The 2020 Regional Extreme Festival started in fine fashion at the Red Star Raceway near Delmas on Saturday, with eight racing categories on four and two wheels providing a varied and entertaining day of competition.
Heading up proceedings were two races for the Pozidrive Volkswagen Challenge brigade, with 27 competitors tackling the year’s first meeting. Defending Class A champion Rory Atkinson (BHIT Polo) won the opening heat from Bevin Masters (CPS Warehouse Polo), Waldie Meintjies (Performance Masters Polo), Wayne Masters (Performance Masters Polo) and Dawie van der Merwe (Lee Thompson Polo). Van der Merwe disputed the race lead until he outbraked himself and skidded through some Red Star flora, dropping four places in the process. Atkinson led race two from starting lights to chequered flag, with a recovered Van der Merwe close behind him. Meintjies, Masters and Mike Barbaglia (VW Polo) filled out the top five places.
The first Car Care Clinic 111 Sports and Saloon Car race went to reigning title holder Wouter Roos (Nathan’s Volkswagen Golf GTI), chased to the flag by Andre’ de Lange (Ford Focus ST) and Louis Cloete (AMS Tuning VW Beetle). Roos dropped out of race two with suspension maladies, leaving De Lange to win from Cloete and Ryan Quan-Chai (TAR BMW Z4).
Brett Garland (AutObarn Honda Civic) won both races in the Car Care Clinic SuperHatch category. In race one he led home Tyler Scott (Lopec Opel Kadett) and Nic Martin (RDG Peugeot 208). Race two saw Martin and Courtney Nichol (VW Motorsport Polo) fill the rest of the podium places.
Lushen Ramchander (Liqui Moly Rhema) won the opening Hankook Formula Vee race, closely followed by Gert van den Berg (Hankook Rhema) and defending South African champion Jaco Schriks (Lube Station Rhema). After another race-long tussle, Van den Berg took race two from Ramchander and Schriks.
Naasief Wadvalla (Fastbike Yamaha R1) took both the Bridgestone Challenge motorcycle races from Byron Rothquel (BDJ Freight BMW S1000R), with Lance Marais (Fast Bike Kawasaki ZX10R) and Ian Thomas (Kawasaki ZX10) taking turns in the respective third places.
The all-new grassroots Zontes 300 motorcycle category provided an inspiring debut performance, with 15 contenders lining up to face the Red Star starter. Cameron Aitken (Zontes 310) took the category’s first two races, leading home William Friend (Zontes 310) and Greg Gildenhuys (Zontes 310) on both occasions.
Gerhard Roux (Rubro Building Legend) won the first Liqui Moly Inex Legend race from Charl Roux (Rubro Building Legend) and Richard van Heerde (Browndeck Roofing Legend). Reigning champion Jagger Robertson (Big Boss Auto Legend) won race two ahead of Gerhard Roux and Van Heerde.
The final race also went to Jagger Robertson, this time ahead of Justin Robertson (Big Boss Auto Legend) and Gerhard Roux.
Koos Posthumus (Suzuki Formula M) won the first Monoposto race, followed by Corrie le Roux (Pigments Kawasaki) and Charles Williamson (Suzuki Formula M). Le Roux won the next time out, leading home Damien Archer (Advanced Wound Ray) and Hayden Archer (Advanced Wound Rhema).
The next round of the 2020 Extreme Festival will be at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday, March 14.
Story by Online Correspondent
