Summarize

2025 runner up Mikel Bezuidenhout served notice of his 2026 intentions by storming to a grand slam of pole position and both race wins to open his 2026 Investchem MSA4 season in fine style. Former international Aqil Alibhai fought hard to second in both races on his MSA4 debut while Renzo Ribeiro and Karabo Malemela shared out the third places. Ian Schofield beat Nicholas van Weely and Alex Vos to both Formula Ford Kent class wins.

 

Corsa Dei Gemelli MSA4 lad Bezuidenhout kicked off with pole position by two tenths of a second. Old rival Renzo Ribeiro’s Metal Used ATT version joined him on the front row ahead of best of the rookies, Guido Bidoli, and another old hand, Karabo Malemela’s KMFT Morita MSA4 side by side on the second row. 2026 wildcards, former British Formula 4 racer Aqil Alibhai’s Kokoro and SATC refugee Keegan Campos’ Campos Transport cars filled the third row.

MSA4 regulars, Shrien Naidoo’s Production X, Kent Swartz and Liam Polome’s Red Dot Vantage machines and Apex Cordset Kokoro lass Anastasia Gerasis completed the top ten. They started ahead of Ndzalo Khoza’s Horizon Dynamics car, graduate karting lass Gianna Pascoal’s 76 Legacy WOrr machine, Chase Haskins’ Reach for a Dream supporting Kokoro car, Investchem lass Simphiwe Mohlahlo, Corsa Dei Gemelli lad Wianko Fourie and Aadam Kajee’s 76 Legacy WOrr entry. Ian Schofield’s Investchem Mygale led the Formula Ford Kent grid from Nicholas van Weely’s Magnificent Van Diemen and Alex Vos’ and Allen Meyer’s similar DV and Investchem cars.

The opening race proved an absolute cracker. A bunch of up to eight cars fought hard up front with a few more entertaining dices throughout the field behind them. Mikel Bezuidenhout and Renzo Ribeiro initially fought furiously for the lead when the safety car was called to clear Kent Swartz and Liam Polome’s  cars from the turn 1 sand trap. Their spat got a touch too close as they quite literally fell over each other, but MSA4’s safety halo head protectors ensured neither driver was hurt in what could have been a far scarier incident. 

Bezuidenhout made a break at the restart as Alibhai used all of his experience to pass and keep Ribeiro, Bidoli and Malemela at bay. Bidoli and Malemela were however penalised for jump starts to drop down the order and leave Campos to fourth from Naidoo. Gianna Pascoal made best of the mid-pack melee to pip Anastasia Gerasis to sixth and best of the girls. Ndzalo Khoza followed from Chase Haskins, the penalised Bidoli, Simphiwe Mohlahlo, Malemela and Aadam Kajee after Wianko Fourie stopped. Ian Schofield took Kent honours from van Weely, Vos, and Meyer. 

Bezuidenhout led Bidoli and Alibhai early in the second heat before Alibhai put one over Bidoli to move into second. Behind them, Malemela, Ribeiro, Campos and Naidoo fought it out before Anastasia Gerasis and Ndzalo Khoza took their turn to sink their cars in the turn 1 kitty litter. Some laps later, Bidoli managed to go off in the same place in spite of the yellow flags, narrowly missing the already stricken machines. Which left  Bezuidenhout comfortably clear of Alibhai and Malemela, with Naidoo up to  fourth from Ribeiro, who made a late pass on Campos. Polome followed from top girl Pascoal, Haskins, Fourie, Mohlahlo and Kajee. Schofield again beat van Weely, Vos, and Meyer in Kent.

Overall, Bezuidenhout took the day from Alibhai and Naidoo, with Ribeiro fourth from Campos and Malemela. Schofield took Formula Ford Kent honours from van Weely and Vos. Investchem MSA4 heads to Mpumalanga next for the second round of the National Extreme Festival at Red Star Raceway near Delmas on Saturday 18 April.