Summarize

The stakes are high, the nerves fraught and all be will on the line when the Gauteng Northern Regions Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola reports to the Red Star Raceway for its penultimate round 6 on Saturday 4 October. Why? Well most classes seem set to deliver grandstand finishes, if the championship logs are anything to go by.

The National Investchem MSA4s join the Regional Festival this weekend for a crucial round, as the championship heads towards a straight fight between the top two. KC Ensor-Smith dominated the first three rounds and  Mikel Bezuidenhout has come on strong since  All of which leaves Ensor-Smith in an eight-point championship lead over Bezuidenhout, but never ignore the likes of  Durbanite Shrien Naidoo, Karabo Malemela, Renzo Ribeiro, Liam Polome, Namibian Adriaan Nel and an interesting newcomer in karter Kian Spies this weekend. The old school Formula Ford Kents join the MSA4s at Red Star too. 

It's a game of cat and mouse in the Dunlop V8 Supercars. First Thomas Reib stole the advantage after title rival Warren Lombard retired, before the pendulum swung back in Lombard’s direction when Reib missed the points after a first race problem and Warren won last time out. That’s re-ignited the championship battle with Reib now only at a six-point advantage. Both were however humbled by Larry Wilford who sped to the first two heat wins to play himself back into albeit distant title contention last time out. Also watch for GTX wildcard Ben Morgenrood, leader Auke Compaan, Steve Herbst and Alan Ryan in GT2.

The ATE VW Challenge table is tighter than ever with two points between the top three. Class C young gun Adriaan de Beer leads class rival Bryce Pillay by just a point, but B leader Stuart Mack was also beaten for the first time, which makes it three cars split by two points. Francis Aldrich stole his first Class B win last time out and also watch for a Class A return to strength at Red Star. Young gun Jayden Goosen will have champion Wayne Masters, Elna Croeser and the returning Dewald Theron to deal with in Delmas.

Class A leader Leon Loubser has been in imperious BMW M Performance Parts Series form of late. But B man Renier Smith still leads Class D man Bernard De Gouveia. He has Andre van Vuuren to deal with, while Loubser in third should have Bob Neill and Fabio Fedetto back to play in Delmas. Class F leader Zaheer Seedat sits fourth but he must deal with last race winner, Kyan Boodaya. Class C leader Salvi Gualtieri sits fifth but what about Class E, you ask? Well, that’s super-close between Karabo Malemela, Eddie Rodrigues and Wessel Mostert as the huge BMW field heads to Red Star for its usual ABC and DEF races.

The DOE Formula Vees powered by Lubri Fuel, stand apart from that tight championship scenario, where Lendl Jansen seems en route to an inevitable 2025 crown. His progress was however delayed when Theodore Vermaak added another two wins last time out. Still, Jansen sits in an almost indomitable 51-point championship advantage ahead of an almighty scrap for second between van den Berg, Vaughn, and Peter Hills and the rapidly closing Vermaak.

Wouter Roos should wrap the ACD Welkom 111 Sports & Saloon GT title up in his Golf. It’s close for second, with Jonathan Visser, George Economides’ Golf and BMW man Mark du Toit. Wayne Robb has already also claimed Class A in his Ford Focus ST in spite of Golf men Piet Potgieter and Lindsay Clur’s best efforts. It’s wide open in Class B however, where Wayne Lebotschy’s Golf, Honda man Mike O'Sullivan and Louis Scholtz are fighting it out, and between Polo young guns, Keegan Nathan, Chris Tait, Sebastian Bouilliart, and the seasoned Rob Clark’s Honda in Class C.

So the titles are on the line as Red Star brings a top quality springtime Regional Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola race program to Delmas, backed by live music and entertainment, stalls, and all the expected good food and refreshments on Saturday 4 October. Find Red Star heading east just off exit 485 on the N12 freeway.