Summarize

If ever there was a different lead up to an epic day of Investchem MSA4 racing, it had to be to Saturday’s third round National Extreme Festival at Zwartkops Raceway. First off, Durban title contender Shrien Naidoo’s Production X MSA4, its trailer and the team bakkie were hijacked on race week Tuesday. The driver was left unharmed and the bakkie disappeared across the border, but the race car and trailer went missing.

A major search backed by huge fan support on the social media somehow found the abandoned car and trailer on Friday morning. With a little help from the Investchem MSA4 community, the team had the car raceworthy enough for Shrien to sensationally put it on pole position on Saturday morning.

Then Horizon Dynamics MSA4 drivee Ndzalo Khoza hurt his thumb in a Friday practice shunt and was ruled out of the race. 2023 Investchem Formula 1600 champion, Capetonian Troy Dolinschek happened to be in the Pretoria pits when the team suggested he race Ndzalo’s car. With the late driver change approved, Troy borrowed race kit and a helmet, jumped in, and promptly put the Horizon car second in qualifying. 

That adrenaline not only pushed the championship battle aside but remoted the contenders to the second row as Mikel Bezuidenhout Corsa Dei Gemelli machine edged rival and log leader Aqil Alibhai’s Kokoro MSA4 for third. Kent Swartz lined up fifth alongside Kokoro Reach for a Dream lad Chase Haskins. Liam Polome’s Red Dot Vantage, Karabo Malemela’s KMFT Morita, Guido Bidoli’s FAST and Renzo Ribeiro’s Metal Used ATT MSA4s filled the top ten. Corsa Dei Gemelli  driver Wianko Fourie, 76 Legacy WOrr lad Aadam Kajee and lass Gianna Pascoal, and Anastasia Gerasis’ Apex Cordset car rounded off the grid.

The drama continued after qualifying. Dolinschek’s front wing failed a scrutineering check and he was dispatched to the back of the grid. Mikel Bezuidenhout made best of the start to lead Aqil Alibhai and Shrien Naidoo, but Liam Polome wound a sideshaft off his car and sat stranded on the grid as the safety car was dispatched. The restart heralded a delightful spat. Alibhai set about Bezuidenhout to snatch the lead before clearing off. 

Bezuidenhout followed Aqil ahead of Naidoo, Kent Swartz, and Karabo Malemela, who was on the move, picking off Swartz and then making a marvellous pass on Naidoo for third at the flag. Guido Bidoli came home sixth ahead of Troy Dolinschek from the back, Chase Haskins, Pascoal, Ribeiro, Gerasis, Aadam Kajee and Fourie. Dolinschek’s day however went from bad to worse when he was excluded on another technicality.

Shrien Naidoo was back on pole position alongside Aqil Alibhai on the front row for race 2, with Bezuidenhout third from Swartz and Haskin. Naidoo launched well but Alibhai made a move into turn 2. The pair touched, Alibhai took flight and Naidoo stuttered to a halt as the rest raced on by to leave Bezuidenhout leading Malemela, Polome, Swartz, and Bidoli with Troy Dolinschek and Alibhai cutting back through the pack. Wianko Fourie and Aadam Kajee clashed to help Alibha’s progress before third lad Polome put his car in the tyre wall and then Swartz and Bidoli collided fighting for that inherited position. 

Which left the verges cluttered with smashed cars covered by flying double yellow flags as the race went on. Malemela gave it his all but could not find a gap to make the move, to leave Mikel to the win from Karabo. Dolinschek fought to third while Alibhai grabbed fourth from Renzo Ribeiro on the final lap. Chase Haskins kept his nose clean to grab sixth from Aadam Kajee, Anastasia Gerasis and Wianko Fourie. Guido Bidoli, Kent Swartz, and Liam Polome crashed but were classified as Gianna Pascoal and Shrien Naidoo retired.

All of which means that the Investchem MSA4 championship chase is split three race wins apiece between Mikel Bezuidenhout and Aqil Alibhai as the National Extreme Festival now heads to the Aldo Scribante racetrack in Gqeberha to commence the second half of the season on Saturday 27 June.