The Falken Polo Cup is set to deliver another weekend of thrilling door-to-door racing when the series descends on Zwartkops Raceway for Round 2 on 5 and 6 April 2019. If the season-opener in Kwa Zulu-Natal was anything to go by, fans are guaranteed plenty of action from South Africa’s most exciting racing formula at the tight and twisty 2.4 km circuit located west of Pretoria.
The Polo Cup is renowned for producing some of the closest and most exciting racing in the country and Round 2 of the championship will see the 25-strong field of identical Polo GTi race cars – now using Falken slick tyres for 2019 – once again guaranteeing an exciting spectacle for the fans.
Reigning champion Jeffrey Kruger claimed the early advantage with a comfortable victory in the first race at Dezzi Raceway in March,add to that a third-place finish in race two and the champion ended the day at the top of the standings. He will be as determined as ever to also claim the upper hand at Zwartkops – the venue of his title victory at the close of the 2018 season.
However, he will be up against former champion Chris Shorter who won the second heat at the season-opener. Behind the leading pair, several other talented drivers are sure to also be challenging for race wins, including Bradley Liebenberg who secured pole position and third overall on his first Falken Polo Cup outing since 2016. Series newcomer Stiaan Kriel caused quite a stir on his debut, coming agonisingly close to podium finishes in both races, and wrapping up his first Falken Polo Cup weekend in an impressive fourth place overall.
Experienced Polo Cup drivers such as Jason Campos, Clinton Bezuidenhout, Matt Shorter and Keegan Campos are also sure to be in the mix.
For Volkswagen Motorsport’s Jonathan Mogotsi, the Zwartkops race weekend will be the ideal opportunity to ramp up his title challenge on a circuit he knows well after finishing sixth overall at the first round of the 2019 championship.
Team-mate Raais Asmal will continue building his confidence and race pace in the second Volkswagen Motorsport Polo GTi, under the guidance of veteran racing driver Graeme Nathan and his team. Asmal is currently 18th following the Dezzi Raceway event.
“The opening round of the 2019 Falken Polo Cup produced exceptional racing, and I have no doubt that we’ll see more of the same at Zwartkops Raceway which always delivers lots of close and exciting action,“ commented Mike Rowe, head of Volkswagen Motorsport.
“It’s fantastic to see several Polo Cup champions battling it out with experienced drivers as well as some of the newcomers to the series, which sets the scene for a superb season for the drivers and spectators alike,“ Rowe added.
Practice at Zwartkops Raceway commences on Friday 5 April, with the qualifying and Superpole shootout taking place on the morning of Saturday 6 April, followed by two eight-lap races in the afternoon.
Notably, Tasmin Pepper, the 2018 Polo Cup runner-up, won’t be racing in the Falken Polo Cup this year after being selected as one of 18 women who will compete in the first ever all-female single-seater racing formula, the international W Series, for 2019 which will run in conjunction with the DTM championship.
“We wish Tasmin everything of the best as she represents South Africa on the international stage and raises the profile of women drivers in single-seater racing,“ Rowe concluded.