Johannesburg, 14 April 2025 – Volkswagen Motorsport stole the spotlight at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit this weekend, delivering a dominant display at the Blockbuster Extreme Festival by Coca-Cola. The standout performance came from Jonathan Mogotsi, who clinched the overall SATC SupaCup victory with a commanding drive, while rising star Judd Bertholdt took his maiden Astron Energy Polo Cup pole in just his second outing in the fiercely competitive series.
Mogotsi in a League of His Own
SATC SupaCup champion Jonathan Mogotsi reaffirmed his status at the pinnacle of local motorsport with a near-flawless weekend. Piloting his Volkswagen Genuine Parts SupaPolo, Mogotsi delivered a textbook pole lap and followed it up with two commanding races that secured him the overall honours at one of South Africa’s most iconic circuits.
“I love Kyalami – my team gave me a perfect car, and I managed to hook up the lap for pole,” said a jubilant Mogotsi. “I made a small mistake in race one using the push-to-pass too early, but we still came home with solid points. Race two was perfect – lights to flag. Huge thanks to my team. Now, it’s time to head home to Gqeberha for the next round.”
Volkswagen Motorsport Head Mike Rowe was full of praise: “Jonathan Mogotsi was the star of the show at Kyalami this weekend. His pole was spectacular and both races were brilliant. We’ll gladly take this overall win.”
Bertholdt Breaks Through
Equally impressive was rookie Polo Cup driver Judd Bertholdt. The reigning Rookie Cup champion stunned with a superb pole position – his first in the Astron Energy Polo Cup – before fighting his way to a season-best fifth place in race two, a testament to his quick adaptation and raw pace.
“Qualifying in the Polo Cup is a dark art, but we put everything into securing a strong starting position for race two, and it paid off,” Bertholdt shared. “Getting shuffled down the order after the start was tough, but I kept my head down and fought back. Massive thanks to the team – I’m already counting down the days to our home race.”
Loosemore Faces a Character-Building Weekend
It was a tougher weekend for SupaCup rookie and reigning Astron Energy Polo Cup champion Jason Loosemore, who showed promising pace in practice but faced challenges in qualifying and both races.
“Qualifying didn’t quite go our way, and race one got messy in the bunch. Race two was a write-off,” Loosemore admitted candidly. “But that’s racing. Mama warned me there’d be days like this! Big thanks to the team – we’ll come back stronger at Aldo Scribante.”
Eyes on Aldo Scribante
With the next round just around the corner, excitement is already building for the team’s return to its spiritual home – Aldo Scribante Raceway in Gqeberha, just down the road from Volkswagen’s Kariega plant.
“Kyalami was a fantastic weekend for Volkswagen Motorsport,” concluded Rowe. “Now we turn our attention to our home race, where we’re always energised by our loyal fans. We’ll see you in Gqeberha on 10 May.”
