Toyota GR Cup Round 7 - The Grand Finale

Time and tide waits for no man. There are moments in your life that you wish would last forever, and there are some that you want over with as soon as possible. As man-made a construct as time is, we're all beholden to it. At the very beginning of this year, when the announcement was made that I was selected to participate in the 2023 Toyota GR Cup, both Sean Nurse and Mark Jones warned me, "Enjoy this; it will be over before you know it". How very right they were. Thankfully, this year's experience behind the wheel of one of 6 (and later 7) identical Toyota GR86 race cars has left an indelible mark on my life and soul.

Related: Toyota GR86 (2023) Road vs Race - Attacking the track in the GR86

The final round of the 2023 season is done. But it will live on, not only captured to video but in my book of life as I wrap up my first ever full season of competitive motorsport. Heading into this final round, I was faced with the prospect of placing second in the championship. While this may not be the Formula 1 World Championship, and the field may consist of my motoring media peers and few Toyota execs, it was as important to each and every one of us as we fulfilled our boyhood dreams of being racing drivers. Placing second would be a suitable result for someone of my inexperience, but it wouldn't come without a fight. It would require me to call on all the lessons I've learned over the last eight months, and there would have to be a small sprinkling of good fortune thrown into the mix - something I've struggled to acquire over the year.

 

Setshaba Mashigo (ASAMM) sealed the deal in the 6th round of the season in Cape Town. The deserving champion showed us that focus, dedication, green tea, and time in a simulator can, in fact, yield results. It doesn't hurt that he's a raw talent and a likeable bloke to boot. He netted 73 points to clear himself of the competition to take the 2023 title. Denis Droppa (TimesLIVE) entered the 7th round on 37 points, with Mark Jones (The Citizen) and myself tied in third on 36 points. Brendon Staniforth (Maroela Media) had a late charge in the season and was not far adrift on 34 points, well within striking distance considering his recent form. If I'm being honest, after our tussle in Cape Town, he was the threat I was most weary of. 

We would be joined by Product PR and GR Manager Riaan Esterhuysen and VP of Marketing for Toyota South Africa Glenn Crompton to fill the remaining seats.

 

Friday Practice

With a bright and early start to the practice day, as has been customary for the GR Cup this season, we set out on a track that had seen rainfall the night before. This usually washes away some of the rubber laid down on the tarmac and creates a 'green' surface. It's seldom conducive to fast lap times, but I was pleased to head back into the pits with a 1:14.131, the fastest time of the class. I didn't pay too much mind to that because, as I've learned, the field quickly finds its pace in FP2 (free practice 2) and FP3. The 1:14.1 was close to my personal best at Zwartkops Raceway, and even though the surface was green, I felt that I could hit those numbers once again.

It was not to be, though, and soon, the searing heat of the day boiled the tarmac, and the times tumbled. Each and every driver was struggling to post competitive times in the second practice. I managed to remain the quickest, but Esterhuysen had found a rhythm and was the only one that improved. I was struggling to get the car rotated, and after only two hot laps, the Dunlop Direzza DZ03G tyres would 'go off' and overheat in the blistering sun. The car was a sauna, the race suit stifling. It was not the most comfortable I've felt at our home track.

 

Most uncomfortable was Staniforth, though, who, after rushing back from a business trip in Spain, was decidedly green around the gills. He elected not to risk continuing with the day, opting rather to head home and sleep it off in the hopes that he would feel better on race day. I continued to go backwards in the final practice session, this time overtaken in the table by Mashigo, who had managed to find a way to remain consistant at least. It seems this would be the way forward. Accepting the track conditions and settling into a groove. 

The day had taken its toll, though, and the drive home was a painful one. Heat exhaustion had set in, and I was on the brink of dehydration with a pounding head and an aching body. The nausea is never fun. Nevertheless, I forced myself to punch out a quick 20 laps on the simulator with the settings altered for the lack of front-end grip and greasy tyre situation I was bound to encounter.

 

Saturday Race Day

After an early night and copious amounts of electrolytes, I felt ready to take on the day. I've felt fresher, but there was a task at hand. Not feeling fresh enough, though, was Staniforth, who elected to sit out rather than risk lives by competing while ill. As a friend, I was gutted for him. His form had improved, and he put a convincing set of ears on us in East London. He drove a great race in Cape Town and had valiantly fought his way back into contention in the championship, but now he would see it all slip from his grasp. On the flip side, the competitor in me was a little pleased that I had one less opponent to worry about.

First would be qualifying, and the cooler conditions favoured some quick times. I had concerns about the durability of the tyres for the day; this was our last set, and we would have to look after them. Push too hard for too long, and you'd unnecessarily wear them, possibly stranding you when it matters the most.

 

After getting the tyres up to temperature, I set about posting some fast laps. I could only manage two consecutive laps before slowing down and cooling the tyres again. As soon as the understeer disipated and the oversteer manifested, I knew it was safe to start pushing again. Ahead of me, Droppa carried a head of steam into turn 1, a corner that only requires a quick lift to rotate the car and get the nose pointing in the right direction before you plant it again and aim for teh braking point going into turn 2. Droppa washed wide and, with limited runoff space, did his best to straighten up. He brought his machine back under control in a flurry of stones and gingerly reentered the track. Mashigo pipped me by a mere 0.088 seconds to pole position. I would gladly accept this; my fight wasn't with him. It was with Jones and Droppa.

 

Race 1

I had the inside slot on the front row - great for the left-hander turn 1, but diabolical for the right-hand hairpin that is 2. I would need a good start if I was to do well in front of the family and friends who had come out to support me. Jones qualified in 3rd, placing him behind Mashigo, and Esterhuysen would slot in behind me. Droppa followed Jones, and Crompton would see himself alongside, with last-minute super-sub Mario de Sousa bringing up the rear. A quick phone call saw de Sousa make his way to the track to fill the seat in Staniforth's vacant car, completeing the grid in the 86 league.

As we rounded the final turn on the formation lap, the red lights lay await. We'd be instructed not to accelerate until such time as the start lights go out - I wonder why that rule was brought into play. In my eagerness to stay glued to Mashigo, I nudged the shifter into the next gear. This premature shift into 3rd saw me lose drive, and both Jones and Droppa got the edge on me. As we rounded turn 2 we were met with a dust cloud, several Yaris body parts breakdancing on the track, and one very smashed Yaris smoking off to one side. Ryan Naicker had lost it coming out of turn 2 and put it in the wall. We bobbed and weaved through the debris as the race was yellow-flagged and, summarily, red-flagged. We returned to the grid and were instructed to assume our original grid positions for the restart. Finally, Lady Luck favoured me, and the position I had lost to Jones was returned to me. I'd gotten a second chance - I couldn't screw it up again.

 

On the restart, I made sure to rev out the GR86 and took as defensive a line as possible. Mashigo couldn't find drive coming out of 2, and I pushed past him. Steadily, he dropped further back until retiring completely - debris from the Yaris accident had punctured his front right tyre. I sympathised with him. I've been there. Motorsports can be cruel at times. This, however, allowed Jones and me to break away from the pack as Droppa squabbled with Esterhuysen, and Crompton and de Sousa went at it.

I pulled a slight gap on Jones and set about running as clean and error-free as possible, knowing that a singular mistake would give Jones the gap he needed to close in and pass me. It was around lap 6 that I noticed Jones drop back. Suspecting that he was cooling his tyres to mount a final attack, I pressed on. I've led races before but never been able to translate that into a win, buckling under the pressure in the dying moments of battle. The adjusted lap count allowed me to stay in front and cross the finish line first for my maiden win of the season. I had finally done it. I had managed to hold off and run a clean enough race to take a race win! This win netted me 7 points, with Jones being awarded 5. We were now both ahead of Droppa, and I had a slim cushion to work with in race 2.

 

Race 2

Luck would favour me again. My lap times in race 1 were fast enough to secure me the pole position for race 2. Mashigo's retirement put to rest his chances of him starting anywhere near the front of the grid, and he would have to carve through the field from the back if he wanted any points in this round. Esterhuysen, continually improving, found himself alongside me on the front row. I had Jones behind me, and Droppa would be alongside him, followed by de Sousa and Crompton.

This time, I had to behave myself at the start. I lined up my number 81 Toyota GR86 as close to the centre line as possible while remaining on the correct side of the track. This race was going to be about defending. I would have to do it as if my life depended on it. A clean start saw Esterhuysen and me careen through turns 1 and 2 while behind us, Droppa dived for a gap on the inside of Jones. Hard on the brakes, he tagged the back of the number 23 car, sending him airborne as the wheels tangled. Crashing back down to earth, he made contact with Jones again, this time sending Jones into a slide. Droppa was, for the second time at Zwartkops Raceway, forced to retire the car with a broken suspension. This mayhem allowed Mashigo to slice through the pack and set off after Esterhuysen and myself.

 

The GR Manager was steadily coming to grips with the front-engined, rear-drive configuration of the GR86 and posed a formidable challenge. I was forced to run qualifying-pace laps just to stay ahead, and on several occasions, I was forced to shut the door in his face and take a creative line through a corner to defend my position. This tooth-and-nail combat continued for what felt like an eternity. My mirrors were filled with the number 555 GR86 and its yellow wing mirrors. No inch given, none taken. So intense was our battle that we both blasted right past the chequered flag and continued racing, fighting for position, both understeering through turn 2 as our tyres protested. It was only when we approached a gaggle of Toyota GR Yarises doing 4 km/h up to turn 5 that we realized that the race was over. It was my second win of the day, my second win of the season, but I had done it. I had a clean sheet from start to finish and, in doing so, secured second place in the championship for 2023. Mashigo finished up in third, followed by Jones, de Sousa, and Crompton.

 

I had climbed the mountain. The sense of relief was intoxicating. After several setbacks throughout the year and coming so close to victories, it was incredible to secure not only a win but a double and, in doing so, as high a position in the overall standings as possible (considering the talent that is Setshaba Mashigo). To do this in front of my family and friends, who have unwaveringly supported me throughout this journey, was the true reward. I am ever grateful for their confidence in me.

 

Toyota Gazoo Racing GR86 Cup 2023

1. Setshaba Mashigo

2. Chad Lückhoff

3. Mark Jones

4. Denis Droppa

5. Brendon Staniforth

6. Reuben Van Niekerk

7. Thomas Falkiner

8. Riaan Esterhuysen

9. Mario de Sousa

10. John Thomson

11. Anand Pather

12. Andrew Kirby

13. Glenn Crompton

 

There's a long list of thank yous that need to be offered. Firstly, to Toyota South Africa for entrusting me with their car and for hosting us like works drivers the entire year. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will be treasured for the rest of my days. To the sponsors of the GR Cup: Netstar, Kinto, Dunlop, Toyota Financial Services, and Garmin. Thanks to the Extreme Festival for allowing us to join your festivities. A massive thank you to all the marshals and officials at all the tracks that we race at, the timekeepers, COCs and administrators. To the team at Toyota, who ensured that everything was always in place and ready for us, thank you for your efforts. To Fast Developments and the pit crews that ensured that our cars were maintained and race-ready, our deepest gratitude. To my fellow competitors, we had an amazing time this year, and we've bonded like very few ever will. It was an honour to share the tracks with you. And finally, to the fans and supporters that make the effort worthwhile, I hope you enjoyed joining me on this journey, and I thank you for your acts of encouragement.