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South African Touring Cars will take over from Global Touring Car racing from 2024. South Africa’s premier wings and slicks tin-top race series has undergone a radical transformation over the past two seasons. The new name not only concludes that evolution, but it also now far better defines the series and its intentions.

Global Touring Car racing was launched in South Africa ten years ago late in 2013. While the locally conceived series once had international intentions, those did not transpire. The series has however run locally ever since, initially with V8s and later powered by turbocharged 2-litre engines. It made for some close, but often intermittent racing. The current series owner acquired GTC during lockdown and set about reinventing the championship over the past two seasons.

“South African Touring Cars now takes over as the country’s premier sprint circuit racing championship,” series boss Ian Schofield announced on Tuesday. “The South African Touring Car saga stretches back 65 years to the late-1950s. Like its many incarnations achieved over the years, GTC delivered great racing, winners, and South African champions over the past ten seasons. 

“The GTC cars however struggled with reliability, among other challenges in their time. We have worked hard over the past two years to replace the brittle original chassis, redesign and apply a new electronic control system and now also replace their tricky locker differentials with limited slip units, among many other improvements. With that in place, we are now ready for a great new era and we are delighted to cap that by confirming that we will race as MSA South African Touring Cars from 2024 onward.”

“Motorsport South Africa is encouraged by the recent improvements brought about to our premier touring car circuit racing category,” MSA Sporting Services Manager Vic Maharaj confirmed. “MSA looks forward to South African Touring Cars continuing to grow from strength to strength into its new era.”

“We as Toyota Gazoo Racing are thrilled to be part of the exciting next chapter in South African Touring Car racing,” Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa manager Riaan Esterhuysen added. “The name change to SATC conjures up childhood memories for me personally, of the top works teams duking it out at racetracks across SA. We’re excited to have our three GR Corolla Touring Cars on the grid this season.”

“Volkswagen Motorsport is looking forward to an exciting new era of South African Touring Car Racing starting in 2024,” Volkswagen South Africa Driving Experience manager Mike Rowe concluded. “Not only will two Volkswagen Golf GTI SATCs race in South African Touring Cars, but our Volkswagen SuperPolos finally have some opposition from the new Toyota Starlets in SATC SupaCup, so we’re anticipating a thrilling season ahead.”

Four Toyota Corollas including three factory Gazoo Racing cars, two BMW 328tis and two Volkswagen Golfs are expected to line up when the inaugural 2024 South African Touring Car championship commences at Killarney in Cape Town in mid-March. They will be joined by a field of SATC SupaCup cars, where Toyota Super Starlets will take on the existing Volkswagen SupaPolos for the first time this year. 

The various SATC teams, cars, and drivers will be confirmed in due course. The South African Touring Cars will race on Dunlop slick tyres as part of the 2024 Extreme Festival roadshow commencing at Killarney in Cape Town on Saturday 16 March.