Toyota GR Cup redemption at Kyalami
AFTER my intense and disappointing run at Killarney in Cape Town, I was revved up to up my game at Kyalami.
After clocking in over 300 kilometres on Assetto Corsa, I was itching to put my skills to the test on South Africa’s most famous racetrack.
Sim racing might prepare you mentally, but nothing beats the rush of actual track action. Kyalami promised a new level of challenge with the addition of five dealer-driven Toyota GR Yarises joining us on track.
Practice day kicked off on Thursday, and while I started strongly with a couple of quick laps, a clutch failure forced me to cool my heels for the rest of the session. Lesson learned: pushing too hard too soon only burns rubber and breaks parts.
The afternoon turned into a hustle as the mechanics worked to swop out the clutch, ensuring I’d be geared and ready for race day.
Friday dawned with the scent of adrenalin for qualifying. We hit the track at the crack of dawn, hungry for speed. The competition was fierce as we gunned for those precious milliseconds.
Alex Shahini (Car agazine) and Sean Nurse (Autotrader) were trading blows for the top spot, leaving me, Jaco van der Merwe (The Citizen) and Bernie Hellberg (TCB Media) to eat their dust. I locked down fourth place after some pointers from Shahini and Nurse.
Race day arrived, and it was all systems go.
I held my ground in fourth, eyeing the cars ahead like a predator sizing up its prey. But a slip-up on lap four let Van der Merwe snatch my spot, reminding me that in this game focus is key.
At the front, Hannes Visser (Laat Wiel) had a heart-stopping moment when his powerbrakes failed at Crowthorne, a stark reminder of the razor’s edge we dance on. The race was red-flagged, and I crossed the line in fifth, hungry for redemption in the second race.
Starting fourth, I knew I had to bring my A-game. Nurse and Shahini were fighting it out up front, leaving me to tangle with the likes of Johann Snyman (Toyota Dealer) in his GR Yaris and Van der Merwe in his GR Corolla. A brake failure on Shahini’s car caused him to crash into the tyre barriers at Crowthorne and I seized my chance, snagging third and my first podium in the GR Cup.
With five rounds still to go, I’m revved up and ready to roll.
Zwartkops, our home race, is next on the calendar, and you can bet your last dollar I’ll be there, hungry for another podium.