Summarize

With each of them having won four of the eight Investchem MSA4 championship races so far, Aqil Alibhai and Mikel Bezuidenhout will continue their battle to the 2026 title when the fifth round National Extreme Festival returns to Gqeberha’s Aldo Scribante racetrack on Saturday 15 August. The meeting, originally scheduled for East London, was moved to deliver two unique back-to back rounds in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Still, it’s a two horse race between veteran former British Formula 4 racer Alibhai in his Kokoro MSA4 and young challenger and 2025 championship runner up, Bezuidenhout’s Corsa Dei Gemelli car. There is virtually nothing to split the Johannesburg lads beyond a couple of lower places for Mikel and Aqil scoring fewer bonus points to see the two of them arrive at Aldo split by all of three championship points.

It’s even closer for third with that many points between three drivers in Karabo Malemela’s KMFT Morita machine, Metal Used ATT driver Renzo Ribeiro and the rather luckless Durbanite, Shrien Naidoo’s Production X version. Rest assured that the three of them want nothing less than to still win a race or two this season.

A little further back, quick Red Dot Vantage rookie Guido Bidoli and Kent Swartz sit a point apart in their tussle for sixth. Both have suffered their share of issues and they too possess the pace to unsettle the leaders. Others ready to impress include Red Dot Vantage lad Liam Polome and Kokoro Reach for a Dream advocate Chase Haskins.

Don’t forget the racing ladies. Gianna Pascoal’s 76 Legacy WOrr car, Apex Cordset Kokoro lass Anastasia Gerasis and Investchem’s Simphiwe Mohlahlo certainly add intrigue and all are good to beat the guys, too. They have Corsa Dei Gemelli rookie Wianko Fourie, Ndzalo Khoza’s Horizon Dynamics MSA4, 76 Legacy WOrr lad Aadam Kajee and rookie Lulama Ngobeni on their case.

Nicholas Vostanis is an interesting addition to the Investchem MSA4 ranks this weekend. An established karter who’s also impressed in SATC SupaCup, newcomer Nikki will drive a third Red Dot Vantage car. Investchem MSA4 races on the spectacular National Extreme Festival bill on Saturday 15 August. See you at Scribante!