The Last Dance - Toyota GR Cup - Round 7 Pre-Race Talk

The final burn for the 2026 GR Cup Media Challenge is upon us this week. We head back to Zwartkops Raceway, where GR HQ is. Not only that, the final round of the National Extreme Festival tends to attract a huge amount of traffic. It's no surprise, as this is where the racing is at its peak, since it decides the Championship for many competitors, myself included.

Related: Back to Killarney - Toyota GR Cup - Round 6 Pre-Race Talk

It needs to be said

The previous round at Killarney International in Cape Town was set to be a cracking weekend; however, that wasn't the case. The tone started sombre as we mourned the sudden death of Robert Wolk, a South African Touring Car competitor and multiple South African champion, who passed earlier in the week. After we paid our respects in a moment of silence, in the opening race of that weekend, which was in the Extreme Supercars category, we sadly witnessed the tragic death of Marcel Angel, an Extreme Supercars competitor. The Killarney round could not continue and thus was cancelled. I am only writing about this now because I wanted to give the families, friends, and airwaves space, as it is a difficult topic to report on. Our sincerest condolences and sympathies are expressed to the Wolk and Angel families.

The heat is on

The word 'heat' can be interpreted in two ways here. On the one hand, thanks to the weather phenomenon El Niño, it's blisteringly hot in Gauteng at the moment, with occasional rain. This weekend, the weather forecast says it's going to be hot, which means stress on the cars and the drivers.

The other interpretation is that I am currently 4th in the Driver's standings, tied with Justin Ford (eNCA) in 3rd with 25 points. So the Championship can either turn around in my instance or be completely binned. Crucial mistakes are not an option here.

In front of me, Craig Nicholson (News24 Motoring) in second place and Nabil Abdool (Supersport) in first have pretty much secured their positions for the Championship. Seeing the two interact reminds me of old touring car championship drivers, just without the extra-long hair. I should probably take notes from them...

However, it's not just the Media Challenge where a rumble is going on. The GR86 Development Academy youngsters are also having a good go with the likes of Kobus Reyneke and Connor Weston gunning for the number 1 spot.

The Dealer Challenge follows a similar path, with GR Driving Academy's Devon Scott trailing Werner Venter (NMI Toyota Menlyn) by just 2 points.

Due to the outcome of the last round, GR Cup Hot Seat debut driver Kriya Gangiah enters this round along with sports broadcaster Mpho Maboi.

The GR Cup Races this weekend are going to be ones to watch!

Where I'm at

I remember hearing from previous competitors that the Championship will fly by in the blink of an eye. Plus, you'll discover things about yourself. They weren't kidding. 

It all comes down to this now. The car has been properly repaired since the accident in the first round, which made for a topsy-turvy season after further investigation. Something a computer scanner couldn't pick up, but was mechanically affected by the impact of the accident. So no blame can be put towards mechanical issues now.

I have been preparing, that much is for certain. Cleaning up my driving style to better maximise what the GR Corolla is capable of, while also having a bit of fun along the way to de-stress, has been the name of the game as well. Because if I'm not enjoying myself, how can I let loose? I won't lie, there's been a bit of pressure to perform; much of it is self-imposed, but it can only go so far before something gives in. So that's the plan: take it easy and just drive. It's a grand opportunity I'm in, and some reminders of this are necessary. The TGRSA Team and my fellow competitors have made it something to remember too, so much thanks is given to them as well.

Good luck to everyone out there; let's make it a fine last round.

Current Standings