GTC Championship & SupaCup to raise Kyalami 9 Hour curtain with season opener

The eighth season of the Global Touring Cars (GTC) Championship & SupaCup starts at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit this coming weekend (23-25 February) as a curtain raiser for the second round of the 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Kyalami 9 Hour.

The 2023 GTC season will see many exciting new changes, including new cars to be ushered in as the year progresses, with a host of drivers expected to change to new vehicles in later rounds.

This coming weekend, the series will return to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circut for the first time since 2018, when two rounds were held there. One of those was the only prior season opener for the series at the circuit. In 2021, The GTC Championship & SupaCup was on the Kyalami 9 Hour support roster. However, the event’s rescheduling resulted in the appearance’s cancellation.

GTC Championship


Only two drivers in this year’s line-up have competed at the circuit before in the series, albeit piloting different cars. One of them is the reigning double-champion Robert Wolk (Chemical Logistics Toyota Corolla). He is eager to make it three titles in a row and will look to draw first blood with a victorious opening outing in Round 1. Michael van Rooyen (Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla) made his 2017 GTC debut at the circuit and is the second driver on this list. After a difficult 2022, he will be just as eager to start the new season in solid title-contending form.

The theme of Experience vs Youth that dominated 2022 is set to continue. Saood Variawa (Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla), who finished his first season in the front pack as runner-up, will strive to be a formidable challenger from early and is eager to open his 2023 account with a win. Julian van der Watt (Chemical Logistics Ford Focus RS) tasted success at the circuit in single-seaters and wants to make it three consecutive season openers in a row that concludes with a race win. Andrew Rackstraw, now behind the wheel of the Sparco / RDSA Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI, will look to improve on his solid first season in tin tops to establish himself as a title contender.

In 2022, Josh le Roux followed in Rackstraw’s footsteps as InvestChem Formula 1600 champion and will follow him into the driver’s seat of the Chemical Logistics Audi S3 in 2023. Another series debutant will be Nathi Msimanga, who will take the wheel of the third Toyota Gazoo Racing Corolla. Msimanga, who previously competed in the CompCare Polo Cup, has already established himself as one of the brightest young talents in South African motorsport.

GTC SupaCup

While four Volkswagen (VW) SupaPolos featured in 2020’s All-Volkswagen Kyalami 9 Hour support race, none of the drivers from that line-up is on the entry list for this year’s season opener, which will mark the first official GTC SupaCup outing at the venue. Some drivers have raced at the circuit in other categories.

Leyton Fourie and Jeffrey Kruger, who finished 2022 as champion and runner-up, respectively, will both be absent from the field this year. Fourie, in preparation for his first full season of the BMW M2 Cup, will be competing in BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series. Kruger, the only driver to have started in every GTC SupaCup race since the inaugural event, is also in the process of relocating.

Brad Liebenberg is one of two drivers in this group who lined up on a previous GTC grid at the circuit. After a single season in the GTC Championship, he returns to the GTC SupaCup to pilot his Hype Energy Drinks VW SupaPolo. Liebenberg won the inaugural two titles in the series and is eager to recommence his rivalry with Volkswagen Motorsport’s Jonathan Mogotsi. This pair produced a memorable, close contest for the title in 2021 and are eager to resume their battle at the front of the field. Keegan Campos (Turn 1 Insurance Brokers / Campos Transport), who finished 2022 in third place on the points table, was still racing in the CompCare Polo Cup for his last visit to the circuit. Since joining the GTC SupaCup, he has established himself as a regular frontrunner and is eager to finish the season opener on top of the points table.

Jean-Pierre van der Walt (Platinum Wheels) was on the fringes of his maiden podium throughout his 2022 debut season and could establish himself as a 2023 title contender. Van der Walt, who started his career in 2018, also competed in the All-Volkswagen support races. More recently, the reigning Simola King of the Hill also won a similar event that formed part of the 2022 Festival of Motoring at the circuit. His pace around the FIA Level 2 circuit should not be underestimated.

Tato Cerello (Carello Auto) and Calvin Dias (Chemi / Liquid Energy) alternated driving duties in Carello’s car for the bulk of 2022, with each of them sporting their own VW SupaPolos in the season finale, joined by Dominic Dias (Chemi / Liquid Energy). This weekend will mark the second race weekend to feature all-three drivers on the same grid, and they are confident about their chances of becoming podium contenders.

Nathan Hammond (Trinity Protection Services) impressed in his debut season in the series and is eager to open his campaign with even stronger results in Round 1. Nathan’s brother Damian will not drive the second car this weekend. Instead, former GTC and GTC2 champion Keagan Masters will take on the driving duties. Masters was a frontrunner throughout the first two-thirds of 2022, before missing the final two rounds due to commitments in the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia. Like Liebenberg, Masters competed at the circuit in 2018 in GTC2 and could spring a few surprises.

Stefan Snyders (Telerex) is the sole GTC SupaCup Masters entrant for Round 1 and has shown himself to be a formidable midfield runner in the GTC SupaCup.

CompCare Polo graduates Tate Bishop (Angri Racing) will make his debut. Two seasons at the sharp end of the all-Volkswagen Polo GTI category will come in handy in his pursuit of establishing himself as a frontrunner.

Weekend programme and information

The weekend will start on Thursday with two practice sessions. Qualifying is scheduled for Friday morning, with the first race at 13:45. The second race will conclude the Kyalami 9 Hour support race programme at 11:05 on Saturday.

Spectator tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster. The event promoter will make live television and streaming information available in the days leading up to the event.

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GTC SupaCup

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