The Southern African Endurance Series (SAES) Connected by Vodacom 4U reaches a critical juncture this weekend at Killarney Raceway in Kaapstad. The prestigious Six-Hours of Killarney, headlining a bumper programme of world-class motorsport, is a double-points round, transforming it into a definitive make-or-break battle for teams harbouring championship dreams. Raw speed alone won't suffice; victory will demand flawless strategy and unwavering reliability under the intense Cape sun.
Reigning SAES champions Xolile Letlaka and Stuart White (Into Africa Racing) arrive at their home circuit holding the championship lead, bolstered by a dominant win in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). They debut a potent new weapon: South Africa’s first brand-new Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2. Adding serious firepower to their title defence is Zimbabwean ace Axcil Jefferies, utilising the race to pre-qualify for the season-ending Kyalami 9 Hour. This formidable trio aims to exploit the double-points opportunity to solidify their advantage.
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Their primary challenge for outright Six-Hour honours comes from the Adjust for Sleep/Rico Barlow Racing Nova Proto NP02. After missing the last round due to European commitments, local favourite Nick Adcock returns hungry to regain ground. He partners the lightning-quick multiple SA champion Michael Stephen and Jonathan Thomas. Completing the quartet is exciting 23-year-old French talent Louis Maurice, a past Nova NP02 winner at Magny-Cours.
Adding significant intrigue is the debut of the futuristic, all-carbon-fibre Coastal Engineering Supplies Ligier JS P4, campaigned by the Cape Town-based father-and-son duo Albert and Oliver Hintenaus. Powered by a rumbling 3.7-litre Ford V6 with a transverse six-speed sequential gearbox, this French prototype promises to shake up the established order.
Never to be discounted, the ever-consistent Stradale Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo crew of Charl Arangies and Arnold Neveling welcome back the rapid Bradley Libenberg. Seeking more grunt to match rivals, they aim to replicate their Gqeberha podium form. Meanwhile, the crowd-favourite Backdraft Carbon car (Steve Clark/Mike McLoughlin) remains a potent podium threat with its thunderous 7-litre Chevvy power.
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The Australian-built Ford Mustang IRC, making a solid debut last month with Julian Familiaris, Franco de Matteo, and Romano Sartori, could disrupt the established order. The team has petitioned for reclassification from Class A to Class B, potentially reshaping that battle.
Class Wars Ignite Across the Board
Class B (Production/GT4): A fierce three-way tussle is expected. The Scuderia Rossi Alfa Romeo Giulia QV (Rossi/Vonk/van Zyl) leads the standings but faces stiff competition from the unique Sphere Motorsport Toyota Altezza (Alvares/da Cunha/van Heerden) and the G&H Transport Audi R8 GT4 (Giannoccaro brothers/Ant Blunden), desperate to overcome early-season mechanical woes.
Class C: A classic Honda vs Volkswagen showdown brews. The Combined Racing Honda Civic Type-R (Loureiro/Loureiro) battles the Graphix Supply World VW SupaPolo (Roberto and David Franco), separated by just two points. Adding spice, the Francos plan a Saturday media launch for their new Audi GT3, signalling ambitions for Class A later this season. The Korridas Racing VW Golf GTi (Alves/Campos) seeks reliability to join the fray.
Class D (V8 Roadsters): The domain of the National V8 Roadster Championship and Index of Performance honours. Reigning champions Harm and Barend Pretorius (Team Pesty Backdraft) hold a slender lead over the Browndeck duo (Rooke/van Heerde) and the split pairing of Dan Hirsch (now with Kidgell) and Fabienne Lanz (teaming with da Silva). The multi-national G-Rasteirinho squad (Bettencourt/Garcia/Guigue/Bouche) and the resurgent Team Qhubani (Holomisa/Mashigo/Njumbuxa) are also podium contenders.
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1-Hour Dash Kicks Off the Action
The opening hour of the endurance race doubles as the SAES 1-Hour Dash Championship. Andrew Horne (Xena Chemicals Ligier-Honda) leads the standings but faces intense pressure from Gqeberha winner Damien Hammond (Liqui Moly Lamborghini Huracan ST) and Antonie Marx (Shelby Can Am). Juan Stander (Ligier-Honda) and Mike Verrier (Shelby Can Am) add depth. However, the championship contenders face a wildcard threat from Axcil Jefferies in the potent Into Africa Lamborghini and Oliver Hintenaus in the new Ligier JS P4, who could snatch vital points. Debuts include Marius Jackson’s MJR Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) and Sam Hammond’s Samlin Racing Lamborghini Huracan ST Evo 2.
Event Details for Fans
Petrolheads can immerse themselves in a full weekend of action. Friday (7 June) features qualifying from 16:10, including a crucial mandatory night session concluding at 19:30. Friday access is R50 (children under 12 free). Gates open Saturday (8 June) at 05:30. General access costs R150 (children under 12 free), while the exclusive Grid Walk, offering a chance to mingle with endurance racing stars, is priced at R450. With packed grids across multiple categories and championship fates hanging in the balance, the Six-Hours of Killarney promises an unmissable spectacle of speed and strategy.
Colin Windell for Colin-on-Cars in association with
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