Summarize

It’s all change as the ATE Brakes VW Challenge breaks with tradition and heads to sea level for its annual away race at the daunting East London Grand Prix Circuit for the Regional Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola on Saturday 23 August. Not only is this the first time many of the drivers ever visit the home of South African motorsport, but the beachside circuit stands to shake up the fifth round of its 2025 championship. The favoured turbocharged cars are likely to find the going a little tougher against their normally aspirated rivals in the thick coastal air.

The battle up front is bound to prove interesting. Some cars are normally aspirated, while others are turbocharged, so who knows what Saturday will bring in East London. A clean sheet, perhaps? Class A leader, rookie Jayden Goosen’s Ferro Energia AA Certified Polo 6R has veteran Wayne Masters on his title tail in his Performance Masters Polo. Both have rapid former C champion Ian Walker’s Mellow Veio car to contend with and never ignore ATE Brakes lady charger Elna Croeser, Norbrake lad Dean Ross, Sizani racer Judd Bertholdt and PABAR man Mike Barbaglia. 

That altitude conundrum also applies to dominant Class B leader Stuart Mack. The only man with turbo power in the class, Stuart remains unbeaten in the four outings so far this season. Yet he still sits second in the championship chase, thanks to there being less than the minimum cars in his class to score full points. Now East London is set to play double jeopardy on Mack, whose turbo-litre Autozone Tour Plan Polo will race without its usual high altitude advantage. Which means it’s the perfect opportunity for his 2-litre normally aspirated rivals to steal a march this weekend.

Among them, Francis Aldrich leads the gang in his Vaporworx car ahead of Chris Davison’s Generator Services machine. Ever improving lady racer Nicole Lombard will be looking for a winning break in her PSA Africa Polo, while MLP driver Martin de Beer, Rookie Cup racer Josh Moore, Mweza Trans regular Dewald Theron and Historics emigrant Jonathan Konig’s Northern Bolt & Tool entry are all out to take full advantage of that bonus atmosphere at the Border racetrack.

Sea level makes no difference in class C. All those cars are naturally aspirated, so young championship leader Adriaan de Beer will want to make hay while the sun shines, should overall title rival Mack fail to win Class B for once. Adriaan and his Ukwazi Vivo have their work cut out, however. ECR man Mitch Coetzee, Bryce Pillay and Stuart Konig’s Northern Bolt version are all within spitting distance. Add the likes of Insurisk lad Dimitri Zapheriou, Philip Croeser’s ATE machine, Dino Smit, Kyle and Cody Petersen, Justin Gower or, Nolan and Nathan Schoeman and Brat Pack action is guaranteed.

The ATE Brakes VW Challenge races as part of a full action-packed Extreme Festival away meeting presented by Coca-Cola at the East London Grand Prix Circuit on Saturday 23 August. See you there!