Round 3: Killarney Raceway, Cape Town, 7th June 2025
Western Cape race fans are in for a treat when the Southern African Endurance Series connected by Vodacom rolls into Killarney Raceway with a sixty-seven strong entry for the SAES Support Races which will keep fans entertained throughout the weekend.
Three races for the all-Porsche GT Cup SA are scheduled, along with a trio of races for the SA Super GT Trophy for Sports and GT cars and four heats of the Motorcycle Racing Series SA (MRSSA) motorcycles which creates a value-packed day out at Killarney for spectators.
GT Cup SA
Heading the standings in the all-Porsche championship after two rounds is Charl Arangies in his mighty 911 GT3 R on a net 152 points after scorching to victory in all six races held so far. 20 points behind the Stradale Motorsport entry in second overall, Nicky Dicks (Curvent GT3 Cup) is tied with Mo Mia in a 991.2 specification GT3 Cup machine.
A further two points adrift is Roy Obery who is absent from the Cape round, leaving the way open for Sun Moodley to climb the leaderboard in his Bigfoot Express Porsche GT3 Cup machine.
Stradale Motorsport has another two entries for Jay Jay Deysel (997 GT3 Cup), who made his debut at round one and is only one point behind Moodley, and Arnold Neveling who races a 997 Gen 2 GT3 Cup machine, and are ranked sixth and eighth respectively.
Sandwiched between the Stradale drivers is Andre van Vuuren in his Type 996 GT3 Cup car. Other drivers out to make their mark in the Championship include the G&H Racing team's patriarch Jimmy Giannoccaro in his Type 997, Deven Pillay (GT3 Cup), Maarten Prins (GT3 Cup), Divan Wentzel (in another Gen 2 Type 991) and Richard de Roos in the Stuttgart manufacturer's GT3 Cup car.
GT Cup qualifying is on Friday, 6th June at 12h40 with the first race on Friday afternoon at 15h40. The second and third races take place on Saturday at 08h15 and 11h35.
SA GT Super Trophy Sports and GT
Andrew Horne (Xena Chemicals Ligier-Honda JS49) leads the way in the SA GT Super Trophy Championship for Sports and GT cars with two victories at the opening round and a hat-trick of podiums at round two, amassing 134 points which is 74 clear of Damian Hammond in his Liqui Moly Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo. Samlin Racing's Hammond stormed to three victories on the trot at Aldo Scribante in early April, giving fair notice that he is a serious championship contender.
Mike Verrier, third on the points table, has entered a BMW Z4M for this round and should face stern competition for the Samlin Racing duo of Sam Hammond (Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo 2) and Wayne Roach in the team's Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo.
Xolile Letlaka could throw a spanner in the works as he wheels out his Into Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, as could Gianni Giannoccaro in his mighty G&H Transport Nissan GT-R Nismo in what should develop into a battle of the powerful supercars.
Juan Stander is in his Ligier-Honda JS49 while Sun Moodley has entered this championship behind the wheel of his Porsche Cayman.
A host of Cape Town-based teams are joining the party, headed by Dawie Joubert in a VW Golf-powered Lotus and Marcel Angel in his Autohaus Angel Ferrari 488 GT3.
Nissan is represented on the track with a quartet of 350Z machines driven by Brett Swanevelder, Jan Greef, Divan Luzmore and Emile Botha.
Staying with Japanese marques, there is a lone Mazda RX8 in the hands of Andre Johnson who will face the Lotus Exige of Philip Booysen and Clive Smith's Porsche 924 Turbo. Imaad Modack has a Porsche GT2 R at his disposal while Andre Steenkamp has entered a Swift Nardine sports car. Eric Soloman has an unusual Toyota 200 Elf S06 at his disposal.
Sports & GT qualifying is on Friday at 11h40 with the first race scheduled for Friday afternoon at 15h15. Saturday's two races start at 08h35 and 10h40.
MRSSA Motorcycles
The two-wheel brigade is split into two classes: the first class is for Senior SBK featuring 1000 and 600cc, Battle of the Twins (BOTTS V4) and Masters riders with the second group for Club SBK comprising Open Superbikes, Unlimited 1000cc and Classics.
With some riders opting out of the Cape Town round, the way is clear for the 1000SBK riders Damion Purificati on a BMW S 1000 RR to battle it out with Tristan Pienaar on his Honda CBR 1000 RRSP and close the gap to the net points leader and reigning champion Adolf Boshoff. The second and third placed riders are separated by just four points, so a ferocious battle can be expected.
Peron Parasaramen (BMW S 1000 RR) is chasing a podium finish but will have to fend off Ora Phiri, the leading 600cc SBK rider on his indecently quick Yamaha YZF-R6. Troy Tonkin and Ryan Van Nieuwkerk are also Yamaha mounted and are aiming to take a significant chunk of points away from the third round.
The BOTTS class is an all-Ducati Panigale V4R affair led by Leon Horn who is ten points ahead of Alan Hulscher, who in turn is eight points ahead of Mick Landi. The BOTTS class will see Gavin Aab join the fray for the first time this year.
Jaco Gouws leads the way in the Masters class aboard his rapid Suzuki GSXR with a ten-point cushion over Robert Ferreira on a BMW S 1000 RR. Third in the standings is the Kawasaki ZX-10RR-mounted Ryan Futter. Mark van den Berg is making his season debut on a Suzuki GSX R.
Clive Turnbull leads the way in the Club SBK class for Open Superbikes with a massive 48-point lead over his nearest rivals who are making the trip. Yaghya Sahabodien (BMW S 1000 RR) and Martyn Parry (Kawasaki ZX 10) are tied on 27 points apiece and will use this opportunity to shoot up the class log.
Nkululeko Majola (Yamaha YZF-R1) and Dieter Huysamen (Kawasaki ZX-10RR) will likewise be looking at a points bonus in the Cape.
Siya Shabalala (Yamaha YZF R1) has a 12-point gap over his Unlimited 1000 rivals, which on this occasion is headed by fourth-placed Moe Essop (BMW S 1000 RR) who is tied on points with David Veringa on a similar BMW machine. Looking to improve their championship positions are Nicole Purificati (Yamaha YZF-R1), Jordan King (Yamaha YZF-R1), Johan Le Roux (Kawasaki ZX-10R) and Boikanyo Mabaso on his Yamaha YZF-R1, which should make for close racing around the fast, 2.6km long circuit.
The top five Classic class riders are all heading to Cape Town. Fergal McAdam (Honda VTR 1000) leads the title charge on 70 points, ten ahead of Wessel Kruger aboard his Suzuki who in turn has a 15-point margin over third placed Johan Kosterman (Suzuki GSX 1100R).
Etienne Louw lies fourth in the standing aboard his Kawasaki Z1000J on 37 points with Jamie Hall in fifth on his Suzuki SRAD 750. Hilton Redelinghuys is making his first appearance on a Kawasaki ZX7. With 50 points up for grabs over the weekend, there is bound to be a significant log shuffle after the two races.
The Club SBK qualifying takes place on Friday at 12h00 with the first race later that afternoon at 14h25. The second race takes place on Saturday at 12h05.
The Senior SBK brigade qualifies on Friday at 12h20 with the first race scheduled for Friday afternoon at 14h50. The second race takes place on Saturday at 11h10.
The Killarney gates open on Saturday at 05h30 and R150 gets you general access to watch a smorgasbord of racing. Children under 12 are admitted free of charge and if you would like to rub shoulders with the who's who of Endurance racing, a ticket for the grid walk costs R450.
The Southern African Endurance Series connected by Vodacom is proudly supported by Vodacom 4U, Foton and Proton, Dunlop, ATS Motorsport and SuperSport.