• Leyton Fourie is the clear championship favourite with a 21-point lead at the top of the Polo Cup points table
• Volkswagen Motorsport’s Jonathan Mogotsi is only 7 points behind the SupaCup leader
• The tarmac of the 2.4-kilometer long Zwartkops Raceway will play host to penultimate championship battles

Kariega – Two races in each of the Volkswagen Polo Cup as well as the (GTC) SupaCup series could go a long way in deciding the 2021 championship outcomes in both categories when Round 6 of the title fight will be contested at the Zwartkops Raceway to the west of Pretoria on 22 and 23 October. Leyton Fourie has a decent lead at the top of the Polo Cup standings, but it’s pretty close at the top of the SupaCup points table with no less than five drivers still in with a mathematical chance, including Volkswagen’s Jonathan Mogotsi. 

The weekend of 22 and 23 October will provide a number of title hopefuls with the penultimate opportunity to try and influence the outcome of the various championship fights in two of South Africa’s premier circuit racing formulas. Zwartkops will play host to round 6 while Kyalami has been confirmed as the battleground for the season’s grand finale in December. With two races scheduled for each race meeting, title hopefuls therefore have four more opportunities to trouble the scorers in an effort to claim a share of the remaining 80 championship points that are still up for grabs, excluding the few bonus points for qualifying on pole position and setting fastest lap times during races.

Someone who has claimed numerous pole positions and fastest laps is Leyton Fourie. The Johannesburg-based driver has qualified in pole position no less than four times so far in 2021, earning a stack of bonus points in the process. The young driver also bagged maximum points by taking five victories, earning him a total of 217 points for the season. His nearest rival is Arnold Neveling who has been very consistent throughout the season with a number of fastest laps to his name. His current points tally is standing on 196, just 3 points ahead of Capetonian Jurie Swart who himself qualified in pole on two occasions and took a total of four race wins for a tally of 193 points. A number of steady performances sees the name of Clinton Bezuidenhout in fourth and still in with a chance of claiming the title, albeit an outside one.

Things are not as clear cut in the SupaCup category of the Global Touring Cars (GTC) series where no less than five drivers are all still within striking distance of winning one of the most coveted titles in South African motorsport. Currently, it is advantage to the defending champion Bradley Liebenberg who has amassed a total of 164 points so far courtesy of four victories, two pole positions and three fastest laps. His lead is just 7 points over Volkswagen Motorsport’s Jonathan Mogotsi who earned his points by setting the fastest lap on two occasions and claiming his maiden victory in the series back in May. Jeffrey Kruger has closed the gap somewhat during the latter part of the season and is still within striking distance on 140 points, while the chances for young Saood Variawa (102 points) and Jason Campos (100) to claim the title can be described as mathematical at best.

“It is impossible or even foolish to try and make any predictions in motorsport,” commented Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport. “The one thing we do know is that both title fights will go down to the wire as there are very talented and determined drivers fighting for both. Fourie currently has the momentum on his side and will be hard to stop in the Volkswagen Polo Cup while we expect Mogotsi and Kruger to take the fight to Liebenberg when the lights go green in SupaCup. Fans will be in for a treat.”

Following the recent change in lockdown regulations, spectators will be allowed access to the circuit for the first time in 20 months, but numbers will be limited to 2000. As always, fans that cannot make it to the Zwartkops Raceway will still be able to follow all the action live on Volkswagen Motorsport’s social media platforms. Practice sessions for both categories are scheduled to commence on Friday morning. Polo Cup qualifying will take place on Friday afternoon while both categories will feature two races on the Saturday of the event.