Motorsport enthusiasts, rev your engines! The SA Endurance National Championship ignites this weekend at Pretoria’s Zwartkops Raceway, with a packed grid of 33 cars set to battle over two adrenaline-fuelled days (21-22 February). The Samlin Racing Four Hours of Zwartkops not only launches the endurance series but also features a fierce 1-Hour Dash contest, with 11 entries vying for early bragging rights.
Reigning champions Xolile Letlaka and Stuart White return with their #1 Into Africa Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, determined to cling to their crown. But rivals are circling: the Adjust for Sleep/Rico Barlow Racing Nova Proto NP02, piloted by Nick Adcock, Michael Jensen, and Ryan Naicker, promises a fierce showdown. Last season saw the Lamborghini squad clinch victory at Kyalami, while the Nova Proto team celebrated three wins—setting the stage for a nail-biting rematch.
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In Class A, Mike McLaughlin and Steve Clark aim to turn around last year’s misfortunes in their Chevy-powered Backdraft Slingshot. Meanwhile, all eyes will be on a fiery newcomer: the Innovation Race Cars Ford Mustang, boasting a thunderous 6.2l V8 engine. Driven by Julian Familiaris and Franco di Matteo, it’s poised to lock horns with Fabio Tafani and Sean Moore’s slightly less potent Chev Camaro Trans-Am.
Class B sees a straightforward tussle between Sphere Motorsport’s Toyota Altezza and the Hammond family’s Samlin Racing Lamborghini Gallardo. Over in Class C, the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV of Mario and Claudio Rossi will duel with a pack of Volkswagen Polos and a Honda Type-R, while Mozambican visitors Bruno Campos and Marcos Rodrigues add international flair in their turbocharged Golf GTi.
V8 Roadsters: Consistency vs New Blood
The reclassified Class D unleashes nine roaring Backdraft Roadsters. Defending champions Harm and Barend Pretorius face fresh threats, including Swiss Hotel School’s Phillip Meyer team and newcomers Jordan Edwards and Barry Glanz. Not to be overlooked: Fabienne Lanz, one of the series’ few female competitors, partners Dan Hirsch in a bid to climb the standings.
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1-Hour Dash: Sprint within the Marathon
Last year’s Dash champion Mike Verrier returns in his Shelby Can-Am, but rivals like Andrew Horne (Ligier-Honda JS49) and Antonie Marx (Shelby Can-Am) are hot on his heels. Porsche enthusiasts will relish the quartet of Stuttgart machines, including Charl Arangies’ GT3 R and Sun Moodley’s Bigfoot Express entry, battling Lamborghinis fielded by Shayur Harpal and Damian Hammond.
Track Timings
Friday’s action includes three free practice sessions, with qualifying at 16:20. The main event fires into life on Saturday at 14:00, blending endurance strategy with sprint-race urgency.
With rivalries simmering and innovation aplenty, Zwartkops is set to deliver a weekend where every lap counts. Grab your earplugs—this one’s loud.
Coverage begins Friday at Zwartkops Raceway. Gates open at 08:00.
Colin Windell for Colin-on-Cars in association with
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