Preview: Support Races: SA Endurance Series connected by Vodacom 4U - Round 4
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit – 25 and 26 July 2025
The Southern African Endurance Series Connected by Vodacom 4U has lined up a plethora of varied racing machinery for the support programme that will keep race fans on the edge of their seats when the championship descends on Kyalami this weekend.
There are three races each for the Sports & GT which has been combined with the all-Porsche GT Cup SA for this round; two-wheel enthusiasts are well catered for with the MRSSA Motorcycles while an entry of 49 cars will ensure an action-packed trio of races for the invitational Silvercup 2.0 Northern Regions Club Championship.
Sports & GT Including GT Cup SA:
Damian Hammond has won four of the last six rounds in his Liqui Moly/Samlin Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Super Trofeo Evo and finished on the podium in the races he didn't win and should start as the favourite.
It won't be a walk in the park for Hammond as Xolile Letlaka has every intention of racing his Into Africa Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo to the top step of the podium. Expect the sparks to fly as the two Raging Bulls battle it out for top honours.
Wayne Roach will be out in his Samlin Racing Lamborghini Gallaro GT3 Super Trofeo and will face off against Jeeva Moodley's Porsche Cayman 987 and Riaan Bouwer's Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 997 Gen2 machine.
Charl Arangies has powered his Vaal Fluid Systems Porsche 911 GT3 R to victory in all nine rounds of the GT Cup SA championship held so far and enjoys a 33-point lead over his nearest rival Nicky Dicks in his Curvent Porsche 911 GT3 991.2.
Dicks has claimed five second place podiums to date but will face increased rivalry from Henk Lategan in his SAC Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, as well as Roy Obery's Haval Edenvale Porsche 911 GT3 MR.
Mo Mia (GT3 Cup 991.2 Cup), Jay Jay Deysel (2JS Detailing 997 GT3 Cup) and Sun Moodley (Bigfoot Express 911 GT3 Cup) are locked in an intense battle for the championship's final step of the podium with nine points separating the warring trio.
Marius Jackson will be out to grab a big slice of points in his new MJR Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 992 but will have to fend off the attentions of Charl Visser in an identical Porsche. Weylin Volschenk (911 GT3 Cup Type 997) and Andre van Vuuren (911 GT3 Cup Type 996) should be in the mix as well, making for a closely fought trio of races.
The Sports & GT and GT Cup SA machinery has three free practice sessions ahead of Qualifying which is scheduled for 11h50 on Friday. The opening race is on Friday afternoon at 15h10 and Saturday's pair of races are at 09h00 and 11h00.
MRSSA Motorcycles:
Spread across six classes, the Motorcycle Racing Series South Africa offers gripping racing action across the board where rider skill and bravery are the order of the day.
Clive Turnbull has raced his Yamaha YZF-R1 to four victories in six rounds to open up a healthy 60-point lead in the Open Superbike class. Second in the big bike class is Simphiwe Mahlobo aboard his Yamaha YZF-R6 who will have Yaghya Sahabodien and Aadil Adam right in the mix astride their identical BMW S 1000 RRs.
Sahabodien should move into third on the overall standings after Kyalami while Adam is making his second appearance of the year. Hendrik Muller (Kawasaki ZX-10) and Jhandre Fourie (Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) will give their all in only their second outing of the season.
The Unlimited Superbike class is ruled by Siya Tshabalala on his Yamaha YZF-R1 after two unopposed victories at round one; his closest rival, David Veringa (BMW M 1000 RR) is twelve points adrift having missed the opening round. Ten points further back is Jordan King on a Yamaha YZF-R1 who also missed the opening round in February. Both riders have won a race each and will be out to make up for lost ground.
Moe Essop (BMW S 1000 RR) is two points behind King, ensuring a fierce fight for the third step of the podium.
Jacobus Visser (BMW S 1000 RR) missed the last round in Cape Town and lies in fifth on the points log; Boikanyo Mabaso will take his second start of the year on his Yamaha YZF-R1 while James Dent (Yamaha YZF-R1) makes his season debut at Kyalami.
Ora Phiri leads the way in the 600 SBK class with four victories from five rounds aboard his Yamaha YZF-R6. He will face off with Troy Tonking on his KTM who will move into second place in the class ranking.
The Battle of the Twins (BOTTS V4) is an all-Ducati affair with Leon Horn claiming five wins from five outings on his Ducati Panigale V4R. The driving force behind MRSSA, Alan Hulscher and Mick Landi are similarly Panigale V4R-mounted and are separated by 16 points in Hulscher's favour.
Gavin Aub rounds out the class on a Panigale V4 and is ranked fifth in the class title fight. Two Masters riders have entered the Kyalami round; Ryan Futter (Kawasaki ZX10-RR) and Robert Ferreira (Yamaha YZF-R1) are just two points apart as they fight over the class championship.
Two-wheeler fans can see their favourite category qualify on Friday at 12h45 with the first race at 15h40. Saturday's action is at 09h30 and 11h30.
SilverCup 2.0:
The SilverCup 2.0 Club Championship is a grassroots entry level category of motor racing that allows any sports and saloon cars, panel vans and LDV's if the body shape bears a close resemblance to a production vehicle.
The big monster cars are grouped in Class A and A+, the latter feature spaceframe machines of engine sizes above 2.2 lt and include rotary engines, as well as turbo and supercharged engines.
Marius Jacobs and Giulio Airaga are a crowd favourites in their Nissan-engined Opel Tigra-bodied race cars. Cobus Brandt and Theo Brussow are also Opel Tigra mounted and provided great racing as they vie for victories. Jacobs' daughter Morgan is also in the class racing her VW Corrado.
Class A should be a battle between Jonathan Visser's Volkswagen Polo and the Honda Ballades of Dirk Lawrence, Victor Dias and Rodney Kruis. Other class A Volkswagen runners include Jared Rossouw, Quintin Duvenhage, Marius Truter and Kobus Britz.
BMW is the go-to car for Shaun Lambrecht, Jaco Campher, Michael Grobler and Ferdi van Staden. A lone Audi S2 is entered for Mathys Volschenk while a solo Toyota 2000 takes on the class A field in the hands of Riaan Draper.
Class B houses the current SilverCup 2.0 points leader Faudo Sidique in his Honda Civic who will come up against Chris Cronje in his Toyota Spaceframe and Deon Schwabsky's Ford Escort Mk 1. Blake Hurley will be out in his fire-spitting Caterham sports car while the indecently quick Nissan Primera of Marnus du Plessis usually fights for overall honours.
Class C is a VW benefit aside from the lone Datsun 1200 GX of regular Historic racer Cameron Foster. Myriad Polos and early Golfs are in the hands of Freddy Watkins, EW Hattingh, Hein Kock and Kajaal Mohun.
Carel Malherbe leads the Class D chase and is ranked second on the points table in his VW Jetta Mk 2 and should have the legs of Nico Banze in his Toyota Corolla Sprinter.
Another crowd-pleasing entry comes from Dewald Pretorius and his ear-splitting Mazda RX7 who will be joined in the loudness stakes by the rotary-engined Mazda R100 of Werner Kotze.
Johan Gouws (VW Scirocco), Sean Hepburn (AA Datsun GX 1400) and Grant Cramer (Datsun GX Coupe) are all regulars on the Historic Tour and have entered the SilverCup 2.0 to have a chance to race at Kyalami.
The Silvercup cars have three practice sessions ahead of Qualifying on Friday at 13h15. The first race is scheduled for Friday at 16h10, with races two and three on Saturday at 10h00 and 12h00.
How Much
General Access tickets cost R250 while kids under 12 get in free of charge. Spectators are welcome to bring their gazebos, gas braais and cooler boxes and park anywhere around the circuit to enjoy the day's racing.
VIP Experience tickets, which includes Food and three Beverage Vouchers, Grid Walk, Dedicated Private Seating Area, and a private Cash Bar are available for R650 per person.
Tickets can be purchased at www.saeseries.com
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