The final race weekend of the 2025 GR Cup Media Challenge dawned hot and clear over Zwartkops. There was an air of melancholy over the pit lane as the drivers came to terms with the fact that this would be the last outing in the phenomenal GR Yaris Cup cars. The normal rumble and hum of cars and crew set the tone for what would turn out to be a rather busy weekend.
Related: Final round of the 2025 GR Cup set to captivate
I entered the weekend with that same sense of melancholy, not wanting the racing to end but also grateful that it was finally over, not because I was done with racing but because I had recently picked up a nasty flu bug and I was pushing my body to its limits inside the race car, and I was dead tired. My season had been one of major ups and downs, and I was starting to see some patterns developing over the last few races and had hoped that things would change; sadly, they would not.
Toyota GR Yaris 1.6T GR-Four Rally auto driven!
Qualifying
Friday, we completed three practice sessions and a single qualifying session. I arrived on Friday morning feeling like I had been run over by a PUTCO bus, congested and full of aches and pains. After the first morning session, I knew that the day would only get worse as the temperatures soared. My lap times seemed to get stuck at 1:14, and I couldn't improve, disappointingly, a full 1.5 seconds slower than my lap times at round 3. The remaining sessions returned similar times, always hovering around the 1:14 range.
By the end of the day, I was physically exhausted and crawled out of the car. I had set a 1:14.1 qualifying time, which was good enough for 8th on the grid and 4th in class—not what I had hoped for, but better than stone last. I still had the flu bug to deal with on race day, but medication and rest were sorely needed for now.
Race Day
The powers that be decided that our races would start under double yellow waved flags through Turns 1 and 2 to prevent any unnecessary "incidents". This is important because it would change the outcome of both races. After a good night's rest and some heavy-duty flu meds, I arrived at the track bright and chipper, feeling better than I had in days and ready to race.
Race 1
Three dealer cars separated me from Nabil, Kyle and Phuti, so I didn't see the move that got Phuti demoted to the back of the pack. I held my line and kept a hard-charging Charl behind me for four laps until his car overheated and he dropped back. I finished Race 1 unknowingly in 3rd place after the fracas at the front, completely unaware of the dealings up in the tower.
Race 2
Sadly, my race two ended prematurely when a dealer car outbraked himself into turn 1 on lap 1, rear-ended me, spun me around, and essentially put me out of the race. I still don't know what they were thinking, whether it was bad braking, inattention, or they forgot that there was no overtaking through 1 and 2. Still, the result was a bent rear fender dragging along the track surface. I tried in vain to catch up to the field but did not progress until the race was red-flagged after one of the dealers parked his car in the tyre wall. I was classified 6th, not how I wanted my final race to end.
Championship standings
After the dust settles and points are calculated, I will finish 4th in the championship.
1st. Nabil Abdool (SuperSport)
2nd. Kyle Kock (Car Mag)
3rd. Phutyi Mpyane (Times Live)
4th. Lawrence Minnie (AutoTrader)
5th. Charl Bosch (The Citizen)
6th. Willem van der Putte (IOL)
That's a wrap
For someone who makes a living putting words to paper, describing this race series isn't very easy. It is exciting, infuriating, scary and fun, it teaches not only skill but humility. My season has been a roller coaster. I have seen some successes, which has taught me that motorsport is a cruel mistress that can and will strike when you least expect it. Ultimately, the series has made me a better driver, shown me a side of myself I didn't know existed and allowed me to learn from a giant corporation how to market a brand and yourself.
I would have laughed if you had asked me 10 years ago if I would ever drive a race car professionally in a national series. I consider myself incredibly lucky and privileged to have experienced this and now join the ranks of the handful of journalists who have had the honour of competing in the GR series over the last four years and will now sit on the sidelines telling new competitors how it was "in my year".
I want to thank the management team at Toyota South Africa personally, Mr Glenn Crompton, Riaan Esterhuizen, and Mzo Witbooi, for allowing me to pilot their car and to the two best fixers in the business, Karabo and Kithiwe. Without you ladies, the scope of these events wouldn't happen.
We want to thank the sponsors who made this series possible. Toyota Financial Services, Kinto, Garmin, Dunlop, Ferodo and OMP
