The high-pitched wail of the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 and Audi’s R8 GT3, the screaming twin-turbo Ferrari 488 GT3 and the sing-song Porsche 991 turbo, not to mention the deep rumble of the Mercedes-AMG GT3, exhausts aglow and spitting flames – these are the sights and sounds that await motorsport fans around the country as the inaugural SA GT National Championship gets underway at Red Star Raceway on 2nd April.
Red Star Raceway outside Delmas in Mpumalanga packs 13 corners and three straights into its compact 4km setting, offering a variety of challenges to the drivers of South Africa’s fastest racing machinery.
The first round of the 12-round championship features 11 drivers in a mouth-watering array of machinery.
Heading the entry list is Aldo and Silvio Scribante in a pair of bright yellow Cemza Cement Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evos; Silvio swept to victory in the non-championship SA GT class at Kyalami in early February, laying down his marker for the season ahead. Aldo, meanwhile, missed the Kyalami race as his Huracan was stuck in customs. The sibling rivalry for championship honours is going to be a highlight of the year.
Xolile Letlaka and Tschops Sipuka will be behind the wheel of their iconic Into Africa Mining Lamborghini Huracan GT3, aiming for a podium result to kick-start their championship aspirations, mirroring their result at the Kyalami 9-Hour earlier this year.
Izak Spies and Michael Stephen take to the track in their Ultimate Outlaws McLaren MP4-12C. Stephen is no stranger to GT racing having claimed three victories last year, ending third in the championship with an additional four podium finishes. Spies picked up a pair of top six results and will be out to improve his results in the final standings.
The father and son team of Kishoor and Mikaeel Pitamber have a new Creative Ink-supported Porsche 911 GT3 at their disposal. Young Mikaeel is forging a strong motorsport career and is scheduled to race in the DTM Trophy series this year, adding the SA GT Championship as his European schedule allows, leaving the Stuttgart machine in the capable hands of his Dad.
Ferrari is represented by Dayne Angel, another fierce competitor in his Autohaus Angel 488 GT3 and capable of racing for podiums. Jason Ibbotson will be behind the wheel of a 458 GT3 and will be watched with interest.
Bigfoot Express CEO Sun Moodley has replaced his Porsche with a Mercedes-AMG GT3 with another Stuttgart machine on the water for Andrew Culbert. Moodley missed most of last season with the loss of his Porsche, and will be eager to regain his top five form this year.
