Cape Town – 8 June 2025
A weekend of fierce competition and extreme weather delivered a thrilling prelude to the Six Hours of Killarney as the Southern African Endurance Series rolled into the Western Cape. Despite intermittent downpours on Saturday, hardy spectators were treated to a full slate of high-octane support races including GT Cup SA, Sports & GT, and the MRSSA Motorcycle Championship.
GT Cup SA: Arangies Unstoppable Amid Cape Chaos
In a masterclass of wet and dry domination, Charl Arangies proved untouchable aboard his Stradale Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R. The Johannesburg-based driver started the weekend by grabbing pole position by a staggering 5.3 seconds over Divan Wentzel’s 911 GT3 Cup and never looked back.
Friday’s opening contest was run in cool but clear conditions, with Arangies cruising to a commanding victory nearly 30 seconds clear of Wentzel. Behind them, Mo Mia and Nicky Dicks engaged in a riveting duel, with Mia edging out his rival by four-tenths for the final podium place.
Saturday’s wet races only widened Arangies’ gap to the field. Not content with simply winning, he lapped the entire grid in both remaining heats. Dicks secured a brace of second places, while JJ Deysel scrapped his way into the top three with gritty drives in treacherous conditions.
When the final tally was done, it was Arangies atop the standings, flanked by Dicks and Deysel for the overall podium.
Sports & GT: Hammond Edges Angel in Cape Duel
Local racer Dayne Angel seemed poised to dominate after taking pole in his Ferrari 488 GT3, fending off Xolile Letlaka’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo and series leader Damian Hammond’s Super Trofeo Evo 2. But while Angel drew first blood in Friday’s dry opener, it was Hammond who turned the tables in the rain.
Saturday’s first race saw the Lamborghini pilot produce a storming drive to steal victory from Angel by just 0.4 seconds. A resurgent Byron Mitchell in the Ligier JS53 claimed third, while Letlaka recovered from an early spin to finish sixth in an impressive comeback drive.
Mitchell carried that momentum into the final race, taking a convincing win from Hammond and Andrew Horne, who shadowed the championship leader to the flag.
Despite not winning a race, Hammond’s consistency earned him top overall honours, followed by Angel and the ever-committed Letlaka.
MRSSA Motorcycles: Pienaar and Veringa Reign in Mixed Conditions
In the two-wheeled arena, the MRSSA Motorcycle races delivered edge-of-the-seat action, with standout performances from Tristin Pienaar and David Veringa in their respective classes.
Pienaar was in a class of his own in the Senior Superbike 1000cc category, putting his Honda CBR 1000 MRSP on pole and dominating all three outings regardless of conditions. He was trailed in Friday’s opener by Damion Purificati and the electrifying Ora Phiri, who took top 600cc honours.
Saturday’s rain-drenched sessions only seemed to enhance Pienaar’s performance. The Honda rider remained unflappable as others slipped and slid behind him. Ryan Futter impressed in the Masters class, while Troy Tonkin claimed top spot in the 600cc field.
Meanwhile, in the Unlimited 1000cc class, BMW rider David Veringa laid down a marker in qualifying, edging Siya Shabalala by 0.4 seconds. Although Jordan King stole victory from tenth on the grid in Friday’s race, Veringa returned with a vengeance in Saturday’s wet affair, winning by 18 seconds.
Overall victories went to Pienaar, Futter, and Tonkin in their respective MRSSA classes, with Veringa topping the Unlimited 1000cc leaderboard ahead of King and Jamie Hall.
Next Stop: Kyalami
With the curtain closed on an exhilarating Killarney round, attention now shifts to the legendary tarmac of Kyalami for the Four Hours of Kyalami, set for 26 July. As the Southern African Endurance Series powered by Vodacom 4U continues its march toward championship glory, the title battles across all categories remain wide open.
Proudly supported by Vodacom 4U, Foton and Proton, Dunlop Tyres, ATS Motorsport, Silverlakes Farm Hotel and SuperSport, the series is delivering some of the finest motorsport action on the continent — rain or shine.
