The opening round of the 2026 BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series saw Ignus du Plessis rack up a perfect score, but this weekend’s (6-7 March) rematch at Zwartkops Raceway will see a host of NA Cup rivals looking to catch up.
The Class C driver, now in his second season in the Series, took home the maximum amount of points available to open up a seven-point lead on the NA Cup points table. His cause was also aided by the wins in the other classes being shared.
With no drivers breaking into Class A yet, the front of the field will again be led by the Class B pack. Bernard de Gouveia holds a slender, solitary point lead at present, despite going winless in the season opener. Second-placed Oleratu Sekudu and third-placed Andre van Vuuren shared the wins, but it was De Gouveia’s two runner-up finishes that saw him on top. Richard Gerntholtz and Troy Cochran have also established themselves as early leaders. However, there is another driver to watch for, Dawie Olivier, who gave everyone a reminder of his stellar performance from 2025 in this year’s season opener.
Class C might well and truly be the domain of Du Plessis at present, but his immediate rivals should not be discounted at all. Especially when the rest of the early top five consist of Nicholas Herbst, Kent Swartz, Tihan van Rooeyn, and Cobus Bohmer, all drivers who featured prominently in battles at the front in Round 1. Although struggling with their own misfortunes in Race 2, Karabo Malemela and Claudio Jardim will also look to have their eyes on some strong finishes, with them both having featured prominently in the season opener. Other drivers to watch out for will be Mitch Coetzee, Shriyav Naidu, and Stefano Cavalieri.
Class D will be the biggest NA Cup group, making up 19 of the 36 entries, which provisionally includes a couple of new car/driver combinations on the entry list. Ruan van der Walt and Reinhardt Miller head up the points table after sharing the Round 1 race wins. Chloe Stuart and Henry Platt have also established themselves as early leaders. Fifth-placed Zaheer Seedat will miss Round 2, which takes place during the month of Ramadan. Arri van Heerden will look to get himself closer to the front of the field, while Craig Platt will start in only his second race weekend. Dirk van Loggerenberg and Morgan Jacobs are two other season debutants making their return, while Henry Harber, who joined the Series in 2025’s penultimate round, will now compete in his third successive Zwartkops Raceway outing. Desmond Bloem, Ferdi van Staden, Gerhard du Plessis, Justin Brown, Phillip Mostert Snr, Phillip Mostert Jnr, and Pieter Lombard will also look to put together strong weekends.
The three new driver/car combinations for this weekend are Eddie Rodrigues, now competing in a new BMW E92 M3, and Lorenzo Gualtieri, piloting the OG Track Taxi. Shane Grobler is back in the NA Cup in a newly-built BMW E46 M3.
Saturday’s races, broadcast live via Extreme Festival, are scheduled for 12:40 and 16:40, and will be contested over 10 and 12 laps respectively. Spectator tickets can be purchased at the Zwartkops Raceway entrance gate.