The 2025 Extreme Festival Presented by Coca-Cola season will start with the regional roster at Zwartkops Raceway this coming weekend (28 February – 1 March), with an entertaining mix of both on- and off-circuit activities.
The 2024 season was seen out by some fierce battles in the Ferro Energia 111/GT Sports and Saloons Series, with this contingent eager to recommence the action.
The field will be headed up by the GT Sports & Saloons group. George Economides (Wealth Avenue Volkswagen Golf Turbo) will look to start his title defence. With his 2024 rival Dawie Olivier having returned to the BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series, Economides’ rivals in the season opener will be Mark du Toit (Trans Africa Racing BMW Z4) and Charles Fowlds (www.0861clearview.co.za Subaru WRX).
The 111 Sports & Saloons field will see Wouter Roos (Origen Oil Volkswagen Golf) commence his quest to retain his title against a host of competitors in various classes. Roos, competing in Class A, enjoyed a good points battle with former champion Melanie Spurr (Origen Oil Volkswagen Polo), who competes in Class C. Roos’ Class A rivals will include Wayne Lebotschy (Shield Volkswagen Golf) and Lucas Bezuidenhout (Pretoria Noord Toyota Lexus IS 200). Spurr will contest for Class C honours against the likes of Keegan Nathan (Nathan’s Motorsport Volkswagen Polo) and Christopher Tait (Sportex Volkswagen Polo).
Their rivals will also include Class B’s Jayden Goosen (Ferro Energia Volkswagen Polo), Joshua Weyers (Opel Corsa), and Class D’s Rob Clark (Containerforce Self Storage Honda Ballade). Class X, for new driver/car combinations, will see the likes of Ismail Peck (National Motorsport Mzansi BMW 130i) and Shaun Vermaak (Hands-On Properties BMW F22 235i).
The field will again see the SuperHatch competitors sharing the circuit, with the likes of Suman Moodley (Renault Clio RS3), George Aldrich (Opel Corsa), and Ishmael Baloyi (Trans Africa Racing Honda Civic) eager to spice up the on-circuit battles.
Two of this year’s regional roster series have announced new title partnerships for the 2025 season.
The first is the SAMCAR V8 Supercars series, which becomes the 11th Extreme Festival series to switch to Dunlop tyres. Subsequently, they will compete under the Dunlop V8 Supercars name, with the tyre manufacturer and distributor replacing Mobil 1.
However, that is not the only thing new in the series this year. For starters, the reigning GT Class champion, Julian Fameliaris, will not be on the grid. This means the battle will be on between the likes of Warren Lombard (PepBoys Automotive Ford Mustang), Thomas Reib (Café 9 Automotive Chevrolet Lumina), and Terry Wilford (Fuchs Lubricants Ford Mustang) to become the new champion. In the GT2 Class, Auke Compaan (Hurricane Automotive Ford Mustang) will look to defend his title against Steve Herbst (Prei Instrumentation Chevrolet Corvette), and Antonie Marx (Holden). Ben Morgenrood (Ben Morhenrood Ford Mustang) will be the sole GTX Class competitor.
The season opener will also see three debutants. Alan Ryan (Wellness Group Chevrolet Corvette) and Wayne Spicer (Wellness Group Jaguar XKRS) will both debut in GT2, while Clint Weston (Ford Falcon) will join the GT1 field.
The VW Challenge is the second series to enjoy a new naming rights partnership. Previously, the naming rights were shared with PABAR, who remains on board as an associate partner by changing places with ATE for 2025, with the series known as the ATE VW Challenge.
Class A will see stalwarts Wayne Masters (Performance Master Volkswagen Polo), Elna Croeser (ATE Brakes), Dean Ross (Norbrake Distributors Volkswagen Polo), and Ian Walker (Mellow Veio Volkswagen Polo) set the pace. The reigning series champion, Stuart Mack (AutoZone Volkswagen Polo), will head up the Class B competition against the likes of Chris Davison (D&L Transport Volkswagen Polo). Philip Croeser (ATE Brakes Volkswagen Polo) will be one of the experienced competitors in Class C, competing against Dino Smit (Rezcom Volkswagen Polo) and Bryce Pillay (Matelico Autobody Volkswagen Polo), amongst others.
While the DOE Formula Vee Partnered With CIM Lubricants brigade already had their first 2025 outing as part of The 24th Passion For Speed, this weekend will see their first championship round of the season.
This year’s challenge will likely be headed up by Peter Hills (MXTwo Rhema 2) and Brandon Hills (MXTwo Rhema 2), especially with the reigning champion Lendl Jansen not on the entry list. The likes of MD Bester (MXTwo Rhema 2), Shaun van de Linde (Truck City Boksburg Rhema 2), and Theodore Vermaak (DOE Quality Parts Forza) are also likely to join the battle at the front.
The BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series also competed at The 24th Passion For Speed, with that outing counting towards their 2025 championship.
Heading into the second round, Leon Loubser (Monaco Motors BMW E92 335i) and Bob Neill (Deimon Mining BMW E92 M3 Turbo) will head up the battle in Class A. The three-way tussle in Class B between the defending champion Renier Smith (Fast Development BMW E36 M3 Turbo), Nek Makris (BMW E46 335i), and Andreas Meier (CEC BMW E36 STC 320iT) will also be one to watch. Rob Gearing (BMW E30 335iS) heads up Class C going into the weekend, with Hein Van der Merwe (SavSpeed Racing BMW E36 328i Turbo) being one of the drivers looking to change that.
With Bilal Ahmed not entered, the likes of Bernard de Gouveia (De Gouveia Accountants BMW E46 M3) and Dawie Olivier (International Race Supplies BMW E30 330i) will look to be on top of Class D after the weekend. While Roland Hopkins (Rietchard Scrap Metal BMW E46 330Ci) heads into the weekend as the Class E leader, the reigning Class D champion Nicholas Herbst (CIM Lubricants BMW E90 330i) will join this battle in his first 2025 outing. Shaun Dodd (Amtec BMW E36 328i) leads the Series championship and will head things up in the newly founded Class F.
Entertainment is not merely limited to what is happening on the circuit, with Extreme Festival events held at Zwartkops Raceway becoming synonymous with entertainment for the whole family. From drift rides, kids’ entertainment, an assortment of culinary options, a fully licenced bar, and live music, there is bound to be someone for everyone to enjoy. As always, this event will have an Open Pit Policy, and spectators on the embankment are welcome to bring their braai, drinks, gazebos, and camping chairs.
Spectator tickets, priced at R140 per adult and R100 per student, can be purchased at the entrance gate on Saturday. Children under the age of 12 get in for free. Spectators who purchase a Coca-Cola product from the Coke Can Vendor in the main pit area will also stand a chance to win prizes comprising tickets to April’s Kyalami Extreme Festival double-header, with one of these tickets being a VIP Experience.
Saturday’s full race day will also be broadcast live on the Extreme Festival website.