Summarize

The 2025 Astron Energy Polo Cup will go down to the wire after Saturday’s National Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola delivered three winners at the Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town. Rory Atkinson, Ethan Coetzee, and maiden winner Hannes Scheepers each won a race to see Atkinson take a three-point advantage to the Zwartkops finale in October. Derick Smalberger and John Kruger meantime both beat leader Wayne Masters to also see the Astron Energy Polo Cup Masters chase into the final round.

The serious action started with Hannes Scheepers turning in a storming lap to qualify fastest in his Dainfern Dental Polo GTI ahead of title contender Rory Atkinson’s Industry Petroleum version and Volkswagen rookie Judd Berthold on Friday afternoon. AF Fans lass Tyler Robinson continued to impress in fourth ahead of championship leader Mo Karodia’s Fast 5 Motorsport LTR car and an on form Dubcorp driver Shrien Rajpaul.

Atkinson however pipped Scheepers in Superpole to top the first race grid with Robinson a happy third from Rajpaul, Bertholdt and Karodia completing the reshuffled top six. Behind them, rookie Dhivyen Naidoo lined up seventh in his Production X entry ahead of Ethan Coetzee’s ECR LTR Polo, Team Red lad Roshaan Goodman and Nirav Singh in tenth from Team Red rookie Milan Emslie and Bevin Masters’ CPS Warehouse car.

There was another shake-up on the Astron Energy Polo Masters grid after Derick Smalberger topped qualifying proceedings to take pole in his Sabertek Polo from John Kruger’s Habot Oils version. Mike Barbaglia’s PABAR car stood fourth on the Masters grid ahead of runaway championship leader Wayne Masters’ Performance Master Polo. 

Rory Atkinson made the perfect getaway to lead Hannes Scheepers off a clean start with Tyler Robinson, Shrien Rajpaul, Judd Bertholdt and Mohammed Karodia in chase. Scheepers then went ahead on lap 3 and drove away, while Berthold rounded Rajpaul around the outside of Turn 5 as Robinson put Atkinson under pressure and Karodia was involved in a huge fight for sixth. 

Then disaster struck for Scheepers, who slowed and stopped on the final lap, to leave Atkinson to fight Robinson, Rajpaul, Bertholdt and Karodia off for the win. Dhivyen Naidoo ended sixth from Ethan Coetzee, Roshaan Goodman, Bevin Masters, Milan Emslie, and Nirav Singh. Behind them, Derick Smalberger converted his Masters pole to a win from John Kruger, Wayne Masters, and Mike Barbaglia.

With the title fight down to just four points, race 2 delivered a surprising grid off the fastest race 1 laps. Ethan Coetzee sat on pole from Judd Bertholdt, Dhivyen Naidoo, log leader Mo Karodia, Hannes Scheepers, Tyler Robinson, Roshaan Goodman, and race 1 leader and championship second Rory Atkinson only eighth. Coetzee led the way as Scheepers sliced his way up to second from Bertholdt, with Karodia fourth and Atkinson sat in eighth.

The top four edged away with Coetzee under pressure from Scheepers, who eventually outbraked himself on the penultimate lap to leave Coetzee to a welcome win from Volkswagen rookie Judd Bertholdt equalling his best result to date. Karodia re-extended his title advantage in third while Naidoo snatched fourth from Robertson at the last turn, ahead of Rajpaul. 

Significantly, Scheepers rejoined in seventh to keep title fighter Atkinson behind in eighth. Milan Emslie followed from Roshaan Goodman who lost a few places in a final tour run across the grass, Bevin Masters, and Nirav Singh. Derick Smalberger meantime did the Polo Masters double ahead of Wayne Masters, John Kruger, and Mike Barbaglia.

The final race grid once again turned the race order on its head. Hannes Scheepers stood on pole from Rory Atkinson, Tyler Robinson, Dhivyen Naidoo and Mo Karodia fifth. The championship leader’s race lasted until turn one where he became embroiled in an incident that saw him end on the wrong side of a series of bumps. That left Karodia limping around well back.

Hannes Scheepers meanwhile led Tyler Robinson, Rory Atkinson, Ethan Coetzee, Shiren Rajpaul, Judd Bertholdt, Bevin Masters, Dhivyen Naidoo, Milan Emslie and Nirav Singh. Robinson kept Scheepers under pressure all the way, but the Dainfern Doctor held on, to finally score his maiden Polo Cup win as Karodia toured around at the back to salvage a few points. The Polo Masters also entertained in a close battle resolved John Kruger’s way from Derick Smalberger and Wayne Masters.

Robinson was later placed behind Atkinson in third for her contribution to the first corner fracas. That failed to prevent the young lady from taking a delighted maiden overall victory from Coetzee, Bertholdt, Atkinson, Rajpaul and Naidoo. Smalberger took the Masters day from Kruger, Wayne Masters, and Barbaglia. 

All of which also means Rory Atkinson moves into the provisional championship lead just three points from Karodia. Ethan Coetzee is up to third by a point from Judd Bertholdt with Hannes Scheepers and Tyler Robinson next up and third to sixth separated by just ten points. Wayne Masters heads home to Zwartkops with a more comfortable 29 point Polo Masters advantage. 43 championship points remain on the table. 

So it’s all eyes on Zwartkops Raceway where the 2025 Astron Energy Polo Cup will come to a head at the National Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola finale in Pretoria, Saturday 25 October.