This weekend (9-10 October), the Extreme Festival returns to Red Star Raceway for 2026’s penultimate outing for all but one of the series on the regional roster.
This will be the second time this year the regional roster visits the circuit, which also hosted a round of the national tour, though this outing will see competitors take on the clockwise circuit layout.
The quest for this year’s Dunlop V8 Supercars crown is shaping up to be one of the closest contests, especially after the points table got turned on its head in Round 5. Defending champion Warren Lombard (Ford Mustang) took the lead and holds a one-point advantage over Terry Wilford (Ford Mustang). Thomas Reib (Chevrolet Corvette), who controlled things up to that point, now has to make inroads to keep his title hopes alive. He trails Wilford by 16 points heading into the weekend.
The BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series has two standalone championships, with two totally different scenarios playing out in the two Cups. Unlike the rest of the roster, this will not be the series’ penultimate round, with a Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit visit also scheduled before the Zwartkops Raceway season finale.
Andre van Vuuren (BMW E36 M3) heads up the NA Cup and Class B, with a 23-point advantage over Richard Gerntholtz (BMW E30 M3). Class C’s Nicholas Herbst (BMW E90 330i) is one point ahead of Gerntholtz in the NA Cup, and has a 30-point lead over his closest class rival, Claudio Jardim (BMW E36 330i). Class D’s Reinhardt Miller BMW E30 325i) will also look to keep himself in NA Cup contention. He trails Van Vuuren by 39 points and has a 10-point lead over Henry Platt (BMW E36/7 Z3) in Class D. While breakouts, drop rounds, and other championship eligibility calculations will be brought into the equation, those looking to reel Van Vuuren in will need to catch up fast to stay in contention.
In the Turbo Cup, it’s a totally different scenario. Anton Pommersheim has been on top of the standings for most ot the season. However, it’s his Class A rival, Lee Thompson (BMW E92 M3 Turbo GT), who has been in control of things on the circuit since joining the grid in Round 3, and who cut that lead down to a mere five points. In Class B, Ethan Coetzee (BMW F30 340i), who trails Pommersheim by 16 points, will look to stay in Turbo Cup contention while extending his nine-point lead over Renier Smith (BMW E36 M3 Turbo). Class C’s leader, Reinhardt Miller (BMW E36 M3 Turbo), the first driver to lead a class championship in both Cups simultaneously, is two points behind Coetzee in the Turbo Cup, with a mere 3.9-point advantage over Michael Grobler (BMW E46 328i Turbo), the former Class D leader. Craig Herbst (BMW E92 335i) is also in that Turbo Cup title battle, seven points off Pommersheim, and 21 points clear of Gerald Anthony (BMW F82 M4).
The DigitFMS 111 & GT Sports & Saloons field will also provide three championship battles per outing, again joined by the SuperHatch brigade.
The Class GTA top three also top the standings heading in the GT Sports & Saloons Championship. Jared Rossouw (Volkswagen Polo) finds himself four points ahead of Wayne Robb (Ford Focus ST), with Mark du Toit (BMW Z4) only three adrift. Class GTB currently sees Jonathan Visser (Volkswagen Polo) holding a hefty 38-point lead over Vic Dias, who does not appear on the current entry list.
The 111 Sports & Saloons field sees Class C’s Henry van Vledder (Volkswagen Golf) holding a six-point advantage over Class A’s Tihan van Rooyen (BMW E82 125i), and Class B’s Piet Potgieter (Volkswagen Golf). In Class A, Van Rooyen has a five-point advantage over Melanie Spurr, who does not appear on the current entry list. Mike O’Sullivan, also absent from the entry list, is Potgieter’s nearest Class B rival, albeit 40 points adrift. Van Vledder’s Class C rival, Rob Clark (Honda Ballade), 20 points adrift, will be in action.
SuperHatch points leader, Arthur Thorne, has not yet entered the event, which could see Leon Bredenkamp (Honda Civic) look to cash in, with only a four-point deficit. Ismael Baloyi (Honda Civic) trails the latter by three points.
Lendl Jansen, the defending DOE Formula Vee Partnered With CIM Lubricants champion and points leader, is another notable contender not currently on the entry list. While he holds an 18-point lead, the likes of Vaughn Hills (Rhema 2) and Peter Hills (Rhema 2), a further 16 points adrift, will look to keep the title battle alive.
The ATE VW Challenge championship also sees the Class A top three at the top of the points table, and this is another close one. Anthony Lessing (Volkswagen Polo) leads Josh Moore (Volkswagen Polo) by a solitary point, while Christopher Tait (Volkswagen Polo) is only four points adrift.
Sebastian Boulliart (Volkswagen Polo) heads up Class B, with a four-point lead over Keyaan Dwomoh (Volkswagen Polo). Keegan Nathan (Volkswagen Polo) trails him by two points. In Class C, Bryce Pillay (Volkswagen Polo) leads Stuart Konig (Volkswagen Polo) by two points, with Elna Croeser (Volkswagen Polo) a further 20 adrift.
Spectator tickets can be purchased at the Red Star Raceway entrance gate for R150 per adult, and are free for children under 12. Saturday’s 12-race programme will commence at 08:50 and will be broadcast live on the Extreme Festival website.