Aldo Scribante Raceway is set to come alive this weekend as some of the Eastern Cape’s top racing talent goes head-to-head with the country’s finest drivers in what promises to be an action-packed Northern Regions Extreme Festival.
With thunderous V8 muscle cars, bumper-to-bumper saloon car battles, screaming Formula Vees and packed grids across every category, spectators can expect a full day of non-stop motorsport entertainment.
Flying the local flag will be Gerald Beech, who returns in his spectacular Chevrolet Camaro after making an impressive debut at the circuit last weekend.
Beech will line up against one of the strongest Dunlop V8 SuperCars fields seen in recent years, with 11 snarling V8 machines expected to shake the ground as they thunder around the circuit.
Joining him will be Border Motorsport favourite Jody van Zummeren in his fearsome Chevrolet Corvette, ensuring the home crowd has plenty to cheer for.
The ever-popular BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series also boasts a strong Eastern Cape flavour. Two father-and-son combinations — Dean and Timothy Ball, together with Steven and Duncan Phillips — will tackle the highly competitive field, while Border ace Paul Berry will also be looking to challenge for honours against some of the country’s quickest BMW racers.
The DigitFMS 111 & GT Sports and Saloons category promises plenty of variety and close racing. Raymond Redinger will campaign his immaculate Porsche 924, while Stephan Aucamp lines up in a VW Jetta 3 alongside James Moore in his VW Polo.
Border competitor Mark Els joins the action in his BMW E36 as part of a massive 29-car field that is expected to produce wheel-to-wheel racing from lights to flag.
Motorsport runs deep in the Moore family, with James in the DigitFMS 111 & GT Sports & Saloons class sharing the paddock with son Joshua, who will be aiming to return to the top step of the podium in the fiercely contested VW Challenge Series.
Seventeen competitors are entered for the class, promising one of the closest and most entertaining battles of the day.
The biggest attraction by sheer numbers will be the BMW ///M Performance Series, which has attracted an incredible 43 entries.
Such is the popularity of the category that organisers have split the field into two groups with 22 turbocharged cars and 21 naturally aspirated machines, ensuring packed grids and spectacular racing throughout the weekend.
Fans of open-wheel racing won’t be disappointed either, with a 20-car DOE Formula Vee field that is set to deliver the close drafting and slipstreaming battles for which the category is famous.
The lightweight single-seaters are renowned for producing some of the closest finishes in South African motorsport and are guaranteed to keep spectators on the edge of their seats.
Qualifying gets underway at 8am on Saturday before racing begins at 10.05am.
Every category will contest two races during the day, while the crowd-favourite Dunlop V8 SuperCars will battle it out over three thunderous heats. Tickets will be available at the main gate.
Upcoming events:
August 8: Northern Regions Regional Extreme Festival – Aldo Scribante Raceway; Dirt Oval Racing Club Championship Round 6 – Victory Raceway
August 13: Xtreme Octane Night Run to the Windfarm – departs Builders Warehouse, 7pm
August 15: National Extreme Festival – Aldo Scribante Raceway; Supercross Fun Day – Rover Motorcycle Club
August 28: Night Drags Testing – Aldo Scribante Raceway
August 29: Dirt Oval Racing – PE Oval Track Raceway.
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