Sizzling fast and furious action
VARIETY: NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CAR AND MOTORCYCLE RACING ON THE PROGRAMME
Exciting rounds of the touring car championship to rev up Killarney.
The 2017 Extreme Festival will visit the Western Cape this weekend, taking a rich variety of national championship car and motorcycle racing to the Killarney circuit.
Heading up proceedings will be the first rounds of this season’s Sasol Global Touring Car championship, with 16 competitors to face the starter.
Michael Stephen (Engen Xtreme Audi A3) will start as defending South African champion, backed by team-mate Simon Moss in an identical car.
They will face tough opposition led by Gennaro Bonafede (Sasol BMW), Mathew Hodges (VW Jetta), Johan Fourie (EPS Courier BMW), Daniel Rowe (VW Jetta), and Michael van Rooyen (RSC BMW).
Two new JCW Mini Cooper S models, driven by Engen VW Cup graduates Bradley Liebenberg and Chris Shorter, will contest the GTC2 category under the respective banners of Ferodo and Champion. They will be challenged by Keagan Masters (VW Golf GTI), Mandla Mdakane (VW Golf GTI), Trevor Bland (VW Golf GTI), Charl Smalberger (IndyOil VW Golf GTI), Dayne Angel Autohaus Honda Civic) and Devon Piazza-Musso (VW Golf GTI). The Engen Volkswagen Cup category will feature 22 starters, including some of the country’s most promising young drivers. Top contenders include Matt Shorter (Moog Polo), Devin Robertson (Payen Polo), Darren Oates (Glasfit Polo), Shaun la Reservee (Alpine Motors Polo), Clinton Bezuidenhout (VdL Polo), Juan Gerber (Glasfit Polo), Daniel Duminy (Pepper Polo) and Tasmin Pepper (Campos transport Polo).
Category newcomers to watch include Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Health Polo), Jonathan Mogotsi (VW Polo), and Paulus Franken (Manitou Polo).
The South African Motorcycle Championship brigade will race alongside their four-wheeler counterparts this weekend, led by the SuperGP category.
Leading contenders include Greg Gildenhuys (Autohaus Kawasaki), David McFadden (RSA BMW), Clinton Seller (Midway Yamaha R1), Michael White (Consortium Shipping Yamaha), Brandon Goode (Linex Yamaha R1), Ronald Slamet (BMW), Garick Vlok (Diamond Core Yamaha) and Lance Isaacs (Bell Helmets BMW).
Local riders who could interfere with the illustrious guests’ plans include Trevor Westman (Madmacs Kawasaki), Gerrit Visser (Samurai Yamaha R1) and Alex van den Berg (Helderberg Yamaha R1).
Adolf Boshoff (Midway Yamaha R6) will head up the Super600 entry list, challenged by Steven Odendaal (Petra Yamaha R6), Blaze Baker (Uncle Andy Suzuki), Byron Bester (Midway Yamaha), Darrien Keyser (Suzuki), Hayden Jonas (Yamaha R6) and Byron Bester (HiTech Kawasaki).
As always, the Investchem Formula 1600 field should produce slipstreaming spectacle of the highest order, debuting their new winged cars at the race meeting.
Drivers to beat include Dean Venter (Desco Mygale), Julian van der Watt (Mygale), Andrew Schofield (Investchem Mygale), Brad Benningfield (Mygale), Joshua Dolinschek (Makita Tools Mygale) and Alex Gillespie (ERP Trucking Mygale).
Ian Schofield (Investchem Mygale), Allen Meyer (Van Diemen), Nick Adcock (Formula 1600) and Paige Lindenberg (Mygale) would be people to watch in class B.
Backing the national racing will be rounds of the Crossley & Webb Sports and GT races, incorporating the NSCC category with a massive 30-car grid expected.
Top contenders include Peter van der Spuy (Nissan Juno), Dawie Joubert (Lotus Exige Honda), Craig Jarvis (Panacea Dodge Viper), Johan Engelbrecht (JogaJoga Porsche GT2R) and Gary Kieswetter (Porsche GT3).
All the classes will have practice sessions on Friday, with official qualifying sessions to be held on Saturday morning.
All classes will have official practice sessions on Friday