This past weekend’s (7-8 November) BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series season finale at Zwartkops Raceway saw Renier Smith become the first two-time consecutive champion, while becoming only the second driver to have two titles to his name.
Heading into the weekend, it was pretty much a two-horse race between Smith and Leon Loubser, the 2023 champion.
Friday Practice
With only three Class A starters, Loubser’s chances were slightly hampered due to the trio not being eligible for a full points payout. This followed Bob Neill’s withdrawal from the event.
In Class D, Christiano Verolini replaced Kent Swartz, and as per the end-of-season championship adjustments, he would not be eligible to score points. Paolo Cavalieri also withdrew, with Varish Ganpath taking over his BMW E46 330Ci. Due to the separate Class A, B, & C and Class D, E, & F races. Ganpath started the weekend entered in both groups.
Eddie Rodrigues’ Class E title aspirations were boosted when Wessel Mostert, the only driver who could beat him, broke into Class D. However, contrary to the incorrect explanation on the event’s live broadcast, this did not mean that any Class titles could be decided before the final checkered flag, as Rodrigues could also break out at any time.
Class F points leader Caren Nienaber had an accident in the final practice session. However, she was able to take over Arri van Heerden’s BMW E30 318i. Although Van Heerden broke into Class E in the previous round, Nienaber has not driven that particular car in 2025, which meant that she was eligible to continue her Class F title pursuit.
Race Day: Classes A, B & C
Rick Loureiro started the morning by securing the Dunlop Pole Position to head up the Class A grid from Paulo Loureiro and Loubser. In Class B, it was Anton Pommersheim who led Smith, followed by Nek Makris, Andreas Meier, and Lenard Archer. Hein van der Merwe got a slight edge over Class C points leader Salvi Gualtieri in their battle for the title by qualifying first. Nicky Dicks, Nick Naidoo, and Bennie Luyt completed the top five.
The Lourerio brothers had a good battle at the front of Class A in Race 1, but it was Rick who beat Paulo after the race was stopped after eight of the scheduled 10 laps. This was after Gualtieri crashed while exiting Turn 4, leaving him in an unsafe position. Loubser completed the Class A podium. Pommersheim racked up his second Class B win, beating Smith, who held off Makris, Meier, and Archer. Van der Merwe made up points in Class C with his win. Gualtieri’s day came to an end, leaving his title chances nearly completely gone. Nick Naidoo beat Ganpath to the runner-up spot, with Reinhardt Miller and Anand Naidu completing the top five.
The 12-lap second race saw the Loureiro brothers recommencing their battle, but this time they got too close while lapping Class C backmarker Dewald Smith on Lap 8 when contact between the trio eliminated them all from the race, which brought out the Safety Car. Loubser was the sole Class A finisher and added another win in the class he already won in the penultimate round.
However, Loubser’s win was not enough to secure the Series title. Meier won Class B from Pommersheim, with Smith’s third place seeing him seal the title. Makris and Archer completed the top five. Miller took the Class C win, while Van der Merwe’s second place saw him take his maiden class title. Nick Naido completed the podium, with Naidu fourth, and Cemeron Christian fifth.
With 13 points, Loubser also took the ZF-Aftermarket Overall Win for Round 8. Rick and Paulo Loureiro’s respective eight and six points earned them a podium finish. Pommersheim took Class with 18 points, over Meier on 15, and Smith on 14. Van der Merwe, Miller, and Naidoo also racked up 18, 15, and 14 points, respectively, in Class C.
Race Day: Classes D, E & F
Saturday morning’s qualifying session also neutralised the Class D battle. With Bernard de Gouveia leading Andre van Vuuren, the latter had to make sure he stayed ahead of the points leader. However, in chasing the ATS Pole Position, he broke out. So, too, did Ganpath. De Gouveia headed up the grid from Eugene Gouws and Craig Herbst. Johan Miller and Troy Cochran completed the top five. Tihan van Rooyen headed up Class E from Rodrigues, with Kyan Boodaya, Claudio Jardim, and Shaun Dodd also at the front. Henry Platt headed up Class F from Zeyad Ismail, with Philip Mostert Snr, Manny Ribeiro, and Miguel da Costa completing the top five.
Mindful of what was at stake, De Gouveia drove a well-controlled first race to beat Gouws and Dave Rehse in Class D. Cochran and Miller completed the top five. Jardim took the Class E win, while Rodrigues retired with following a multi-car incident on Lap 3. Jardim held off Dodd, who finished second, while Van Rooyen took third place. Boodaya beat Verolini to fourth place. Platt, one of the drivers who could beat Nienaber in Class F, won the race from Ismail, while Ribeiro completed the podium, while Philip Mostert Snr and Henry Harber, another driver not eligible to score points, finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Nienaber’s eighth-place finish saw her score only one point.
Race 2 saw Gouws take his first win of the year ahead of Miller. De Gouveia finished third, which saw the man who won South Africa’s first circuit race of 2025 take his maiden Class D title. Dawie Olivier and Nicholas Herbst completed the top five. Cochran crossed the finish line in third place, but racked up a 30-second penalty for jumping the start. Jardim made it two Class E wins for the day, with second-placed Rodrigues taking his maiden Class E title. Dodd completed the podium, ahead of Verolini and Van Rooyen. Platt’s second victory saw him take the Class F crown, after only joining the series in the second half of the season. Ribeiro and Mostert Snr completed the podium, while Harber and Mariaan Emmenis, in her first round of the season, finished fourth and fifth place, respectively.
The ZF-Aftermarket Overall Results saw Gouws taking the Class D win with 18 points. He also took the ITOO Driver of the Day award. De Gouveia, with 16 points, was second ahead of 12-point Miller. With a full house of 20 points, Jardim took Class E from 12-point Dodd and 10-point Van Rooyen. Platt also had a full house of points in Class F, beating Ribeiro and Ismail, with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Championship Results
While Loubser took his third consecutive Class A title, Neill and Fabio Fedetto completed the top three. Neither of the latter two competed in the season finale. Smith made it two Class B titles in a row, with Pommersheim beating Meier to second place. With Van der Merwe as Class C champion, Salvi Gualtieri was second, while Andre van Vuuren took third place.
Behind Class D champion De Gouveia, Karabo Malemela took second place, with Johan Miller in third. Rodrigues was followed in Class E by Jardim and Van Rooyen. With Platt winning Class F, Nienaber finished second, with Ismail third.
The top five in the BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series championship for 2025 are Smith, Loubser, De Gouveia, Rodrigues, and Pommersheim. Van der Merwe finished sixth, with Platt 14th.
Looking Ahead To 2026
While more details will be announced during the course of the next few weeks, Smith is also the last champion of the series as a whole. In 2026, the BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series will have two separate championships for turbocharged and naturally aspirated vehicles.
The 2026 season will again commence at the end of January with the 25th Passion For Speed at Zwartkops Raceway. Consisting of nine rounds in total, seven of these will form part of the Extreme Festival Presented By Coca-Cola tour, which will announce its 2026 calendar within the coming weeks.