Killarney Internation Raceway on the western outskirts of Cape Town will host the coastal round of the Regional Extreme Festival tour this coming weekend (9-10 August), with a packed programme that will also include a host of the Western Province’s motorsport stars.
The regional calendar sees one of the coastal circuits added to the tour every year, which provides an opportunity for the traditionally northern regions-based series to showcase their racing to a broader audience. The choice of circuit alternates annually. While some of the series have competed in Cape Town before, the Killarney International Raceway has not hosted a complete Regional Extreme Festival round since the coastal round was implemented in 2019. It was scheduled in 2020, but the global COVID-19 pandemic saw the event fall away from the revised calendar.
The Mobil 1 V8 Supercars is one series that has competed in Cape Town twice since, in 2021 and 2022, on the National Extreme Festival roster. Defending GT Class champion Julian Fameliaris (Lube-Net Chevrolet Corvette) holds a 13-point lead over Thomas Reib (Café 9 Automotive Chevrolet Lumina) heading into Round 5, while Warren Lombard (PepBoys Automotive Ford Mustang) is a further 13 points adrift. This trio shared the wins thus far in 2024 but will face fierce competition from Terry Wilford (Fuchs Lubricants Ford Falcon) and Franco di Matteo (Di Matteo Racing Jaguar XKR).
In the GT2 Class, Auke Compaan (Hurrican Automotive Ford Mustang) holds a 32-point lead over defending champion Steve Herbst (PPG Coatings Chevrolet Corvette). Larry Wilford (Fuchs Lubricants Ford Falcon) and Bevin Schwarz (Chevrolet Corvette) will mix things up with this trio.
Ben Morgenrood (Ben Morgenrood Ford & Mazda Mustang) will not compete for points but is bound to mix things up at the front and provide added entertainment. Morgenrood’s last outing at the circuit in the series was in 2013.
The Mobil 1 V8 Supercars brigade will also share the circuit with the local V8 Masters field, including Rui Campos (Campos Transport APV347is). Campos, well known in northern regions events, is a series regular down in Cape Town and will be joined by Denis Gaiduk (Knorhoek), Jason Ibbotson (Autohaus Angel), Ken Finneran (Blockkoin), and Sean Moore (Ziegler Logistics) in similar APV347is machines.
Another familiar series will be the PABAR VW Challenge. Their last outing at the circuit was in 2022 as part of a Western Province Motor Club Power Series event, with their previous Extreme Festival outing being in 2018 as part of the National event. This weekend, they will also compete in the fifth round of their 2024 championship. In Class A, Bevin Masters (The CPS Warehouse.co.za Volkswagen Polo) holds a 12-point lead over Wayne Masters (Performance Masters Volkswagen Polo). An exciting prospect in Class A will be Marco Busi (Volkswagen Polo), a local driver with a formidable reputation around the Cape Town circuit.
Class B Stuart Mack (Creation Wealth Volkswagen Polo) is 19 points clear of Shiren Rajpaul, but the latter will not make the trip to Cape Town. This means that Mohammed Karodia (Fast 5 Motorsport Volkswagen Polo), a further four points adrift, will be his nearest rival.
In Class C, Christopher Tate is five points ahead of Andy Gossman (Volkswagen Polo), who is 20 points clear of Judd Bertholdt. The latter has not entered and will focus his attention on the Volkswagen Rookie Cup, also in action on the day.
The DOE Formula Vee Partnered with CIM Lubricants series will also be familiar to the Cape Town spectators, with their last outing being at 2019’s national event. Lendl Jansen (VW Rhema 2 1.4) holds a 22-point lead over Peter Hills (Mangaza Racing VW Thema 2 1.4), who, in turn, is five points ahead of Brandon Hills (Mangaza Racing VW Rhema 2). In 2024, this trio has provided some of the best single-seater action in recent years and is expected to do the same in Round 5.
The last of the familiar series will be the Volkswagen Rookie Cup. They are also the most recent to have competed at the circuit, having done so in this year’s National Extreme Festival season opener. Dhivyen Naidoo (Production X) heads the all-Volkswagen Polo Vivo GT field with a four-point advantage over Bertholdt (HPE Sizanani Plastics). Naidoo won both races in the season opener. The most recent winner, Jayden Goosen (Motorsport Fanatix), is third, three points behind Bertholdt. This will be the fourth round of their championship.
It will be the first time at the circuit for the BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series, with this only being their second-ever coastal outing. Cape Town will see their sixth championship round. The Class battle between defending series and Class A champion Leon Loubser (Bidwheels BMW E92 335i) with 65 points, Bob Neill (Delmon Mining BMW E92 M3 Turbo) with 39 points, Ryan Naicker (BMW E92 M3 Turbo) with 24 points, and Nian du Toit (NDT Racing BMW E36 328i Turbo) with 22 points is bound to bring the crowd to their feet. All these drivers have had their moments of dominance throughout the season. Killarney International Raceway is the home of Du Toit, whose sole prior outing in the series came in this year’s season opener, where he took home a full house of points. Marco Retter (Progress Precision Engineering BMW E46 328i Turbo) will make his Class A debut, having won in Class C in Gqeberha last year.
Class B will see third-placed Renier Smith (Fast Development BMW E36 M3 Turbo) look to clear the 12-point deficit to the absent leader and class champion Nek Makris. Cape Town’s Mansoor Parker (Parkers Parts Center BMW E46 M3 Turbo), who won in last year’s coastal outing, will compete in his first event of the season.
Fourth-placed Bennie Luyt (ITA Security Products & Services BMW E46 M3) will be the most prominent Class C competitor, with Bernard de Gouveia (De Gouveia Accountants BMW E46 M3), Reinhardt Miller (Amtec Racing Fuels BMW E36 328i Turbo), and others eager to make up some points. Anwar Levy (Jive Cooldrinks BMW E46 M3 Turbo) will also compete for the first time in 2024 and also won in last year’s coastal round.
The Class D & E brigade will compete separately from Classes A, B & C. Second-placed George Economides (Wealth Avenue BMW E36 330i) will look to close in on the absent series and Class D leader Nicholas Herbst. Claudio Jardim (Mixbox Automotive BMW E36 330i) will also be in contention, having already won in 2024.
Johan Miller (Hei-Jo Transport BMW E36 328i) will look to extend his lead in Class E over the likes of Matthew Wadeley (BMW Car Club Gauteng Track Taxi E46 330i Touring), with the latter eager to continue his winning ways.
A host of Capetonians will join the field, including Achmat Achmat, Ammaar Coetzee, Daanyaal Coetzee, Nieyaaz Modack, Renzo Torentte, Baby Jakes, Dexter Bruce, Ebrahim Levy, Ernest Page, Faizel Jacobs, Fiekie Pather, Reza Levy, Ryan Kat, and Yusuf Hendricks. Gqeberha’s Dean Ball, Reynard Potgieter and Stephan Aucamp will also make the trip south.
The Ferro Energia 111/GT Sports & Saloons field will make its first visit to the circuit for their fifth round. The event will see Dawie Olivier (International Race Supplies BMW E30 3L back at the circuit for the first after his near-fatal crash in 2019. He is currently second in the GT Class, trailing Economides by 33 points, with the latter focussing on his BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series campaign. Phillip Meyer (Pple Group Porsche 924 GTR) is 9 points adrift of Olivier and 17 points clear of Lenard Archer, who will be doing double-duty in his ACD Welkom BMW E90 335i), also competing in the BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series.
Melanie Spurr (Car Care Clinic Volkswagen Golf 7) heads up Class A by 34 points over Wayne Robb. Lindsay Clur (Nathan’s Motorsport Volkswagen Golf) and Piet Potgieter (Volkswagen Golf) will also be in contention.
Micheal Grobler (Pest Control Specialists Volkswagen Golf) and Luigi Ferro (Eco Simply Solar Volkswagen Polo) will continue their battle in Class B, with 11 points separating them. Jonathan Visser (Auto Express Volkswagen Polo) is just three points adrift.
Wouter Roos (Car Care Clinic Volkswagen Polo) is 17 points clear of Chris Smit in Class C. Since the latter will not make the trip, his nearest rival will be Elke van Vledder (ZIP Volkswagen Golf).
Rob Clark (Honda Ballade) leads Class D and will be the sole entrant, while Nicole Lombard (PSA Africa Volkswagen Polo) will be the sole Class E entrant. Cape Town’s Steven Heydenrych (Origen Oils Nissan Skyline) will debut in the series.
The SuperHatch field will also have its first outing at the venue and share the circuit with the Ferro Energia 111/GT Sports & Saloons. George Aldrich (Opel Corsa) is the sole entry at the time of writing.
The line-up will be completed by Round 6 for Cape Town’s own Laude Classic Cars. Class A is headed by Michael Hitchcock (Cross Cape Forklift Services Ford Mustang), competing in the Pre-80 Group. He has a 19-point advantage over Franco Donadio (Donadio Plant Hire Ford Escort). Glen Uytenbogaardt (Cross Cape Forklift Services Ford Granada Perana) is a further 10 points adrift.
In Class B, Trevor Momberg (M&E Auto Ford Capri) is 18 points clear of Ferdi Mouton (Cross Cape Forklift Services Ford Mustang) in the Pre-80 group. Pre-90 second-placed Bruce Avern Taplin (Toyota Corolla) will also be competing.
Class C will see the Pre-80 points leader Trevor Hutchings (HSC Racing VW Scirocco) in action, with Pre-90 second and third-placed competitors Layne Hutchings (HSC Racing Volkswagen Golf) and Deon Conradie (Garage 86 Toyota Conquest RSi) also on the entry list.
Class D frontrunners will include Dave Rowley (Flat Four Racing Volkswagen Beetle) and James Matthee (Augusta Motors Honda CRX) from the Pre-80 and Pre-90 groups, respectively.
The highest-placed Class E competitor will be fourth-placed Melt Carstens (Ford Cortina) from the Pre-80 group. Nian du Toit will also do double duty, with his Ford Capri Pirana also entered in this race. Other notable entrants include Dutchman Ad Verjkuilen (Cape Eye Laser Ford Capri), Paige Lindenberg (Lindenberg Racing Ford Fairlane), and James Temple (Lindenberg Racing Shelby Daytona Coupe).
Spectator tickets can be purchased via Webtickets beforehand or at the Killarney International Raceway entrance gate on Saturday. The entire Extreme Festival race day programme will be broadcast live, free-to-air, on this live stream link.
The Regional Extreme Festival, held at Killarney International Raceway, is hosted by the Western Province Motor Club and partnered with Smile 90.4FM.