own for most of the race, Tyler made a rare mistake, missing a gear that left her unable to defend the position, subsequently losing two positions to take the chequered flag in eighth.
"Even though we are using this weekend as preparation for the 2024 national season, it is still frustrating not to be able to drive at the front. The car felt short on power today, leaving me to defend in the race's early stages. It became easier to manage once I found my rhythm, but it could have been better. Unfortunately, in the final race, I missed a gear coming out of Turn 2, and there was very little I could do to keep the position. But all in all, the weekend served its purpose, and we will now focus on the Polo Cup in two weeks. A big thank you to my team and my sponsors," said Tyler.
Tyler extends her thanks to Universal Racing, AF Fans, Freem and RKT Motorsport.
KARTING | Van Der Walt Surpasses Everyone’s Expectations on OK-N Debut
In what can only be described as a karting baptism of fire, Brandon van der Walt took to the Killarney International Raceway's karting circuit in an OK-N kart for the first time this past weekend, competing in the opening round of the ROK Cup South Africa's national karting event.
Made to swim in the deep end of the karting pool, the Pretoria teenager recently changed teams after some average results. Joining WORR Motorsport, Brandon was immediately cast into the spotlight with much expected of him. With some impressive driving this weekend, he surpassed everyone's expectations, including his own.
His first time in the OK-N seat was on Friday when he spent the entire day getting accustomed to the kart and the OK-N power, which is entirely different from the Rotax-powered Senior MAX kart in which he usually competes.
His eagerness to impress emerged on Saturday morning during the Qualifying Session when he placed sixth, only two-tenths off the third position. He continued to show his talent, battling the midpack to bounce back from ninth to score a top-five finish on debut.
Set for another strong result, an early incident saw Brandon's kart suffer a damaged radiator, causing an increase in engine temperature and his subsequent retirement from the race. Having completed more than two-thirds of the race, he was classified in 10th.
In another gritty drive, Brandon fought his way from ninth to sixth in the final heat before losing a position in the latter stages of the race. Classified in seventh for the final heat, his combined results saw him finish the day in seventh overall to cap off a courageous debut.
"I am more than satisfied with my first OK-N performance," stated Brandon. "I surpassed my own expectations today and couldn't be more grateful to my family and WORR Motorsport for the opportunity to join their star-studded line-up. I'm hoping that with a few more laps and proper coaching from one of the best in the business, I will be up there with the rest."
Competing across both the Rotax and ROK karting championships, Brandon will return to Cape Town on 22-23 March for the Rotax MAX Challenge (RMC) African Open and the opening round of the South African RMC National Kart Championship scheduled to be hosted over the same weekend.
KARTING | Bezuidenhout Claims Best Career Finish in Opening OK-N National
In an outstanding driving performance at Killarney's karting circuit this weekend, OK-N pilot Mikel Bezuidenhout claimed his best national karting result, finishing second overall at ROK Cup South Africa's national opener.
Mikel's day did not get off to a positive start after he was forced to start from the back of the grid due to a faulty transponder during qualifying. The Johannesburg teenager, however, remained calm and made a solid start to his opening heat, battling his way through the back of the field to cross the finish line in fifth. The battle, however, came at a price, picking up a five-second penalty (Nose-Cone Penalty Infringement), which saw him classified in seventh.
Starting from third for Heat 2, the MTN Cosmo-Net-backed driver put in another stellar performance to finish in second only to a driver with international experience. Mikel's podium was, to date, his best race result at the national level. In the final heat, Mikel drove another superb lights-to-flag race to finish third. His double-podium helped him to claim second overall.
"I am very chuffed with this result," said Mikel. "We've faced numerous challenges during the 2023 season, and this is the confidence booster I needed at the start of 2024. Racing pool engines also allow us a fair shot at winning, and today, I believe we showed we are up for the challenge. There is still some work to be done and a few tenths to be found. The NBR Racing team were phenomenal, and I must thank them, especially Michael Pringle."
With a busy motorsport schedule ahead, Mikel will prepare for his debut Investchem Formula 1600 season that gets underway next weekend in Cape Town.
Mikel is backed by MTN Cosmo-Net and Vivo Mobile South Africa.
KARTING | Antunes Battles Cape Circuit
The Killarney karting circuit again proved challenging for Diego Antunes this past weekend as the Mini ROK driver from Johannesburg battled to find the perfect balance of performance and grip during the opening round of the National ROK Cup South Africa Kart Championship.
Qualifying down in 13th, Diego had his work cut out for him in the opening heat. Caught up in a battle towards the end of the field, he improved his starting position to finish just outside the top ten in 11th.
Heat 2 would see more of the same, with Diego again battling for the minor positions but losing a few places to finish 12th. In his final heat, however, he recorded his quickest lap of the day before finishing in the top 10 (ninth) despite picking up a Nose-Cone Infringement Penalty. He was also classified as ninth in the overall standings.
"It wasn't a great weekend, but it never seems to be when I compete here. Finding a balanced setup is a challenge for us. Maybe my driving style doesn't suit this circuit. I'm not sure, really. But when you're racing down the field, you get to pass more often, and that certainly has been something I enjoyed; hopefully, we can put that to good use going forward," said Diego.
While Diego will have a few weeks off, he returns to Gauteng for the Northern Regions ROK Kart Championships opening round, which gets underway on 6 April.
Diego is backed by TrevPar World.
KARTING | Mini ROK Rookie Cornofsky Impresses at Opening National
Mini ROK rookie Kayde Cornofsky announced himself this weekend, showing incredible pace on debut despite the results not going his way. Competing at his first national of the season, the 2023 National Kid ROK Champion ran at the front end of the field with some of the more experienced drivers.
Despite qualifying in seventh on Saturday morning, Kayde put in a gritty opening heat performance to move up the order and vie for the final podium position. While crossing the finish line in fourth, Kayde would be demoted five positions following a driving incident.
Heat 2 would prove to be his scourge. After breaking the tramline before the lights went out at the start, Kayde would pick up a three-second penalty to see him classified in eighth. He again battled for the podium during the race before briefly taking up the second position. While short-lived, Kayde would drop down the order to fifth and then sixth following an incident.
Eager to put the earlier disappointments behind him, the final heat would see Kayde's best result. Starting from fourth for the third consecutive heat, the Xtreme Racing Team driver again found himself in a tussle for the final podium position. When the chequered flag dropped, however, he finished in fifth. In the overall standings, Kayde was classified eighth.
"We didn't quite get the results we had hoped for this weekend, but we leave Cape Town full of confidence, having shown that we have a strong pace and that, as a rookie, I can mix it with the front runners. I picked up a few unfortunate penalties, but that is all part of racing. We move on and turn our attention to the regional championship next month. Thank you, my sponsors, for the support, and well done to the team this weekend," said Kayde.
Round 1 of the Northern Regions ROK Kart Championships begins on 6 April.
Kayde is backed by Allegiance Properties, Cornofsky Attorneys, Calisto's Portuguese Restaurant, Smith Garage and The 357.
KARTING | New Team, New Challenge for Van Der Walt
Brandon van der Walt has only just joined WORR Motorsport and will already participate in this weekend's ROK Cup South Africa National at the Killarney International Raceway in the OK-N class. Despite having only three years of karting experience, he will debut in a class first introduced globally in 2023.
Until now, Brandon has only competed in Rotax and its Senior MAX category but has shown enough skill and determination to perform at the sharp end of any class. However, this weekend will be a steep learning curve for the Pretoria teenager, adapting to a new class and team.
"I am very excited about my new challenge and being a part of such a professional race team. Wesley Orr has an impressive racing pedigree; I am sure I will learn much from him. As for the OK-N class, it will likely take me a few sessions to get accustomed to the differences compared to the Senior MAX. But it will be a weekend of absorbing as much information as possible," said Brandon.
Brandon will compete against 11 other drivers from across the country this weekend. Practice will start on Friday, with Qualifying and three Heats set for Saturday. Spectators are welcome, with the event going live on the ROK Cup social media pages.
KARTING | Bezuidenhout Heads to Cape Town for First of Three Motorsport Events in March
In his third appearance of the 2024 season, Mikel Bezuidenhout will compete again in the ROK Cup South Africa's OK-N class, debuting in 2023 when the OK-N was first introduced globally. With four podium finishes, Mikel claimed fourth in last year's national championship.
Mikel, who has committed to an entire season of karting and circuit racing, heads to Cape Town for the first of three weekends at the Killarney International Raceway in March. Before switching to his Senior MAX kart for the African Open and SA Rotax MAX Challenge, he will compete in the Investchem Formula 1600 single-seater. All focus, however, will be on this weekend's race meeting.
"It will undoubtedly be another exciting OK-N season with many more drivers competing this year. This weekend will likely set the tone for the rest of the season, and we'll soon know who the early championship contenders will be. Obviously, I'm hoping to be one of those," said Mikel.
Mikel will compete against ten other drivers from across the country. Practice will start on Friday, with Qualifying and three Heats set for Saturday. Spectators are welcome, although the event will be live-streamed on race day.
Mikel is backed by MTN Cosmo-Net and Vivo Mobile South Africa.
KARTING | Antunes Set to Take on Nation’s Best Mini ROK Drivers
Diego Antunes makes his first national Mini ROK appearance as the National ROK Cup Karting Championship season begins at the Killarney International Raceway this weekend.
Diego, who will compete in his first full season as a Mini ROK driver, heads to Cape Town for the first time in 2024, having opted not to compete at the Cape regional a few weeks earlier. His last visit to the circuit was in August 2023, shortly after deciding to move up from the Kid ROK class. Diego recently competed in the invitational African Karting Cup at Zwartkops, his only competitive outing thus far. He, however, looks forward to the weekend’s competition.
Diego continues to race out of the NBR Racing stable and will compete against 15 other drivers nationwide. Practice will start on Friday, with Qualifying and three race heats set for Saturday. Spectators are welcome, and the event will be live-streamed on the ROK Cup South Africa YouTube channel.
Diego is backed by TrevPar World.
KARTING | Rookie Cornofsky Eager to Assert Himself at National ROK Opener
Mini ROK rookie Kayde Cornofsky travels to Cape Town this weekend to compete in the opening round of the National ROK Cup Karting Championship.
While Kayde participated at the WPMC regional a few weeks back in preparation for the national, his last national visit to the circuit was as a Kid ROK driver, where he won two of the three races on his way to being crowned national champion. This weekend, however, sees the start of a new chapter in his young motorsport career, where he'll be eager to assert himself as a leading championship contender.
Kayde will compete against 15 other drivers from across the country around the Killarney Kart Track. known for its technical sections, where drivers can either gain or lose valuable time. Practice will start on Friday, with Qualifying and three Heats set for Saturday. Spectators are welcome.
Kayde is backed by Allegiance Properties, Cornofsky Attorneys, Calisto's Portuguese Restaurant, Smith Garage and The 357.
Familiaris Poised to Defend Mobil 1 V8 Supercars title at Zwartkops
On the back of a successful 2023 Mobil 1 V8 Supercars campaign, Julian Fameliaris is eager to defend his title at this weekend’s (1-2 March) season opener at Zwartkops Raceway.
The Lube-Net / Di Matteo Racing / Gavin Wilkins Racing Chevrolet Corvette driver won at least one race in last year’s seven championship rounds. While clinching the title with two starts remaining might seem like a comfortable margin on paper, it required a formidable performance from the youngest driver in the series.
“We’ve had a strong season; some of it saw fortune favouring us, but in all, 2023 was our best season to date,” says Familiaris. “The key this year will be to build on that.”
This is, however, not the first time that Fameliaris will start a campaign as the defending champion. In 2016, he won the BMW Race Series title (Then known as the Bridgestone BMW Car Club Gauteng Race Series) but admits that he has learned much since then.
“We have learnt a lot in the past seven years, particularly since moving to Mobil 1 V8 Supercars in 2019. I had to, given that I was competing against such a formidable line-up of drivers. I believe the 2024 championship will be fiercely contested and everyone will be out to make the best possible start to their season. For us it will be about focussing on what we do best and to let the results speak for themselves.”
Saturday’s two championship races will be contested over 10 laps, starting at 12:30 and 15:25. Spectator tickets can be purchased at the gates or by contacting the Zwartkops Raceway office beforehand. The entire race day will be broadcast live on the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars Facebook page and 2WheelsTV YouTube channel.
Julian Fameliaris would like to thank Di Matteo Racing and Gavin Wilkin Racing for making his 2024 campaign possible. In addition, he also wants to acknowledge and thank African Group Lubricants for making the 2023 season possible. For more information, please visit https://aglubricants.co.za/
For all news related to the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars Championship, please visit https://v8supercars.co.za/
Tyler Robinson Gears Up for 2024 Motorsport Season
The upcoming weekend marks the start of Tyler Robinson's 2024 motorsport season, wherein she is set to participate in the PABAR VW Challenge opening round at Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria. This event is of immense significance to Robinson as it sets the tone for her season and will help her gauge her performance against other accomplished racers.
Tyler will compete in Class B and face 15 other skilled drivers on the tight, twisty Zwartkops circuit. A seasoned competitor with ample experience in various racing categories, the Gauteng teenager will focus most of her attention on her national VW Polo Cup campaign, in which she debuted last season. Tyler will participate in the regional VW Challenge competition to maintain and enhance her driving skills.
The weekend's program will include three practice sessions on Friday ahead of a 09:30 Qualifying session and two 10-lap races (13:20 and 16:15) on Saturday. Both races will be live-streamed on the VW Challenge Facebook page.
Tyler extends her thanks to Universal Racing, AF Fans, Freem and RKT Motorsport.
KARTING | Incidents Spoil Van Der Walt’s Weekend
The opening round of the Northern Regions Rotax Kart Championships proved challenging for Senior MAX driver Brandon van der Walt, with the Ice Motorsport driver finishing outside of the top ten at Zwartkops Kart Raceway at the weekend.
Qualifying eighth out of 16 drivers, Brandon was not entirely satisfied with his performance. He explains, "Despite a new chassis, I haven't quite found the balance I'd like, and we are clearly off the pace of the front runners. We'll have to see where to improve ahead of the first heat."
As has become the norm in the Senior MAX class, the racing was feisty and filled with incidents. The opening heat saw Brandon pick up a Nose Cone Infringement Penalty (NCIP) to finish 11th. Another NCIP in Heat 2 would drop him back to 10th after an excellent mid-pack tussle. The final heat didn't go any better for the Gauteng teenager as he was again involved in an incident that saw him penalised for a nose-cone infringement.
"Unfortunately, it was one of those days when trouble seemed to find me. The class is fiercely contested with a few drivers on similar lap times. So we tend to bunch up, and that's when accidents happen. It might be the first event that I've picked penalties in every heat, which is obviously not ideal. We have a few weeks to prepare for Cape Town, and I hope to find a good setup. Thank to the team for the support," said Brandon.
The opening national round of the South African Rotax MAX Challenge and African Open are set to take place on 22-23 March at Killarney International Raceway.