South African historic car racing return to its rightful home this Saturday

South African historic car racing will return to its rightful home this Saturday, when the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria will host the opening round of the 2026 Inland Historic Car Championship. With a total of 226 competitors in ten separate racing disciplines, it promises to be a full day of nostalgic spectacle.

The biggest crowd drawcard should be two races for Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-1966 Production Cars, with eight V8-engined muscle cars at the front end. Podium chasers should include Ben Morgenrood (Morgenrood Ford Mustang), Seef Fourie Junior (Ford Cougar), Hennie Groenewaldd (Kameeldoring Capri Perana V8) and Mark du Toit (TAR Ford Fairlane).

Others to watch will be Chad ten Doeschate (Chev Bel-Air Widowmaker), Colin Ellison (Chev Camaro), Alistair Simpson (Lindenberg Shelby Capri Perana), and Jonathan Needham (Needham Ford Mustang).

Racing behind the musclecars will be the Under Two-litre and Little Giants categories, with front runners to include drivers like John ten Doeschate (GSM Flamingo), Carel Pienaar (Kameeldoring Lotus Cortina), Elke Van Vledder (Alfa GT Junior), Ishmael Baloyi (Dart Alfa), Deon Schwabsky (Vexalabs Ford Escort), Shaun Cabrita (Alfa Romeo Giulietta), Marc Miller (RentMySolar Alfa Romeo Giulia), Djurk Venter (Ford Shelby Escort), Joshua du Toit (TAR Alfa GT Junior), Nicole Donker (Alfa GT Junior) and Chris du Plooy (Volvo 122S).

The day’s quickest lap times should come from the races for Pre-1974 International Sports Prototypes and Trans-Am Cars, with front runners poised to be Larry Wilford (Fuchs Lola T70 Mk3B), Hennie Groenewald (Kameeldoring Chev Camaro), Seef Fourie Junior (Opel Astra V8), James Temple (Lindenberg Shelby Daytona Coupe), Peter Bailey (Bayley Cars Porsche RSR), Andre’ van der Merwe (Evapco Porsche RSR) and Mark du Toit (TAR Lola T70 Spyder).

A wide and varied field will tackle the Evapco HRSA category, with front runners to include Werner Kotze (Black and Gold Solutions Mazda R100 Rotary), Andre’ ten Napel (VW Scirocco), Gerrit Murray (Alfa Romeo 155), Seef Fourie Senior (Datsun 140Y), Hugo Janse van Rensburg (Ford Escort Mk2), Mike O’Sullivan (All Things Motoring Honda Ballade), Ian Odendaal (AIM Engineering Ford Escort Mk1), Wynand du Plessis Junior (DBM Architects VW Scirocco), Peter Bailey (Bailey Cars Porsche 911 RSR), Gerrit Murray (Alfa Romeo GTV 2,0), Travis Jensen (Hamilton’s Datsun 1200), Machiel Oberholzer Aquperm Mercedes-Benz 90E), Nicky Dicks (Curvent Porsche 911 RSR) and Andre’ van der Merwe (Evapco Porsche 911 RSR).

The Car Care Clinic Silvercup 2,0 category will see drivers like Zander Jacobs (AAA Recovery VW Corado Spaceframe), Wessel Mostert (Mosco Contractors BMW M3 Turbo), Louis Scholtz (Car Care Clinic Honda Ballade), Marius Truter (Strategic Gear VW Polo GTi), Lourens Taljaard (Loutal Renault Megane Sport), Nathan Venter (Pawn SA Online Tigra) and Sebastian Dias (PMD Transport VW Polo) fighting for the top spots.

The Real Pro Auto Clubmans races will boast entries like Adriaan le Roux (Mercury Engineering Caterham Super 7), Theo Bohnen (Clio Spaceframe), Miguel da Costa (Italian Panelbeaters BMW 328i), Klippies Krige (Mercury Engineering Super 7), Justin Brown (Adlem Automotive BMW M3), Miguel da Costa (Italian Panelbeaters BMW 328i), Lerine Wentzel (About Air Pollution Subaru), Willem Gerhardt Botha (Icon Electrical Mazda Capella) and Ian Schwabsky (Vexalabs Software BMW 328i).

Top runners in the Historic Single Seaters racers should include Ben van der Westhuizen (Delta Rubber Royale FF), Paul Richardson (Aztec Procurement Dulon FF), Patrick Dunseith (Merlin FF), Steven Kernick (Mistral Mk1), Steve Venter (Van Diemen FF), Des Hillary (Aztek Procurement Dulon FF) and Ryan Ludik WH Auctioneers Titan Mk4).

The Monoposto single seater races will see competitors like JM Gerber (Namib Biltong KTM Formula M), Damien Archer (MacNeil Ray Formula GTi), Simphiwe Mohianio (Investchem Reynard), Johan Botha (Mygale FF), Bradley Mader (Get More Car Racing Formula M), Aiden Morrow (Chaplins Optometrists Formula M), Louis van der Merwe (Liabri-Glass Yorkies Swift Formula GTi), Herman Krige (Speads Formula M) and Anriette van Wyk (Mwanga Tech Lantis).

The outcome of the Evapco Pursuit Challenge handicap races are impossible to predict, but top contenders should include Gary Stacey (Coastal Hire Ford Sierra XR8), Rob Clark (Containerforce Honda Ballade), Wynand du Plessis (DBM Architects Porsche 944), Rob van Aarle (Ace Auto Ford Escort), John Simpson (Alfa Romeo GT Junior), Johan Lamprecht (Alfa 145) and Werner Hartzenberg (Porsche 356).

Mackie Adlem (Adlem Auto Tylon) should be the man to beat in the ATS Dunlop Lotus Challenge races, challenged by people like Rudi Barnard (Adlem Auto Lotus 7), Dewald Smith (AMTEK Lotus 7), Andre’ du Plessis (Leet Birkin), Gys van der Walt (Strap King Birkin), Jeff Gable (Blue Bubbles Birkin) and Josef Kotze (Top Products Birkin).

Top Inex Legends competitors should be Riko Raker (Big Boss Auto Legend), Sebastian Vankov (Inex Legend), Tyler Posthumus (TA Plant Hire Legend), Jayden Tromp (Pta Noord Legend), Dylan Fourie (D&R Compressor Legend) and Neels Jooste (ADADI Estate Legend).

The Zwartkops gates will open at 6am, with qualifying sessions for all classes from 7am. Admissionn will cost R120 per adult and R100 per student, with kids under the age of 12 going in for free. Food and drink will be on sale, or you are welcome to bring your own gazebo, cooler box and braai. Everybody is invited to visit the pits on foot, and the venue’s Mini Moke trains will run between the pit gate and spectator areas throughout the day.

To find out more, call the circuit office at 012 384 2299 or visit www.zwartkops.co.za.

Andre’ de Kock

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