A week after the Extreme Festival’s regional roster got off to an exciting start, the focus shifts to Killarney International Raceway as the 2026 national title battles commence this coming weekend (13-14 March).
The event, labelled the Cape Town Extreme Festival round in association with the City of Cape Town, with Smile FM listed as the official radio partner, will see no fewer than nine racing series in action at the circuit, situated on the western outskirts of Cape Town.
One of the biggest drawcards will be the Extreme SuperCars Driven by Dunlop series, with three races on the programme. Defending champion Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO) and Charl Arangies (Stradale Motorsport Mercedes AMG GT3 EVO) will look to recommence their battle in the GT3 class. The time-based class competitors will also be competing against them for Series honours, with Charl Visser (Charl Engineering Porsche GT3 4L), eager to impress at his home circuit. His immediate Class A rivals will include Ricky Giannoccaro (G&H Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3) and Marius Jackson (MJR Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT3). Anthony Blunden (G&H Racing Lamborghini Huracan Trofeo) and Maarten Prins (Motul Porsche 3.8L) will head up the Class B battle. Jimmy Giannoccaro (G&H Racing Nismo GTR GT3) and Weylin Volschenk (IMC-SA Porsche 997.1 Cup) will be two drivers to watch for in Class C, while Uli Sanne (G&H Racing BMW Z4M) will start the weekend as the sole Class D competitor.
The Volkswagen Rookie Cup will have an almost-new look in 2026. Luke Hill and Luke Corbett are the two survivors from the 2025 grid. They will be joined by Jack Moore, Josh’s brother, who competed in the series in 2025. Sebastian Venkov, already with some circuit-racing experience in the INEX Legends series, will also join the grid, bringing the total to seven drivers competing in identical Volkswagen Polo Vivo GT cars.
Not only will the GR Cup be bigger than before, but there is also a fair mix of experience, youth, and aspirations for motorsport glory in this line-up.
The GR 86 Cup will see some young talent coming through, with the likes of Emma Dowling, Reagile Spice, and Connor Weston all being drivers starting their main circuit careers. The Dealer Challenge will see a host of Toyota dealership partners and key staff members going head-to-head. This season, the Dealer Challenge drivers will utilise a mix of Toyota Corolla and Yaris models. Devon Scott (Toyota Corolla) needs no introduction in this class and has a good record at the Cape Town circuit. The likes of Werner Venter (Toyota Yaris), Johan Boonzaaier (Toyota Yaris), and Tiaan Combrink (Toyota Yaris) will also be in action. The media contingent will be battling it out in the Media Challenge, where they will all pilot the latest generation Toyota Corolla. Defending champion Nabil Abdool will again be in action in his second season, while the rest of the field will include Brandon Jacobs and Kumbi Mtshakaz.
The two-wheel focus will be on the SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup. Two-time consecutive and defending champion Clinton Seller (King Price Xtreme) will look to start another dominant campaign, but will be up against some fierce competition. A rider to watch for on his home turf will be Trevor Westman (Project Sixty), who, like Seller, will also compete in Class A. Joining the Class B field this year will be Damion Purificati (Amalgum Welding Shop), who will be up against seasoned campaigners such as Lubabalo Ntisana (LB Auto) and Abrie Marais (First Digital). Class C will see Jayson Lamb (Tyremart EL), Ian Harwood (TRP Distributors), and Joao Cruz (Extreme Bike) in action. The entire field will compete on Kawasaki ZX10 machines.
The Astron Energy Polo Cup always delivers excitement across its two-field format. At the front of the all-Volkswagen Polo GTI field will be the likes of Hannes Scheeppers (Dainfern Dental Studio), Jayden Goosen (AA), and Charl Smalberger (Sabertek). Debutants to watch include the reigning Volkswagen Rookie Cup champion, Christopher Tait, who will join the field as a Volkswagen Motorsport driver. Also stepping up with him are Joshua Moore (Worx), Berlin Robinson (AF Fans), and Mauro da Luz (Nathan’s Motorsport).
Behind them will be the Masters class, where defending double-champion Wayne Masters (Performance Masters) looks to resume his battle with John Kruger (Habot Lubricants) and Derick Smalberger (Sabertek), among others. The Masters class will also see a well-known debutant this season in Richard van Heerde (Browndeck Roofing).
The South African Touring Cars championship is set for some exciting changes in 2026. Michael van Rooyen (Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota Carolla) will look to defend his maiden title, with known rivals Julian van der Watt (WCT Engineering Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI) and Andrew Schofield (FlySafair BMW 128ti) both returning. Two debutants to watch for will be the reigning GT86 Champion Jason Coetzee (Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota Carolla) and KC Ensor-Smith (African Heating Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI), who took the inaugural Investchem MSA4 crown.
Behind them, the SATC SupaCup will also venture into a new era. For now, all competitors will be using the Volkswagen Polo SupaCup car. Both the 2025 title rivals, Jonathan Mogotsi and champion Tate Bishop, have moved on, leaving Jason Loosemore (Nathan’s Motorsport) as one of the early favourites. Nicholas Vostanis (Campos Transport) and David Franco (Graphix Supply World). Some exciting new additions are the reigning Volkswagen Polo Cup champion, Rory Atkinson (Easy Drive Vehicle Plans), and Tyler Robinson (AF Fans).
With Ensor-Smith in the South African Touring Cars Championship, the Investchem MSA4 season will see a hunt for a new champion. Some of 2025’s frontrunners include Mikel Bezuidenhout (Corsa Dei Gemeli), Karabo Malemela (KMFT Morita), and Shrien Naido (Production X Racing). This weekend will also see a host of debutants joining the field. Wianko Fourie (Corsa Dei Gemeli) and Gianna Pascoal (76 Legacy) will be two of the drivers hoping to start their new chapter with good results.
Behind them, the Formula Ford Kent field will also have its first outing of the year. This line-up will include Ian Schofield (Investchem), Alex Vos (DV Building Supplies) and Nicholas van Weely (Magnificent Paints & Hardware).
Spectator tickets can be purchased from Webtickets or at the various entrance gates to Killarney International Raceway. Saturday’s race programme will commence at 09:45 and will be broadcast live on the Extreme Festival website.