ALDO SCRIBANTE

STRONG PERFORMANCES BY TGRSA DRIVERS AT ALDO SCRIBANTE

The National Extreme Festival returned to the Aldo Scribante Raceway in Gqeberha for Round 4 of the 2024 South African Touring Car Championship (SATC) this past weekend. Spectators were treated to an exhilarating display of motorsport as TGRSA competed fiercely across both the SATC and SupaCup Championships.

South African Touring Cars (SATC) Highlights

The SATC races provided plenty of action, starting with a highly competitive qualifying session. TGRSA’s Saood Variawa put in an impressive performance, securing second place on the grid, just behind Julian Van Der Watt, despite setup problems with the rear diff on his car. Michael van Rooyen qualified in fourth after a mistake that arguably cost him pole position, while Nathi Msimanga rounded out the top five.

Official SATC Qualifying Results

Position

Driver

Time

Gap

1

Julian Van Der Watt

1:01.789

-

2

Saood Variawa

1:01.851

+0.062

3

Robert Wolk

1:01.859

+0.070

4

Michael van Rooyen

1:01.963

+0.174

5

Nathi Msimanga

1:01.964

+0.175

6

Anthony Pretorius

1:02.260

+0.471

7

Andrew Schofield

1:02.811

+1.022

SATC Race 1

Race 1 saw intense competition from the get-go. Saood Variawa, in his SATC GR Corolla, started strong, but ultimately finished third as the differential niggles again held him back. His time was 10:43.838, trailing winner Julian Van Der Watt by 6.402 seconds. Michael van Rooyen also had a strong race, securing second place with a time of 10:38.377, just 0.941 seconds behind the leader. Nathi Msimanga faced some challenges but managed to finish in fifth place, 10.490 seconds behind Van Der Watt.

SATC Race 1 Results

Position

Driver

Time

Gap

1

Julian Van Der Watt

10:37.436

-

2

Michael van Rooyen

10:38.377

+0.941

3

Saood Variawa

10:43.838

+6.402

4

Robert Wolk

10:44.058

+6.622

5

Nathi Msimanga

10:47.926

+10.490

6

Anthony Pretorius

10:48.559

+11.123

7

Andrew Schofield

10:51.311

+13.875

SATC Race 2

Race 2 started with a reverse grid based on the results of Race 1. This added an extra layer of strategy and excitement. Anthony Pretorius capitalised on his strong starting position, taking the win with a time of 12:44.460. Robert Wolk finished second, just 1.126 seconds behind. Michael van Rooyen and Nathi Msimanga both showed resilience, finishing in third and fourth places, 3.757 and 4.036 seconds behind the leader, respectively. Saood Variawa, still struggling to fully control his car due to the setup problem with the rear differential in his car, finished in fifth place, 6.858 seconds behind Pretorius. Van Rooyen commented on the solid preparation of his car by the team for this weekend, as could be seen by his highly competitive performances throughout the event.

SATC Race 2 Results

Position

Driver

Time

Gap

1

Anthony Pretorius

12:44.460

-

2

Robert Wolk

12:45.586

+1.126

3

Michael van Rooyen

12:48.217

+3.757

4

Nathi Msimanga

12:48.496

+4.036

5

Saood Variawa

12:51.318

+6.858

6

Julian Van Der Watt

12:51.529

+7.069

7

Andrew Schofield

12:54.472

+10.012

SupaCup Championship Highlights

The SupaCup races were equally thrilling, with Sa'aad Variawa making his debut in a newly built TGRSA SupaStarlet, taking over driving duties from Bradley Liebenberg, who continues racing in a privately entered Toyota SupaStarlet. Despite facing a series of technical challenges and on-track incidents throughout the weekend, Sa'aad showed resilience and potential in his new role. A deflated tyre bugged his qualifying session, forcing the young driver back to the pits mid-session. This robbed him of valuable qualifying time, which impacted his results for the starting grid.

SupaCup Qualifying Results

Position

Driver

Time

Gap

1

Tate Bishop

1:06.025

-

2

Charl Visser

1:06.147

+0.122

3

Jonathan Mogotsi

1:06.147

+0.122

4

Keegan Campos

1:06.178

+0.153

5

Jason Campos

1:06.380

+0.355

6

Jean-Pierre Van Der Walt

1:06.502

+0.477

7

Bradley Liebenberg

1:06.677

+0.652

8

Nicolaos Vostanis

1:06.861

+0.836

9

Sa'aad Variawa

1:07.066

+1.041

10

Dean Venter

1:07.244

+1.219

SupaCup Race 1

Tate Bishop took pole position and maintained his lead to win Race 1, with Charl Visser and Jonathan Mogotsi completing the podium. Sa'aad Variawa faced difficulties but managed to make up some positions, finishing in ninth place.

SupaCup Race 1 Results

Position

Driver

Time

Gap

1

Tate Bishop

10:20.152

-

2

Charl Visser

10:21.279

+1.127

3

Jonathan Mogotsi

10:22.457

+2.305

4

Keegan Campos

10:23.773

+3.621

5

Jason Campos

10:25.590

+5.438

6

Jean-Pierre Van Der Walt

10:26.633

+6.481

7

Bradley Liebenberg

10:26.914

+6.762

8

Nicolaos Vostanis

10:28.469

+8.317

9

Sa'aad Variawa

10:29.073

+8.921

10

Dean Venter

10:30.064

+9.812

SupaCup Race 2

Race 2 saw Keegan Campos take the win, followed by Jonathan Mogotsi and Bradley Liebenberg, who secured a strong third place finish for his new team. Sa'aad Variawa started from the back and made significant progress before being pushed off track, ultimately finishing in eighth place.

SupaCup Race 2 Results

Position

Driver

Time

Gap

1

Keegan Campos

10:22.340

-

2

Jonathan Mogotsi

10:23.181

+0.841

3

Bradley Liebenberg

10:24.449

+2.109

4

Charl Visser

10:25.629

+3.289

5

Tate Bishop

10:26.993

+4.653

6

Jason Campos

10:28.272

+5.932

7

Jean-Pierre Van Der Walt

10:29.322

+6.982

8

Sa'aad Variawa

10:30.175

+7.835

9

Nicolaos Vostanis

10:32.085

+9.745

10

Dean Venter

10:32.699

+10.359

Sa'aad Variawa reflected on his challenging weekend, noting the issues faced with the car from Thursday through Saturday. Despite the setbacks, he managed to gain valuable experience and is focused on improving the car's performance for the next race.

Looking Ahead

As the season progresses, TGRSA remains focused on maintaining their competitive edge in both the SATC and SupaCup championships. The team is well-positioned for a strong finish and is determined to continue their successful campaign.

"We are pleased with the performances of our drivers this weekend," said Riaan Esterhuysen, Senior Manager at TGRSA. "The team showed great resilience and determination, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the upcoming races."

The National Extreme Festival now heads to the East London Grand Prix Circuit for Round 5 of the 2024 SATC Championship. This event, scheduled for the last weekend in July, promises to deliver more thrilling racing action as TGRSA continues to push the limits and aim for the top.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa Acknowledges Its Sponsors

Toyota enjoys a mutually beneficial relationship with Toyota Financial Services, Innovation Group Services and Kinto.