Johannesburg, 22 July 2025 – Former champion Brad Liebenberg made a storming return to the Astron Energy Polo Cup this past weekend, taking a dominant lights-to-flag win in treacherous conditions at the Extreme Festival powered by Coca-Cola in East London. As rain-soaked chaos reigned behind him, Liebenberg kept his cool to take the chequered flag, while title leader Mo Karodia strengthened his championship bid with a composed second-place finish.
The sole race of the day was a high-stakes showdown marked by drama, delays, and a red flag restart – yet the ever-calm Liebenberg never missed a beat. Making a one-off return in his Sparco-liveried Polo, the 2019 champion upset the current order by snatching pole from Fast 5 Motorsport’s Karodia. Volkswagen Rookie Cup graduate Judd Bertholdt continued to impress, qualifying third in a performance that further cemented his growing reputation.
Despite atrocious track conditions following torrential overnight rain, Liebenberg led confidently from the start of the delayed race. However, the opening laps saw early drama unfold behind him as brothers Judd and Bjorn Bertholdt tangled, leaving Judd stranded in a flooded section of the circuit and Bjorn scrambling back onto the tarmac. The red flags flew, and after a lengthy pause, the race was restarted with a reshuffled field.
On the restart, Liebenberg was once again untouchable. Karodia challenged hard through the opening corners, particularly down to the notorious Copabana, but had to settle for second, still a crucial result in the championship context. Judd Bertholdt, recovering brilliantly from his earlier off, completed the podium after holding off a spirited scrap involving Rory Atkinson, Tyler Robinson, Ethan Coetzee, Hannes Scheepers, and Charl Smalberger.
Naidoo claimed tenth ahead of Goodman, a recovering Bjorn Bertholdt, Bevin Masters, Milan Emslie, Pierluigi Muzzulini, and Nirav Singh – all navigating the treacherous conditions with measured aggression.
In the Astron Energy Polo Masters category, Wayne Masters continued his dominant run, clinching another win and further tightening his grip on the over-50s title. He finished ahead of Derick Smalberger and Mike Barbaglia, the latter promoted to third after John Kruger was handed a ten-second penalty for a jumped start. Elio Muzzulini rounded out the top four in class.
The day’s second scheduled race promised more fireworks, and Liebenberg again seized the early lead from Karodia and a fast-starting Coetzee. But two significant crashes involving title hopefuls Atkinson and Robinson brought out another red flag, and with light fading rapidly over the Eastern Cape circuit, officials had no choice but to abandon the race.
Championship Implications
While fans were deprived of a second bout, the single race outcome carried substantial championship implications. Karodia’s P2 finish ahead of rivals Bertholdt and Atkinson allowed him to extend his lead heading into the winter break. With just two rounds remaining, the Fast 5 Motorsport driver is looking increasingly poised to capture his maiden Astron Energy Polo Cup title.
As for Wayne Masters, another dominant Masters victory means he edges ever closer to sealing back-to-back titles in the category that bears his name.
Looking Ahead
The Astron Energy Polo Cup returns to action on Saturday, 13 September 2025, at the Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town for the penultimate round of the national Extreme Festival. With the title race heating up and tempers flaring under pressure, the Mother City promises yet another unmissable showdown.
Volkswagen Motorsport acknowledges the continued support of its Polo Cup partners: naming rights sponsor Astron Energy, along with Dunlop, Pabar, and Ferodo – all vital contributors to the success of South Africa’s premier one-make racing series.
