TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) enjoyed another competitive outing in Round 3 of the 2026 season this past weekend, as both the GR Cup and South African Touring Cars (SATC) championships tackled the fast and technical Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria.
Cool and cloudy conditions greeted competitors on Friday, before clear skies and crisp winter weather created ideal racing conditions for Saturday’s qualifying sessions and races.
Across the various categories, TGRSA drivers once again featured prominently at the front of the field, with strong performances in both the GR Cup and SATC championships.
In SATC, Michael van Rooyen and Jason Coetzee continued the development of the GR Corolla package, with both drivers showing encouraging pace throughout the weekend.
Qualifying saw Coetzee secure third place on the grid, while van Rooyen lined up fourth after a tightly contested session.
Race 1 proved highly competitive, with van Rooyen charging forward early in the race before eventually finishing third. Coetzee was also firmly in the fight near the front before suffering a misfire while running competitively, eventually finishing second.
“I think practice went very well and we were close throughout,” said van Rooyen. “We could see the competition still had a noticeable advantage in terms of straight-line speed, but considering that, I think we did as well as we possibly could in qualifying.”
“Race 1 was very encouraging. I got into the lead briefly during the opening lap before Julian came back through, but I was able to stay close and pressure him right to the final corner. We definitely made very good progress compared to Red Star.”
Race 2 proved more difficult for the team, with van Rooyen battling a suspected mechanical issue from the opening lap before bringing the car home in sixth place.
“I suspect something broke on the car from Turn 1 on Lap 1 because it became extremely difficult to drive,” he explained. “But overall, the team did an excellent job since Red Star, and they deserve a lot of credit for the progress we made.”
In the GR Cup Media Challenge, Nabil Abdool (SuperSport) maintained his unbeaten start to the 2026 season with another commanding weekend in the GR Corolla DAT.
Abdool secured overall pole position in qualifying with a lap of 1:11.580 before going on to claim victory in both races.
“Round 3 at Zwartkops was a tough but rewarding weekend,” said Abdool. “We knew the field would be incredibly close and competitive, so I was pleasantly surprised by the pace of the new Toyota GR Corolla DAT.”
Race 1 saw Abdool lead from start to finish under sustained pressure from Craig Nicholson (News24), while a late safety car period compressed the field and added further pressure in the closing stages. Nicholson finished second in class, with Yolanda “Girlie” Lukhele completing the podium on her debut appearance in the GR Cup Hot Seat.
In Race 2, Abdool once again secured victory after fighting his way past Nicholson during the early laps before controlling the race from the front. Nicholson again finished second, while Lukhele repeated her Race 1 result with another impressive third-place finish in class.
“With six wins from six starts this season, we’ll definitely be looking to carry this momentum into the coastal leg,” Abdool added.
Justin Ford (eNCA), Tayedza Mbiri (AutoTrader) and Kumbi Mtshakazi (Kumbi-M on Cars) were all involved in close midfield battles throughout the weekend, while Naresh Maharaj (Algoa FM/The Witness) unfortunately suffered an off-track incident during Friday’s running that resulted in damage to his GR Corolla DAT, ruling him out of Saturday’s races.
The GR Cup Dealer Challenge produced a new winner for the 2026 season this weekend, with Paul de Vos (GR Driving Academy) delivering a flawless performance. De Vos secured pole position in class before converting it into two commanding race victories, while also setting the fastest lap in both races.
Race 1 saw De Vos withstand early pressure from Marius Claasen (Rola Toyota Somerset West), who eventually finished second ahead of Werner Venter (NMI Toyota Menlyn).
In Race 2, De Vos again controlled proceedings at the front, with Claasen securing another runner-up finish and Werner Horn (Malalane Toyota) completing the podium.
Werner Venter, Theo Brits (Halfway Toyota Fourways), Andries de Villiers (Waterberg Toyota), Johan Boonzaaier (Waterberg Toyota), Jaco Barendse (CFAO Mobility Toyota) and Tiaan Combrink all featured in the tightly contested midfield battles that characterised the Dealer Challenge throughout the weekend.
In the GR86 Development Academy, the battle between Kobus Reyneke and Connor Weston intensified further. Reyneke secured pole position and converted it into victory in Race 1 after a close battle with Weston.
“Very, very close times with Kobus all weekend,” said Weston. “Race 1 was a tough battle and he managed to keep me behind him, but in Race 2 I managed to get through at Turn 4 and then just controlled things from the front.”
Weston went on to win Race 2 ahead of Emma Dowling after Reyneke suffered a puncture while battling for the lead. Kian Fussell continued his consistent form with podium finishes in both races, while Dowling remained firmly in contention at the front of the field throughout the weekend.
With the 2026 season now reaching its midpoint, TGRSA will next head to Aldo Scribante Raceway near Gqeberha for the next round of both the GR Cup and SATC championships.
