Summarize

Festival of racing in store for East London fans

Border region race fans can brace themselves for some epic action when national championship motor racing returns to the historic East London Grand Prix Circuit for the fifth round National Extreme Festival races on Saturday 6 August. A full day of top level motorsport is guaranteed to deliver top class action as the Global Touring Cars, GTC SupaCup, G+H Extreme Supercars, Compcare Polo Cup and Investchem Formula 1600s continue in their chase for 2022 SA championship glory.

They will be joined by the regular Gazoo Toyota Media Cup as well as SunBet Kawasaki ZX10 Masters motorcycles, as well as DOE Formula Vees all racing as part of a true East London festival of motorsport on the historic Grand Prix Circuit. Once known as the Price George racetrack, it hosted the earliest 1930s South African Grands Prix, as well as the country’s first F1 World Championship Grands Prix in the 1960s. Jim Clark and Graham Hill clinched world titles there, but several of today’s national series lap the legendary racetrack as quickly as the likes of Hill, Clark, Surtees, Moss, and Bandini’s BRMs, Loti and Ferraris did in the ‘60s

Its experience versus exuberance in the premier Global Touring Cars where Toyota Corolla GTC two, reigning champion Robert Wolk, and rookie sensation teenager Saood Variawa’s Gazoo Racing car arrive split by just six championship points. They were however beaten by VW Golf 8 GTI GTC lad Bradley Liebenberg last time out, and never discount Toyota men Michael van Rooyen and Mandla Mdakane, Julian van der Watt’s Ford Focus or Andrew Rackstraw and his Audi S3.

GTC shares the track with the SupaCup Polos, where rookie Leyton Fourie leads the log from experienced Jeffrey Kruger. They have Arnold Neveling, Keagan Masters and Campos brothers Keegan and Jason to contend with. Never mind both Daniel Rowe and Jonathan Mogotsi back in the fray along with JP van der Walt, Danie van Niekerk, Tato Carello and Nathan and Damian Hammond. There’s also a SupaCup Masters title to fight for, where Nick Davidson is up against papa Rui Campos, Andre Bezuidenhout, Paul Luti and Stefan Snyders.

Talking about speed on the superfast GP Circuit, the National GT3 G+H Transport Extreme Supercars are set to thrill. Expect Charl Arangies’ Audi R8 and Jonathan du Toit’s Lamborghini Huracan to fight Porsche Turbo duo Franco Scribante and Dayne Angel up front. And Greg Parton and Ricky Giannoccaro’s Lamborghinis, Nicky Dicks and Ant Blunden’s Porsches, Mark du Toit’s Ferrari 430 GT3 and Marius Jackson’s Audi R8 among others battling it out there.

Compcare Polo Cup is South Africa’s premier junior racing championship, where Jurie Swart leads a fraught title battle with Clinton Bezuidenhout, Tate Bishop, Charl Visser, Dawid van der Merwe and Nathi Msimanga. Leading rookie Giordano Lupini is also in the fray ahead of Dean Venter, rookie Jagger Robertson, and lady racer Lonika Maartens. 

SA’s premier single seater class, Investchem Formula 1600 is another cauldron of young talent, where teenager Josh Le Roux holds a narrow title advantage over brothers Gerard and Antwan Geldenhuys. Also watch for veterans Nicholas van Weely and Andrew Schofield and more rapid young guns in Troy Dolinschek, Ewan Holtzhausen and Jason Coetzee there.

Other Grand Prix Circuit Extreme Festival highlights include the SunBet ZX10 Masters, where Jayson Lamb, Michael Smit, Ronald Slamet, Graeme van Breda, David Enticott and Brian Bontekoning should star at the head of a packed field. Ashley Oldfield is the journo to beat in the Toyota GR Yaris Media Cup with Thomas Falkiner, Sean Nurse and Mark Jones in pursuit. And expect Lendl Jansen, Gert van den Berg, Greg Wilson, Peter and Brandon Hills and Lucen Ramchander to be at the sharp end among the ever popular DOE Formula Vees.

It all goes down at the East London Grand Prix Circuit’s Extreme festival raceday Saturday 6 August. There’s practice Thursday and Friday, before Polo Cup qualifying Friday evening, and the rest Saturday morning, before two races in each class through the day. 

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Extreme Festival

What:Extreme Festival 2022 Round 5 Preview
Where:East London Grand Prix Circuit
When:Saturday 6 August 2022
Community:South Africa National

For further information please contact events@zwartkops.co.za

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