The 2025 National Extreme Festival Presented by Coca Cola ended on a high note at the Zwartkops circuit near Pretoria on Saturday, with spectacle and close racing in front of a large crowd the names of the game.
Top billing belonged to the South African Touring Car brigade, with 27 SA Touring and Supa Cup entries facing the starter.
Keegan Campos put in a brilliant performance and led the opening race from start to finish in his Campos Transport BMW 128it. Michael van Rooyen (Gazoo Toyota Corolla) took the second place, clinching the year’s overall Touring Car title in the process. He was chased over the finish line by Jagger Robertson (76 Legacy Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI), Sa’aad Variawa (Gazoo Toyota Corolla), Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics VW Golf 8 GTI) and Andrew Schofield (Fly Safair BMW 128it).
Race two was red-flagged two laps from the end when the Campos BMW lost its brakes, reversed off the track at high speed after the pit corner and slammed into the tyre wall. Julien van der Watt then won the second Touring Car race from Jagger Robertson, Andrew Schofield, Sa’aad Variawa, Campos and Michael van Rooyen. Campos, who was registered as a finisher because race organizers revert one lap after any red flag stoppage saw his resultant fifth place netting him second place in the Touring Car championship.
Jonathan Mogotsi (VW Motorsport SupaPolo) took the first SupaCup victory ahead of Jason Loosemore (VW Motorsport SupaPolo), Nicolas Vostanis (Campos Transport SupaPolo), David Franco (Graphix Supply SupaPolo) and Tate Bishop (Angri SupaPolo).
Loosemore won race two, ahead of Mogotsi, Vostanis, Bishop, Dylan Praggi (Stylin Auto SupaPolo) and Franco. Tate Bishop arrived at Zwartkops with the SupaCup title already in the bag.
The opening Astron Energy Polo Cup race went to Hannes Scheepers (Dainfern Dental Polo), leading home Rory Atkinson (Industry Petroleum Polo), Tyler Robinson (AF Fans Polo) and Ethan Coetzee (Ethan Motorsport Polo). In the process, Atkinson clinched this year’s overall Astron Energy Polo Cup championship.
The Masters category was won by Derek Smalberger (Sabertek Polo), followed by John Kruger (Habot Lubricants Polo), Wayne Masters (Performance Masters Polo) and Mike Barbaglia (VW Polo). Jayden Goosen (AA Pre-Owned Polo) won race two ahead of Scheepers, Coetzee and Robinson.
Masters emerged as the year’s overall Polo Cup Masters champion.
Adriaan Nel (Central Cycles MSA4) won the first Investchem MSA4 single seater race, leading home Mikel Bezuidenhout (Corsa Dei Gemelli MSA4), Karabo Malemela (KMFT Morita MSA4) and Liam Polome (Red Dot MSA4). Nel won race two, followed by Malemela, Bezuidenhout and Renzo Ribiero (Metal Used Spares MSA4). Race three went to Ndzalo Khoza (Horizon Dynamics MSA4), chased by KC Ensor-Smith (African Heating MSA4), Nel and Nicolas van Weelie (Magnificent Paints MSA4).
Multiple former SA Superbike champion Clinton Seller (King Price ZX10) won both the SunBet ZX10 Massters races by a large margin, ahead of Damion Purificati (Amalgum Welding ZX10), Hein McMahon (K9 Law ZX10) and Graeme van Breda (Stefanutti Stocks ZX10).
Charl Arangies (Stradale Mercedes AMG GT3) snatched the opening Dunlop Extreme Supercar race lead, but incurred a 30 second penalty for jumping the start. That left Jonathan du Toit (TAR Lamborghini Huracan GT3) to win ahead of Gianni Giannoccaro (BISC Audi R8 LMS), Kris Budnik (Bucketlist Dodge Viper) and Ricky Giannoccaro (G&H Transport Lamborghini Hurican GT3).
Du Toit won race two as well, chased to the flag by Gianni Giannoccaro, Arangies and Ricky Giannoccaro. Race three went to Du Toit, ahead of Arangies, plus Ricky and Gianni Giannoccaro.
Jason Coetzee won the first Toyota 86 GR race, followed by Koos Reyneke and Kent Swartz. Coetzee won race two as well, leading Reyneke and Swartz. Werner Venter took the opening Toyota Corolla GR heat from Mario da Sousa and Johan Boonzaaier, while Nadil Abdool won the Toyota Yaris GR category ahead of Phuti Mpayne and Kyle Kock.
Venter also won the second Corolla race from Da Sousa and Paul de Vos, while the Yaris GR category went to Kock, ahead of Abdool and The Citizen’s Charl Bosch.
Christopher Tait (Sportex Polo) took the first VW Rookie Cup race ahead of Josh Moore (BPW Polo), Uzair Khan (TSS Polo) and Luke Hill (Steelform Polo). Khan won race two from Tait, Moore and Hill.
The next Extreme Festival event at Zwartkops will be the Regional 2025 Finale on Saturday, November 8.
Andre’ de Kock
