Mpumalanga’s motorsport fans were treated to a host of exciting national Extreme Festival battles at Red Star Raceway this past weekend (17-18 April).
The SunBet ZX10 Masters Cup brigade started the programme. Damion Purificati (Amalgum Welding Shop) took two relatively easy wins in the all-Kawasaki ZX10 Masters Series, which also gave him the Class B honours. Further back, there were two fierce battles for the Class A top spots, with Keith Aglioti (TNB Global) and Hein McMahon (K9 Law Enforcement) trading the victories, while completing the podiums for the two races. Class C’s James Barson (Proproof Waterproofing) kept them in check en route to his two wins for the day.
Adriaan van Dalen (VAG Automotive Centre) completed the Class A podium in both races. Hein Kruger (Zeemans) took two runner-up spots in Class B, while Byron Rothquel (Mag Magic Repairs) completed both podiums. In Class C, it was also repeat podiums, rounded out by Reginald Seale (HXCS) and Joao Cruz.
The GR Cup’s GR 86 has a maiden winner in Connor Weston, who went on to make it two wins for the day over Kobus Reyneke, the double-winner from the season opener, while Emma Dowling, back from her recent international campaign, completed both podiums.
Nabil Abdool took two wins in the Media Challenge over Craig Nicholson and Kumbi Mtshaka. In the Dealer Challenge, Devon Scott made it a double win over Theo Brits and Werner Venter.
The Investrchem MSA4 championship also produced a set of double podiums and a new winner. Aqil Alibhai (APEX), a 2026 rookie who came in on the back of international Formula 4 experience, won both races from Mikel Bezuidenhout (Corsa Dei Gamelli) and Karabo Malemela (KMFT).
Behind them, the Formula Ford Kent field saw Ian Schofield (Investchem) beat Alex Vos (DV Building Supplies) in both races. Rick Morris (Investchem) and Nicholas van Weely (Magnificent Paint) completed the podium in the two respective races.
Hannes Scheepers (Dainfern Dental Studio) extended his Astron Energy Polo Cup points lead after making it four wins from four starts in 2026. On both occasions, it was Charl Smalberger (Sabertek) who followed him over the line, but in Race 2, this battle saw some of the best attacking moves from Smalberger countered by Scheepers’ excellent defensive skills. Roshaan Goodman (Upward Spiral) completed both podiums in the all-Volkswagen Polo GTI races, on both occasions feeding off Mauro da Luz (Nathan’s Motorsport).
Behind them, in the Masters Class, it was Wayne Masters (Performance Masters) who took the wins from Derick Smalberger (Sabertek) and John Kruger (Team RED).
The first South African Touring Cars race of the day saw the returning stars, Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI) and Keegan Campos (Veloce Automobili BMW 128i), involved in a Turn 1 incident. Wolk was sidelined while Campos dropped behind the pack. Further ahead, Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI) took the win from Jason Coetzee (Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota Corolla) and KC Ensor-Smith (African Heating Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI). However, Campos repeated last year’s history by starting his season a round into the championship with a Race 2 win, beating Ensor-Smith and Van der Watt.
In the SATC SupaCup, Rory Atkinson (Easy Drive Vehicle Plans Volkswagen Polo SupaCup) took his maiden win in the series in Race 1 following a fierce contest with fellow series debutant Tyler Robinson (AF Fans Volkswagen Polo SupaCup). Jason Loosemore (Nathan’s Motorsport) completed the podium. Atkinson beat Loosemore in Race 2, with Brad Liebenberg (Sparco Volkswagen Polo SupaCup) completing the podium.
The next instalment of the national Extreme Festival will be at Zwartkops Raceway on 22-23 May. A week before that (15-16 May), it will be the regional roster’s first of two Red Star Raceway outings, with them taking on the anti-clockwise circuit layout.