Aldo Scribante Raceway once again proved that the Eastern Cape remains a force to be reckoned with in SA motorsport when a sizeable crowd turned out for the fifth round of the National Extreme Festival on Saturday.
For the third consecutive weekend, the Gqeberha circuit was alive with the sound of racing engines, tyre smoke and fierce on-track competition as the Border Motorsport Club hosted the latest round of the national championship.
And the spectators weren’t disappointed, with close racing throughout the day and several standout performances; the meeting not only delivered racing out of the top drawer but also strengthened the growing relationship between the Border and Algoa motorsport clubs.
Keegan Campos produced one of the weekend’s standout performances in the SA Touring Cars, combining speed with the consistency needed to secure overall honours.
Campos was on the pace throughout the weekend, bringing his BMW home second in both races and adding the fastest lap in Race 2 to his impressive tally.
“To come away with two second places as well as the fastest lap in Race 2 just shows the progress we have made.
“The consistency and points are important,” Campos said.
Local youngster Jack Moore produced another fighting performance in the VW Rookie Cup.
Moore grabbed victory in the opening race and looked set for another strong result in Race 2 until a gear-selection problem for a competitor ahead left him boxed in at the start.
Nevertheless, Moore fought back strongly in Race 3 to claim second place.
The recovery drive was enough to secure second overall for the day and, importantly, move him into the top three in the championship standings.
His brother, Josh Moore, endured a tougher outing in the Astron Energy Polo Cup, finishing eighth overall in a class won by Charl Smalberger.
There was, however, plenty to celebrate in the Smalberger camp as Josh’s father, Derick, dominated the Astron Energy Polo Cup Masters class.
His victory completed another impressive double win for the father-and-son combination.
One of the biggest talking points of the weekend came from the Investchem MSA4 single-seater series, where Anastasia Gerasis wrote her name into the history books.
Gerasis became the first female driver to finish on the MSA4 podium, marking a significant milestone in the championship.
Adding to the achievement, she shared the podium with Kokoro Racing Academy teammate Aqil Alibhai, who produced a dominant performance by winning both heats.
Mikel Bezuidenhout completed the podium.
There was plenty of action in the Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Cup, with Kobus Reyneke taking overall honours in the GR 86 class.
Nabil Abdool continued his strong form in the Media class, while Devon Scott produced the goods in the Dealer class, getting the better of championship leader Werner Venter.
The next round is at Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town on September 19, before the finale at Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria on October 17.
Results:
SA Touring Cars: 1 Keegan Campos 2 Julian van der Watt 3 Klayden Ensor-Smith
SATC SupaCup: 1 Jason Loosemore 2 Rory Atkinson 3 Niko Zafiris
Astron Energy Polo Cup: 1 Charl Smalberger 2 Christopher Tait 3 Mauro Da Luz
Astron Energy Polo Cup Masters: 1 Derick Smalberger 2 Wayne Masters 3 John Kruger
VW Rookie Cup: 1 Sebastian Dias 2 Jack Moore 3 Sebastian Venkov
Gazoo Racing SA Cup GR 86: 1 Kobus Reyneke 2 Reagile Mailula 3 Tshepang Shisinwana
GR Dealer: 1 Devon Scott 2 Werner Venter 3 Theo Brits
GR Media: 1 Nabil Abdool, 2 Brandon Jacobs 3 Craig Nicholson
MSA4: 1 Aqil Alibhai 2 Mikel Bezuidenhout 3 Anastasia Gerasis
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