2025 GR Cup gets underway in sweltering conditions
If you are ever looking for a steep learning curve, look no further than becoming a racing driver in 3 days... You can do all the prep work you want with exercise, simulator training, and onboard and off-board footage, but nothing can prepare you for a race weekend. There's the car, there's the track; go figure it out!
Related: Lawrence Minnie representing AutoTrader in 2025 GR Cup!
Race weekend dawned with typical Cape Town summer weather greeting us, four seasons in one-day vibes. We were in for a scorcher though, as the weather turned for the better and temperatures soared, great for CT, not so good for those sitting in a race suit inside a hot car. The heat also killed tyres, making grip unpredictable, but we worked through it all, a trial by fire if you wish. After it was determined that there was a technical glitch with some of the Garmin Catalyst Race Optimisers, the rest were removed from the cars, leaving us to our own devices. We received three practice sessions on Friday of 20 minutes each, that's 1 hour to figure out the car, the lines, the braking points, turn-ins and get to grips with 15 other cars on the circuit, all trying to do the same. I had gone into Killarney with a target of 1:30 lap time, 4.5 seconds off last year's race lap times, so there is no need to get over-ambitious!
Qualifying
I was glad that I had been able to dip into the 1:30 target area in my last practice session, but would I be able to stitch together a lap when it counted? The answer was yes! I managed to drop to a 1:29 for qualifying, putting me fourth in class, half a second off the driver in front of me and 3.5 seconds from the leaders; not bad at all for an hour of track time and rapid self-learning! I decided to stick to the driver in front and wait and see what happens in Race 1 as the unpredictability of everyone else around me was still a great unknown under race conditions, a thought process that would later save me.
Race 1
Due to the unprecedented and unpredictable speeds the GR 86 Cup competitors reached during qualifying, the COC decided that our races would be started under double yellow caution for the first two corners, which would mean no passing before turn 3. This was done to prevent a first-lap pileup that no one could avoid. The 86 groups thundered away ahead of us and cleared the first corner, with us following suit. I stuck to the bumper of the Yaris in front of me, applying pressure until a sneaky inside line from a GR Corolla sent me off the line, allowing the Yaris in front of me to pull a small gap. I closed up again but couldn't carry enough speed to make a pass.
Eight laps go by quickly in a race, and before I knew it we were in the dying stages of the first race. Coming into Cape Town Corner, I spied a GR Corolla heading inside, trying to out-brake me, which he summary did, only to go offline and head straight into the dirt, great avoidance! .....and with that the chequered flag came out and the race was over, I finished where I started, 4th.
Race 2
Race 2 was very much a repeat of Race 1. I had a bit more of a tussle with a GR Corolla, allowing the GR Yaris ahead to pull a gap that I could not close due to the tyres going off late in the race. It was a lonely race as I found myself in no man's land with no cars in front to chase and none behind, pushing me. I could see dust clouds pluming into the air at various points around the track, indicators that someone, somewhere, had overcooked it and run into the gravel. I came across some of these guys every few corners as they pulled back onto the track, the red mist clouding their judgment as I had to evade a few times to avoid collisions. I once again crossed the line in the group position that I started,4th, a few grid slots up from passing farming 86s and Corollas, but the high point here was that I had dropped into the 1:29 at race pace... Achievement Unlocked!
Our track weapon
This is technically the last race for these chassis. After three competitive seasons of racing, these machines have been dragged through racing hell and have survived, but they will soon be put out to pasture, so to speak (hint, hint!). If all goes according to plan, the media contingent will take to Kyalami in a brand new Auto Transmission GR Yaris' at the next race in April.
With blistering performance, it's easy to forget that these cars are essentially road-going production cars with just a few tweaks to the brakes and exhausts and are fitted with roll cages. There is no tuning, no engine mods, no custom suspensions—it's all the driver's skill. It will be interesting to see what the change from the manual gearbox to auto will do over the remainder of the season.
The new Yaris will have jet black livery with our chosen colour schemes and branding, so look out for green #17!
Next race
Round 2 heads back north to the premiere home of motorsport in South Africa, Kyalami International Race Circuit, on April 11 and 12th. Come drop by the track and say hi! We don't bite, I promise!
A special thanks
The series would not be possible without the support of key sponsors. Aside from Toyota and AutoTrader, which have both provided so much support, the series is backed by Netstar, Dunlop, OMP, Powerbrake, Ferodo, and Garmin.
