It's hard to believe that the 2023 Toyota GR Cup is drawing to a close. Just the other day, I was at the Toyota SOMI address as the announcement was being made that I would be driving one of 6 identical Toyota GR86 race cars this year, competing against my fellow motoring scribes at racetracks across the country. Several of those tracks would be completely new to me, but as we rounded the turn and set off on the back 9, all would become rather familiar: both the tracks and the car itself.
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The sixth and penultimate round of the 7 round championship denotes the beginning of the end of this journey, and I'd be lying if I said it hadn't been a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with learnings and an expedition of self-discovery. Nothing will ever prepare you for what you will encounter while motor racing. It's as much a mental game as it is mechanical and physical.
Without having to worry about the mechanical side of things, largely due to the impeccable reliability of the GR86 machines and the studious efforts of the team at FAST Developments, my success in the series has rested squarely on my own shoulders. Mental preparation, acute situational awareness, and the ability to balance finesse and aggression have allowed me to be competitive to a certain degree, but I was going to have to dia it up a notch if I wanted to secure a race victory or score valuable championship points.
This sixth round saw the circus descend on Killarney International Raceway again, and after the histrionics of the first event there, all drivers were a little cautious. This would be compounded by the two new drivers joining for this round. Head of Toyota GR, Riaan Esterhuysen, would fill the seat vacated by Reuben van Niekerk while Toyota South Africa CEO, Andrew Kirby, would climb behind the wheel of the 7th car. I'm not saying there was pressure, but both Esterhuysen and Kirby know how to throw down a fast lap, and a bodywork-altering rendevous would not go down well with the man signing all the cheques.
Friday Practice
When we first drove out onto the Killarney circuit back in March this year, I posted practice times of 1:28.996, 1:28.726, and 1:28.414 on the first day. This time around, with similar conditions prevailing, I managed a 1:27.559, 1:27.504, and 1:27.709 with me trying a few new things in a bid to dip into the 1:26s in the final session. Considering that my fastest lap time that entire first weekend was a 1:27.809, shaving off a few tenths right off the bat showed that I was feeling more in tune with the car; fast circuits like East London teach you a lot about what you can and can't do in a race car.
I was fairly satisfied with these times, but I had to acknowledge that both Setshaba Mashigo (ASAMM) and Brendon Staniforth (Maroela Media) had the upper hand, posting times of 1:26.421 and 1:26.638 respectively - a full second faster than me. My concern was with the likes of Denis Droppa (Times LIVE) and Mark Jones (The Citizen), who were equally as fast as me; I would have to qualify well and then defend with all my might come race day.
Qualifying
Refreshed and rejuvenated from a good night's rest, we set out on track on Saturday morning. Back in March, I managed to sneak into Pole position thanks to a soggy track and light rain, but this time around, the track was dry, and the sun was already starting to warm things up. A part of me was hoping for a little wet weather as it seems I'm quick in the wet. After all, rain is the great equalizer.
I gave myself some room and focussed on running clean laps, paying attention to the Dunlop Direzza semi-slicks we run as they have a habit of 'going off' when you beat on them for too many laps. We saw the drop off in East London after 7 hard laps, and with Killarney exerting similar strains on the front left, I punched out a few hot laps and then took it easy for another two to get them back in their peak operating range. In the last two laps, I managed to crack into the 1:26-second bracket, posting a 1:26.985 to net me third place in qualifying. Ahead of me would be Mashigo and Staniforth.
I'd start from the second row but would have my work cut out for me as Droppa, Jones, Esterhuysen, and Kirby were not far behind. I'd have to dig deep and ensure that I defended well.
Race 1
Knowing that I'd have to get my elbows out, I focused on the start, ensuring I got a decent enough drive so as not to get left hung out to dry. A defensive line into turn 1 cost me outright pace, but it managed to keep Droppa behind me. Into turn 2, he pushed hard, trying to take advantage of the clean track by taking the outside line. Two abreast, we ran through turns 2, the kink, and 3, but it was on the entry to the fast Sarel's Sweep that I managed to gain the advantage. No inch was given, and none was taken. I settled into a rhythm and set about chasing down Mashigo and Staniforth, who had opened up a gap by this stage.
Too late, she cried, and as it would happen, the 8-lap race was just too short for me to mount an attack on the two leaders. Mashigo would take the win, closely followed by Staniforth, with me in third. My charge in the race's later stages helped me net the fastest lap and, summarily, pole position for race 2.
Following me, Droppa managed to fend off Esterhuysen and Kirby for third spot, while Jones, who showed great pace the first time we raced in the Cape, would bring up the rear, leaving him scratching his head as he wondered where his speed had disappeared to. Sometimes, it just doesn't click.
Race 2
I took some time in the pits to focus on the starting procedure for race 2. I would be out in front, dictating the pace of the rolling start. Knowing that Mashigo and Staniforth were half a second quicker than me, I knew that the first turn would be critical. Races aren't won in the first corner, but many a race has been lost in it. I am not one for dirty racing. I like to fight fair, but at the end of the day, it's still a fight. That said, I decided to make the most of the rules and use every advantage I could take. I led the class out on the formation lap, and after warming up the tyres, I brought the speed down to a near crawl. As we rounded the last corner of the formation lap and entered the straight, I nailed it. No passing is allowed before the line, and as long as you pass the line after the lights go out, all is fair. This move gave me a slender advantage over the rest of the field, but only briefly. I was clean through turn 1 and patiently awaited the inevitable charge from Mashigo and Staniforth.
The back straight of Killarney is lengthy, and while not the fastest circuit in South Africa, we were still touching on 200 km/h before jumping all over the brakes in the last 35 meters at the end of the back straight and into Cape Town/Fastron corner. This corner is primed for overtaking manoeuvres with the slipstream effect allowing challengers to gain an, albeit slight, advantage over their opponents. It was into Fastron that Staniforth and I tangled. I could defend effectively, but Staniforth's compromised line meant that Mashigo could execute a move while Staniforth's attention was elsewhere.
Crossing the line in front once again, I now had Mashigo to contend with. We've battled a few times, and I was primed to defend hard, knowing his go-to techniques. It wasn't to last long, though and in the second corner of the next lap, Mashigo could take an aggressive line and position his car to get a better drive out of the corner. I remained in striking distance of Mashigo for the most part, the talented wheelman opening up slightly in some places but then losing ground to me in others. All the while, I was forced to make split-second decisions about whether to defend against Staniforth or to attack Mashigo. One wrong call would see me lose yet another position.
This melee continued for the remainder of the 8-lap race, and I was successful in staving off the man from Maroela Media but was unsuccessful in my attempts to pass Mashigo. We would finish in that order with Esterhuysen, Droppa, Kirby and the luckless Jones finishing in that order.
My second-place finish scored me valuable points in the championship, but I lost out to second place overall (based on overall elapsed time over the two race heats) to Staniforth by only 0.2 seconds. In the championship, things have gotten rather tight as a result. Mashigo has secured the championship, but Droppa now sits in second on 37 points, with myself and Jones tied for third on 36 points. Staniforth is within striking distance on 34 points after a slow start to the season. Second place is still wide open, with any one of us able to secure it in the final round.
The final charge takes place on 14 October at Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria, where it will all be on the line. It's guaranteed to be a thrilling affair.
