Scheepers and Da Luz share Astron Energy Polo Cup wins

Hannes Scheepers took a major step toward the 2026 Astron Energy Polo Cup title with a win and a second place at the Zwartkops Extreme Festival’s penultimate round 30th birthday Astron Energy Polo Cup races on Saturday. Mauro Da Luz meantime took a maiden race win, but it was just not enough to keep him in the chase. Charl Smalberger did just enough, and dad Derick Smalberger and Wayne Masters shared Astron Energy Polo Masters wins to ensure that both championships will go down to the Kyalami finale.

Qualifying on Friday was tight, with Roshaan Goodman taking provisional pole in his Upward Spiral 1471 Polo by just 0.087 seconds over Da Luz and his Retail Insight machine. Scheepers followed closely in third in his Dainfern Dental entry, ahead of Charl Smalberger’s Sabertek car, Volkswagen Motorsport Rookie Christopher Tait, and Jayden Goosen’s Automobile Association Polo.

Superpole then scrambled the front rows when Tait delivered a stunning 1 minute 11.121 lap in his factory Polo to claim outright pole position. Scheepers lined up alongside on the front row, followed by Goosen, Charl Smalberger, Da Luz, and Goodman.

Behind them, Liam Crystal’s TurnMeOn car led row four alongside Shiren Rajpaul in his Goldwagen Polo, followed by Joshua Moore, and Cyril Jacobs Jnr in his Auto Perfect Polo. Pierluigi Muzzulini’s FSS International entry followed from Milan Emslie in the Triton car. Dean Ross lined up next for Norbrake Distributors ahead of Bjorn Bertholdt’s Union Power Energy machine, Nirav Singh in his Kyalami Exhausts Polo, Berlin Robinson’s Fantech car, and Albert Moffat in his Moffat Creations entry.

Derick Smalberger topped Astron Energy Polo Masters qualifying in his Sabertek Polo ahead of John Kruger’s Habot Lubricants machine, Wayne Masters in the Performance Masters entry, PABAR man Michael Barbaglia, Elio Muzzulini’s FSS Polo, and Byron Thomas’ Byron Thomas Properties machine.

Race 1 saw poleman Tait bog down off the line and drop to twelfth by the end of lap one. That allowed Scheepers to grab the lead into Turn 1 and control the 10-lap opener to win by half a second from Goosen, with Da Luz third. Goodman took fourth ahead of Crystal and Moore, with Charl Smalberger, Rajpaul, Emslie, and Pierluigi Muzzulini completing the top ten. Jacobs finished eleventh ahead of the recovering Tait, Bertholdt, Robinson, Singh, Ross, and Moffat.

In Astron Energy Polo Masters, Wayne Masters fought through from the third row of the class grid to take victory over Derick Smalberger, Kruger, Barbaglia, Elio Muzzulini, and Thomas.

Race 2 poleman, rookie Da Luz converted his start into a lights-to-flag win, holding off Scheepers by 0.7 seconds for his maiden Polo Cup victory. Rajpaul fought his way through to third ahead of Goodman, Crystal, Moore, Charl Smalberger, Goosen, Pierluigi Muzzulini, and Tait. Emslie came home eleventh ahead of Robinson, Jacobs, Ross, Bertholdt, Thomas, and Singh.

Derick Smalberger took the Masters win after Wayne Masters retired on lap seven, leading home Kruger, Barbaglia, Moffat, and Elio Muzzulini. That closes the title fight down to a handful of points between Masters and Smalberger.

When the times were tallied, Scheepers took the overall round victory by a second from Da Luz, with Goodman third ahead of Crystal, Goosen, Rajpaul, Moore, Charl Smalberger, Pierluigi Muzzulini, and Emslie. Derick Smalberger won the overall Polo Masters round from Kruger, Barbaglia, Elio Muzzulini, Thomas, and Wayne Masters.

That all leaves Hannes Scheepers on the cusp of the 30th anniversary 2026 Astron Energy Polo Cup title with only Charl Smalberger holding a scant mathematical chance of stopping him, while dad Derick Smalberger is locked in a direct fight to the finish with Wayne Masters for the Astron Energy Polo Masters crown.

The Astron Energy Polo Cup title fight now heads to the Kyalami 9 Hour for its season finale on 27–28 November.

*Volkswagen Motorsport thanks its partners Astron Energy, Dunlop, Ferodo, Motus, and Volkswagen Financial Services for their continued dedication and support.