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Gqeberha fails… to disappoint

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National circuit racing returned to the home of Volkswagen for the first time in 2021 when a host of drivers in both the Volkswagen Polo Cup and the Global Touring Cars (GTC) SupaCup category took on one another on the tarmac of the Aldo Scribante race circuit to the east of Gqeberha.

There weren’t many people to witness it as motor racing is still conducted under a strict set of COVID-19 protocols, but drivers in both the popular Volkswagen Polo Cup and GTC SupaCup put up a spectacular fight as South Africa’s top drivers were doing battle in their quest for championship points.

Defending GTC SupaCup champion and current championship leader Bradley Liebenberg continued his good form by putting his Polo on pole position after the qualifying session. He then continued to take a narrow flag to flag victory in race 1, extending his championship points lead in the process. Race 2 was a 30-minute affair with a semi-inverted grid which meant that Volkswagen’s own Jonathan Mogotsi would start the race from sixth on the grid, just ahead of Liebenberg. The two immediately started to carve their way through the field until Liebenberg was forced to the sidelines following a racing incident early on while Mogotsi started to pick off his rivals one by one. He took the lead just after the halfway mark an romped off to an emphatic victory, his first since moving to the competitive GTC SupaCup series.

“It is a very special feeling to win my first race at this level,” said an elated Mogotsi shortly after race 2. “What makes it even more special is that it happened at the same place where I scored my maiden victory in the Volkswagen Polo Cup a few years ago. I can only thank my team for a great car and it feels fantastic to reward them with a win at the home of Volkswagen.”

The fight between Volkswagen Polo Cup title hopefuls did also not disappoint as it became clear very early on that youngster Leyton Fourie and Arnold Neveling would be near the top of the standings following the Friday practice sessions. It was in fact Fourie who got the first punch in by qualifying on pole with Neveling a little further back in third, but when the flag dropped it was the latter who made a fantastic start. He soon managed to overtake his rival and held onto the lead to claim the first win of the day by 1.3 seconds from Fourie.

These two however did not have it their own way during the 30-minute race 2 as several equally talented drivers were just as determined to join in the action. This time it was Capetonian and round 1 winner Jurie Swart’s turn to record a flag to flag victory, finishing the race less than a second ahead of Clinton Bezuidenhout with Leyton Fourie in hot pursuit.

“It was a fantastic weekend of racing at the home of Volkswagen,” commented Mike Rowe, head of the Volkswagen Driving Experience. “The youngsters in the Volkswagen Polo Cup put up a spectacular show as always and we are no doubt looking forward to the rest of the title fight which now consists of at least five drivers. Having said that, it was great to see our own Jonathan Mogotsi claim his maiden victory in one of the most competitive series in the country. He was our first ever winner of the Volkswagen Driver Search back in 2016, and to have seen him climb the ranks and to also see Volkswagen’s investment in young drivers and the future come to fruition was very special,” he concluded.

Both the GTC SupaCup and Volkswagen Polo Cup will now move to the feared East London Grand Prix circuit for Round 4 on 2 and 3 July.

Aldo Scribante
Maiden victory for Volkswagen’s Jonathan Mogotsi in GTC SupaCup at Aldo Scribante in Gqeberha

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.