- Saood Variawa leads the GTC Championship.
- Keegan Campos leads the GTC SupaCup.
- Karah Hill will become the first female driver to join the GTC grid.
After a two-month break in the calendar, the Global Touring Cars (GTC) Championship and SupaCup will recommence at Zwartkops Raceway outside Pretoria this coming weekend (19-20 May).
This will be the first of two stops the category will make at the circuit as part of the 2023 calendar; the second will be the season finale. Saood Variawa and Keegan Campos lead the respective points tables heading into the weekend,
GTC Championship
Hype Energy racer Brad Liebenberg dominated at Killarney last time out, while Keegan Campos did the same in his Veloce Automobili Polo SupaCup in the opening round at Kyalami. They will have more than enough to keep themselves busy on the all-Volkswagen SupaPolo grid. Not least of all, second in the championship chase, Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa factory driver Jonathan Mogotsi will be out to prove a point at a circuit he loves. Campos, on 77 points, is 16 clear of Mogotsi heading into Round 3, with Liebenberg a further nine points adrift.
Tato Carello (Carello Auto) has enjoyed a steady start to sit fourth in the title chase with 44 points, while rookie Tate Bishop, four points adrift, will be keen to show what he is made of in his ANGRi Racing Polo SupaCup, now prepared by Lee Thompson Racing. Arnold Neveling (GOSCOR Lift Truck Company) made a positive return to the GTC SupaCup last time out, and he will be another to keep a close eye on at Zwartkops. Neveling’s sole outing for the season saw him move into sixth place with 26 points.
The above trio, as well as Chemi Liquid Energy brothers Dominic and Calvin Dias, and Jean-Pierre van der Walt’s in his Platinum Wheels Polo SupaCup delivered some frantic action last time out. They will be joined by returning duo Danie van Niekerk (Van Niekerk Racing / Titan Stunts) and Scotland’s Paul Luti (Finishline UK Ltd). With Van Niekerk having turned 40 earlier this year, he will also join Luti in the GTC SupaCup Masters championship.
This weekend, Karah Hill (Kalex) will become the first female competitor to join the GTC grid. The daughter of former GTC2 race winner Paul Hill joins the series following a host of fruitful years in the CompCare Polo Cup. She has also had a successful campaign in the South African Endurance Series, while the weekend will see her on double-duty, with her also competing in the Yaris league of the Gazoo Racing Cup.
Weekend programme and information
The first of Saturday’s two races will commence at 12:10 and be contested over 12 laps. Race 2, a 16-lap reverse-grid affair, is scheduled for 15:50.
Round of the GTC Championship and SupaCup will form part of the Extreme Festival, South Africa’s premier motorsport tour. This weekend’s event will also feature the opening round of this year’s SupaDrift Series. Spectator tickets can be purchased directly from Zwartkops Raceway on the day. The full race programme will also be broadcasted live on the Global Touring Cars Facebook page and 2WheelsTV YouTube channel.
