High winds, wet track, and one wild race: GR Cup serves drama in East London

They walk amongst us. You probably, unknowingly, rub shoulders with them every day. You see them in the malls – shopping or patiently waiting in queues, walking along the city’s sidewalks, and driving around with their families, and they look like pretty normal, average, typical human beings.

But they’re not, because under the seemingly regular exterior, down at the spirit level, where the passions burn in an unquenchable furnace, beats the heart of a petrolhead.

Come on, you know what a petrolhead is, by definition it’s a curious species fuelled by adrenaline rushes, engine revs, and the aroma of burning rubber. They are known to speak in horsepower, they worship V8s, and they consider speed bumps to be a personal insult. Petrolheads are easily distracted by shiny rims, loud exhausts, and anything with a turbo. 

Here’s a friendly warning: when you approach a petrolhead, do so with caution – because they may spontaneously accelerate mid-conversation.

Why am I so confident that they walk amongst us?

Just take a head count at the Easter Drags in Kimberley, pop around to the City’s Oval Track when an event is on, or you can make your way to the Spinning events in Kimberley – you will soon realise that “petrolheadism” is alive and well in the Diamond City.

For this reason, we cannot resist adding some octane to your day when we can.

And having said all that, petrolheads would be interested to know that the fifth round of the 2025 GR Cup, part of Toyota South Africa’s popular one-make racing series, unfolded at the legendary East London Grand Prix Circuit this past weekend. And, as expected, the Eastern Cape circuit proved a true test of commitment and confidence for the competitors.

I lived in East London for a few years, and I can tell you that the weather you open your eyes to in the morning can be vastly different by the time you’re having lunch. I don’t know how meteorologists can even try to predict the weather over there. 

While the forecast called for fine weather on the West Bank, Friday night brought unexpected rain. Saturday started with a damp track and soggy run-off areas that remained treacherous throughout the day. High winds continued to batter the venue, adding another layer of challenge.

A succession of red flags and incidents across the day’s programme forced organisers to cancel the second scheduled race, opting instead for a single 12-lap feature race to determine honours for the weekend.

Despite the chaos, fans – yes, you guessed it, those die-hard petrolheads –  lined the fences, and were treated to a shortened but action-packed day of racing across the GR Cup Media Challenge, GR Cup Dealer Challenge, and the GR86 Development Academy.

In the GR Cup Media Challenge, SuperSport’s Nabil Abdool extended his winning streak with a flawless ninth win from nine starts. After mastering qualifying in tricky conditions, Abdool pulled away from the field in the race, leaving TimesLIVE’s Phuti Mpyane and CAR Magazine’s Kyle Kock to complete the podium.

Charl Bosch (Citizen), Phuti Mpyane (TimesLIVE), Willem van de Putte (Independent Media/IOL) and Lawrence Minnie (AutoTrader) followed in succession.

The Dealer Challenge saw GR Driving Academy’s Devon Scott dominate both qualifying and the race, despite never having raced at the circuit before. He held off strong challenges from Mario de Sousa and Werner Venter to take class honours. Notably, Riaan du Ru crashed during qualifying and sat out the race, thankfully without injury.

“East London definitely lived up to its reputation,” said Scott after the race. “Despite the weather and delays, qualifying was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in a race car. We really got to explore the limits.”

Over in the GR86 Development Academy, Jason Coetzee claimed pole and a lights-to-flag victory, showing calm and control in greasy conditions. Kent Swartz and Khaya Ngwenya followed him home in second and third, while the rest of the field managed to finish cleanly despite the unpredictable track.

With the Eastern Cape round done and dusted, all eyes now turn to Round 6 at Killarney in Cape Town on 13 September, where the battle for the championship title will shift into an even higher gear.