Summarize

Rory Atkinson clinched the 2025 Astron Energy Polo Cup championship with a steady run at the Zwartkops National Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola finals on Saturday. Hannes Scheepers and debutant Jayden Goosen won the races, while Wayne Masters took a watching brief to clinch a second straight Astron Energy Polo Masters title as Derrick Smalberger won twice.

Hannes Scheepers opened the weekend with the fastest lap in qualifying in his Dainfern Dental Polo GTI, three tenths of a second clear of Rory Atkinson’s Industry Petroleum Polo and Ethan Coetzee’s ECR LTR version. Rookie Dhivyen Naidoo’s Production X car was fourth from AF Fans Team Red lass Tyler Robinson, title challenger Mohammed Karodia Fast 5 Motorsport LTR car and impressive debutant Jayden Goosen’s AA Approved Used machine.

Scheepers, Atkinson, Coetzee, Robinson, Karodia and Durban Dubcorp driver Shiren Rajpaul went through to Superpole, where Hannes Scheepers emerged on pole, seven hundredths clear of Tyler Robinson, Rory Atkinson, Ethan Coetzee, Mo Karodia and Rajpaul. Frustrated to miss Superpole, Naidoo and Goosen lined up seventh and eighth. Team Red lad Roshaan Goodman followed from Volkswagen rookie Judd Bertholdt, Nirav Singh, CPS Warehouse man Bevin Masters, Team Red rookie Milan Emslie, and Pierluigi Muzzulini’s FSS car.

Derick Smalberger’s Sabertek Polo took the Astron Energy Polo Masters pole from championship leader Wayne Masters Performance Master machine, Habot Oils man John Kruger, Mike Barbaglia’s PABAR Polo, FSS driver Elio Muzzulini and Gavin Ross’ Norbrake car.

Hannes Scheepers made a clean start to lead the way as Rory Atkinson slipped past Tyler Robinson into second, but there was opening race drama as title contender Mo Karodia went wide at turn 3 to drop all the way back to 14th. That left Shiren Rajpaul fourth from Ethan Coetzee and Jayden Goosen. Both of whom found their way past to leave Rajpaul sixth from Judd Bertholdt, Roshaan Goodman, Dhivyen Naidoo and Pierluigi Muzzulini tenth. 

Mohammed Karodia fought back to eleventh ahead of Bevin Masters and Milan Emslie, but Mo’s day went from bad to worse when he was placed behind Emslie for an overly ambitious overtake. Behind them, Derick Smalberger dominated the Masters from John Kruger and Wayne Masters, who did enough to clinch his second Astron Energy Polo Masters title on the trot. Mike Barbaglia followed in fourth from Elio Muzzulini and Gavin Ross.

There was a surprise on the second race grid as debutant Jayden Goosen sat on pole position thanks to his fastest lap in race 1. Jayden duly pulled a perfect start to deliver a scintillating lights to flag maiden victory. Jayden’s job was eased by Hannes Scheepers fighting Tyler Robinson and Ethan Coetzee off behind him. Rory Atkinson decided discretion was the better part of valour and settled for fifth to clinch the 2025 Astron Energy Polo Cup title. Championship rival Karodia started well back and fought up to eighth before slipping off to leave Rory the title on a plate.

Judd Bertholdt closed his season in sixth from Shiren Rajpaul, Roshaan Goodman, Pierluigi Muzzulini, Bevin Masters, Nirav Singh, Milan Emslie, Dhivyen Naidoo and Karodia. Derick Smalberger had a clear run to the Masters title second when John Kruger slipped back from second to fourth. That left champion Wayne Masters who ended second from Mike Barbaglia, Kruger, Elio Muzzulini and Gavin Ross.

Overall, Jayden Goosen sounded a warning to his 2026 Astron Energy Polo Cup rivals with a magnificent debut victory over Hannes Scheepers, Rory Atkinson, Tyler Robinson, Ethan Coetzee, and Judd Bertholdt. Double winner Derick Smalberger took the Masters day from Wayne Masters and John Kruger.

So, Rory Atkinson emerged the clear 2026 Astron Energy Polo Cup champion. Subject to official MSA ratification, Mo Karodia did just enough to end second from Hannes Scheepers, who jumped two places to third ahead of Ethan Coetzee, top rookie Judd Bertholdt and Tyler Robinson in sixth. And Wayne Masters is the back-to-back Engen Polo Masters champion from Derick Smalberger and John Kruger.

Attention now shifts to the 2026 Astron Energy Polo Cup, which celebrates 30 years as South Africa’s leading junior racing championship. Next year promises to be another truly bumper season.