Round 4 of the GR Cup Media Challenge has come to a close and marks the halfway point of the championship. Considering how the last few rounds had gone, some positivity was needed, along with a different approach to preparation. Was this the round where things were finally going to turn around? Well, let's see how it all went.
Related: Onwards to Aldo Scribante! - Toyota GR Cup - Round 4 Pre Race Talk
Round 3 was full of stumbles due to a lack of seat time following a No-Start in Round 2 and influenza that progressed to bronchitis during that race weekend. I was not in top form and decided to step away from the usual intense preparation as it was clear that I needed a break. Going into Aldo Scribante, I felt much calmer and, most of all, had shaken off the lingering illness.
Practice
Regarding vehicle preparation, we were due for a tyre change, as our current tyres were almost worn out from the previous rounds. However, we only received new tyres for the front wheels while the rears were swapped. We also received new front brake pads. This meant we'd have to bed everything in, and the vehicle's handling would change, resulting in the GR Corolla wanting to rotate more. I liked the way the car felt, though.
I was reminded quite often that Aldo Scribante's track surface is abrasive on tyres, and the people who told me weren't joking. Tyre preservation was going to be a big factor this weekend, as we'd only have this set available. Our first practice session, though, was on a wet track due to the previous day's rain, making the surface quite slippery. I quite enjoyed sliding around; it wasn't quick, yes, but it highlighted how much control you have with the GR Four system in less-than-stellar conditions. You can tell that this is a rally-bred vehicle.
Once the track surface dried out in the later sessions and the sun rolled in, the track's abrasiveness gave a wake-up call about how hard the front-left tyre was working. Why this tyre specifically? Looking at Aldo Scribante's layout, which has plenty of right-hand corners, that tyre has a lot of work to do, especially at the pace we were moving at. This meant managing tyre temperature and listening to and feeling the car as the laps went on, dictating my driving style. This meant giving the car a bit more grace by braking earlier and managing engine and driveline temperatures.
This meant some studying and developing a strategy would make or break the race heats.
Qualifying
With the rain worries gone, I was greeted with a cool, dry track at 08h00. However, given the track's abrasiveness, I realistically only had two laps to pull out my fastest time before I'd start running out of grip. Thankfully, the qualifying session was run in split groups, giving us all enough space. A high 01m:11s was possible, but I made mistakes on turns 1 and 2, costing me six tenths. After pulling a 01m:12s:60ms and keeping a fairly consistent time, this secured third place in the first race heat. Ahead of me was Craig Nicholson (News24 Motoring) and behind, Brandon Jacobs (Khulekani On Wheels / Kumbi-M On Cars)
Race 1
The start horn sounded at around noon for an 8-lap race. There were no double yellow flags heading into turn 1, which meant overtaking was anyone's game in the first corner, which has its own bit of drama. Thankfully, though, I made it out of turn 1 cleanly and maintained position. Behind me were Marius Claassen (Rola Toyota) and Johan Boonzaier (Waterberg Toyota) from the dealer class, and goodness gracious, they were on my tail, but I didn't back down. The racing was tight, but I also had to monitor my car and see how the other competitors were driving. The strategising paid off as my pace was consistent.
Unfortunately, though, it seems the mechanical gremlins from Round 1's accident decided to visit again. When the driveline reaches a certain temperature threshold, the GR Corolla enters protection mode to safeguard its components. When the engine oil exceeds the threshold, the car's computer limits power until the vehicle warms to a safe operating temperature. When the gearbox and differentials exceed the threshold, the vehicle decouples the rear wheels and becomes Front Wheel Drive while still maintaining full power delivery. In a race setting like ours, as with any car, temperatures are going to rise above normal as the laps go on. However, in this instance, my gearbox was overheating, but the engine cut power from lap 6. It appeared to be a sensor-related issue which needed looking at. This, sadly, obliterated my pace, allowing Marius Claassen and Brandon Jacobs to overtake me. A fourth-place finish.
Race 2
My car's computer was scanned and error codes cleared so the gremlins wouldn't interfere in heat two. Heat two began later in the afternoon, around 16h30. Thankfully, I had a grid advantage from consistent lap times in race one, keeping me in third place. Heat two saw quite a bit of pandemonium on track, with plenty of cars going off and, unfortunately, several racing incidents. Behind me were Theo Brits (NMI Toyota Centurion), Johan Boonzaier and finally Brandon Jacobs. Theo Brits overtook me in turn 1 as the race began, but behind me was Johan Boonzaier.
In this heat, the tyres were definitely at their limit for all the competitors, with plenty of cars going off track, and the overall pace fluctuated as the laps went on. I stayed fairly consistent, but I could feel the grip had reduced significantly, prompting me to adjust my driving to better accommodate the changes. Still, though, the Corolla was feeling quick until the same gremlins popped up again from lap 6, destroying my pace. At this point, I just hoped the consistent times I had would still secure me third place despite the slowdown—another fourth-place finish.
This, unfortunately, cost me a podium finish.
The Takeaway
Despite the result, my performance at Aldo Scribante was better than in the other rounds. Not only was the car back in one piece with no damage, but the round was also actually finished, and I had pace this time around. I really adored this track for how it flowed and for how it forced me to think and pay attention to what the car was doing. I also learned more about how the GR Corolla likes to be driven, and this event highlighted more of how I need to take advantage of driving techniques to harness what the GR Corolla can do. It truly is a brilliant machine that will reward you if you drive it right. Looking at my race footage, I need to be more aggressive in my attacks and more defensive in my manoeuvres. While I was better at this round, I can't exactly be milquetoast; otherwise, I'll be walked all over. The approach I've also taken of being less intense with preparation and whatnot also paid off, as I was a lot more settled and less analytical this round.
It's just unfortunate that the gremlins came to the party again after being issued an eviction notice. So my vehicle will need further diagnosis to see exactly what's going on.
I have to admire the sheer pace of my fellow competitors. Honourable mentions go to Craig Nicholson, who has regained his production-car racing groove, and Nabil Abdool (SuperSport), who is setting unbelievable lap times akin to urban legends. Hopefully, in the final three rounds, I'd love to have a close race with them. We'll build up to it.
There will be a month-long break until we head to what is possibly the fastest circuit of the championship, the East London Grand Prix Circuit.
Catch the next round at East London Grand Prix, East London, Eastern Cape - 15 August 2026
