Extreme Festival heads to Port Elizabeth – ALL EYES ON ALDO SCRIBANTE

Port Elizabeth is set for an extreme day of premier circuit racing action when the Sasol Global Touring Cars, Engen Volkswagen Cup and Investchem Formula 1600s take to the Aldo Scribante Racetrack for the Volkswagen National Race Day Saturday 15 July. PE race fans will be pleased to know that a strong field of local favourites will be ready to thrill the Mandela Bay crowd.

Expect a significant local interest in the two flagship Sasol GTC races, where home team Terry Moss Racing and its PE race heroes Michael Stephen and Simon Moss will be out to claim home glory in their Engen Audis. And with Stephen sitting second and Moss third in the GTC title chase behind Jozi Sasol BMW driver Gennaro Bonafede, the locals will be hell-bent on taking that home track advantage.

Aldo Scribante is also Volkswagen South Africa’s home track and the Uitenhage company not only has its race team flying the flag, but it is also the race day sponsor, with another local, Daniel Rowe chasing top honours in a VW Motorsport Jetta. The locals will however have their work cut out by Jo’burg’s Mathew Hodges in the other Jetta and BMW trio, Capetonian Johan Fourie (EPS), Jozi driver Robert Wolk (Sasol) and Michael van Rooyen (RSC) from Rustenburg.

There’s also fresh local interest in the second Sasol GTC2 class, where young VW Motorsport Golf GTI driver Keagan Masters is under championship attack from Ferodo Mini driver Bradley Liebenberg, VW privateers Trevor Bland and Charl Smalberger, Christopher Shorter’s Ferodo Mini and Mandla Mdkane in the other factory Golf. The local flavour comes courtesy of PE lad Bryn High, who may well prove a factor as he debuts his S&K Diesels/Brights Chevrolet Cruze.

Aldo Scribante’s Volkswagen National Race Day is also the home round of the Engen Volkswagen Cup, where former world Legends champion Devin Robertson (Payen) holds a comfortable championship lead over young gun teammate, former world karting champion Clinton Bezuidenhout (Nural) sitting at the head of a tight championship fight for second.

Jeffrey Kruger (Universal Health), Juan Gerber (Glasfit), Shaun La Réservée, Matt Shorter (Moog) lady racer Tasmin Pepper (Campos), Justin Oates (Glasfit) are all in title contention, while a band of youngsters including Benjamin Habig, Darren Oates, Daniel Duminy, Giordano Lupini and others are beyond keen to make their marks too.

Most of the Investchem Formula 1600 single-seater field will have one aim at Aldo Scribante and that’s to topple the so far unbeatable Julian van der Watt (RDSA) from his 2017 winning ways. Capetonian van der Watt has and almost double points title advantage over Stuart White (Fantastic) and Alex Gillespie tied in second and a short head clear of Rhodes student Brad Beningfield (General Energy), Cameron O’Connor and Dean Venter.

Aldo Scribante will also host a round of the ever-popular Eastern Province Regional Saloon Car Championship Saturday, where local race rocket heroes Kevin Kelly (Mitsubishi Evo), Tanya Watts (Subaru STI) and Brent Watts’ Nissan Skyline GT-R will take on Bevan Schwartz in a Corvette, Ian Riddle’s BMW and Audi S4 duo Nick Davidson and Celso Scribante, among others. There will be a little extra spice added however, with a few out of town entries the likes of Capetonian Niyaaz Modack in a similar Audi S4, Durban’s Shaun Duminy (Ford Focus ST) and George Economides’ Turbo Golf.

Two wheel action include two interprovincial Red Square Kawasaki ZX10 Masters Cup races featuring the likes of Graeme Van Breda (IVID/Reef/Elco), Greg Bezuidenhout (J&Y), Wayne Spicer (Wellness Group), Sven Grune and Stuart Russell. The day will be rounded off by two local AMSC Club Motorcycle races, where a full grid will include Arushen Moodley, Wayne Spicer, Dominic Doyle Karl Schultz and Jan Dorfling among those in the saddle.

Find the Aldo Scribante Raceway in the Coega IDZ just off the N2 in Markman, Port Elizabeth. There will be practice Friday 14 July with the racing starting mid-morning following warm-ups and qualifying Saturday 15 July. Entry fee is R80 per person with under-12s free. Find out more at www.amsc.co.za.
See you at the races!