This coming weekend (13-14 October) will see Zwartkops Raceway host the penultimate round of the 2023 Mobil 1 V8 Supercars Championship, an event that will be crucial in deciding the direction of both the GT and GT2 titles.
Uncharacteristically of any motorsport calendar in South Africa, this weekend will mark the series’s first 2023 visit to the circuit on Pretoria’s western outskirts. However, with it being the testing circuit for the entire field, it will not take the drivers long to adapt to the tight nature of the circuit, which has produced some of the closest Mobil 1 V8 Supercars races in recent years.
GT Class
Julian Fameliaris (Lube-Net Chevrolet Corvette), with 406 points to his name, holds a 63-point lead heading into Round 6. The youngest driver in the series is on the verge of winning his maiden title, something he can mathematically achieve this weekend.
He will face fierce competition, with the challengers being headed up by the defending Champion Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Jaguar XKR). In the week following the fifth round, Adlem announced that November’s season finale, also to be hosted at Zwartkops Raceway, will mark his retirement from the series. Adlem’s successful career saw him take the title in the past six seasons, and he is eager to conclude this chapter in his career on a high. Regardless of the title prospects, Adlem will push for victory at every opportunity.
Thomas Reib (Mobil 1 / Café 9 Automotive Chevrolet Lumina) was victorious at the circuit in the 2022 season finale and will look to repeat this form to add to his sole race win in 2023. He trails Adlem by 24 points after a challenging out at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. Reib has consistently shown good pace at Zwartkops Raceway, and should he secure the pole position, he will prove difficult to pass.
Warren Lombard (PepBoys Automotive Ford Falcon) moved into fourth place on the points table at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. While he is 97 points behind Reib, he will set his sights on continuing his fine form. While Round 5 marked his first overall win, he is eager to add one or more race wins to his scorecard for the year, one that has seen him plagued by mechanical misfortunes.
Franco di Matteo (Deltec Batteries / NHR Mining Jaguar XKR) missed the double-points, three-race fifth round, which saw him drop to fifth place, 13 points behind Lombard. Di Matteo is eager to get back into the action and holds a superb record at Zwartkops Raceway.
Sam Dahl (Arcprotech Ford Falcon) has 131 points after his career-best weekend in Round 5 but will miss Round 6. This will allow Terry Wilford (Fuchs Lubricants / Schick) to move up a spot. Wilford is 16 points adrift of Dahl and is looking forward to returning to Zwartkops Raceway, where he celebrated his last win, also in the 2022 season finale.
GT2 Class
Consistency has paid off for Steve Herbst (PPG Coatings / PREI Instrumentation / QI Systems Chevrolet Corvette) in the GT2 class. With 216 points to his name and none of his recent rivals on the entry list, the weekend could also see him emerge as Champion.
Andrew Katay (Katay Racing Chevrolet Corvette), whose debut weekend in Round 5 was halted after a solitary practice session due to engine failure, also looks forward to getting onto the grid and making his first start in the series.
African Group Lubricants
It is not only the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars teams and drivers who look forward to returning to Zwartkops Raceway but also the naming rights partner, African Group Lubricants, as the company’s Marketing Manager, Nicole Jooste, explains.
“While 2023 has already seen the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars headline a couple of major events, there will be a homecoming feeling to this weekend, with Zwartkops Raceway being the de facto home of South African motorsport and the Extreme Festival tour. The support received for both the series and our range of Mobil products is always superb. While it is still open to some high-octane, fast-paced battles on track regarding when our 2023 Champions will be crowned, we know they will be crowned at Zwartkops Raceway. We look forward to watching these battles play out, along with South Africa’s motorsport fans who know that the path to success starts with using Mobil 1 in your vehicle.”
Weekend Programme
Saturday will see three races, scheduled for 10:35, 13:55 and 17:05, each contested over a 10-lap distance. Spectator tickets can be purchased directly from Zwartkops Raceway, and the full Extreme Festival race programme will be broadcast live on the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars Facebook page and 2WheelsTV YouTube channel.
Mobil 1 V8 Supercars would like to acknowledge and thank African Group Lubricants for making the 2023 season possible. Please visit our brand partner at https://aglubricants.co.za/