The final quarter of 2025’s eight-round BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series is set to start at Red Star Raceway this weekend (3-4 October), and it is not too late for a few upsets before the title-decider.
While Red Star Raceway might still be fresh in the drivers’ minds, having competed there just two rounds ago, this time they will compete around the clockwise circuit layout, which last featured on the Extreme Festival Presented By Coca-Cola tour calendar in May 2024. After this round, the points table will also undergo various adjustments, as scoring eligibility will be determined. This will be done in line with a set of regulations that will be explained in detail ahead of the season finale at Zwartkops Raceway.
While Class A’s defending champion Leon Loubser closed the gap to the top of the Series’ points table after dominating Round 6, the lack of Class A entrants in that round only saw him take 16, and not 22, points away. Loubser, with 81 points, does have a commanding lead in the Class, though, and with second-placed Bob Neill out for this round, it means he is nearly double the amount of points ahead of his nearest rival, Fabio Fedetto. Full points allocation will certainly not be an issue this weekend, with some big names joining the battle. Rick Loureiro, whose dominant Round 4 cameo saw him accumulate 21 points, will be back in the field. His brother, Paulo Loureiro, will also compete in his first non-Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit round in more than three years. Another unknown could come from Farhaan Basha. The former Polo Cup ace will compete in the slick-shod Class in Bilal Ahmed’s BMW F30 330d.
Defending Series and Class B champion Renier Smith knows exactly what’s at stake heading into the penultimate round. With 96 points, he is 37 points ahead of the battle for second place. Apart from breaking out, he has nearly wrapped up his class, but will be firmly focused on retaining top spot in the Series. With five entrants, full points will also not be a concern in this class either. The battle for second is headed up by Anton Pommersheim, with Nek Makris, Andreas Meier, and Lenard Archer all in the mix, and covered by only 12.2 points. However, despite initially having entered, Makris had to withdraw. Pommersheim and Meier all had their fair share of dominance and heartbreak this season, while Archer finished his recent first Class B race with a win and fastest lap.
Class C will also see its fair share of battles. Class leader Salvi Gualtieri will be back in action after missing the coastal trip. His 61 points see him 10 clear of Nishal Singh, while Anand Naidu’s East London Grand Slam sees him just three adrift. Varish Ganpath is just four points behind and leading Hein van der Merwe by three. A driver to look out for will be Ethan Coetzee, who won on debut in Round 6. Cameron Christian, defending champion Reinhardt Miller, Shane Grobler, Sheldon Chetty, and Mario Hattingh will also be in contention. Like Gualtieri and Van der Merwe, Rob Gearing and Dewald Smith will also be back on the grid after missing the East London round. Nick Naidoo will again compete in Class C, with his BMW F87 M2, and in Class D, with his BMW E82 1M.
The Class D top-spot battle is certainly a close two-horse race, following Andre van Vuuren and Bernard de Gouveia, respectively taking double wins and DNFs in Round 6. Van Vuuren’s 69 points see him one clear of De Gouveia. Neither Dawie Oliver nor Michael Grobler will be in action, making it a 38-point gap to their nearest rival, Johan Miller. Gerhard du Plessis and Nick Naidoo both showed good pace at the coast, while Eugene Gouws, Neil Reynolds, Nicholas Herbst, and Troy Cochran will all be back in action.
Class E has seen a lot of changes at the top this season. Currently, Karabo Malemela heads things up with 79 points, 10 clear of Wessel Mostert. Two points behind him is the other former leader, Eddie Rodrigues. Tihan van Rooyen, 17 points adrift, has also looked good, while fifth-placed Shaun Dodd has not entered. The likes of Chloe Stuart, Claudio Jardim, Ignus du Plessis, and Kent Swartz will look to capitalise on their good form. Ferdi van Staden, Gerald Anthony, and Philip Emmenis also make a return to the field. Three of the Class E drivers will also be on the double-duty roster. Mostert will also make his debut in the ACD Welkom 111 & GT Sports & Saloons Series. With the Investchem MSA4 Championship also having a replacement round at Red Star Raceway, Malemela will also be focused on his national title campaign. Swartz will join him on this grid, standing in for a regular campaigner competing abroad.
Class F leader Zaheer Seedat will look to build on his 62-point tally after missing East London. He currently leads Kyan Boodaya, one of the stars in that outing, by 15 points. Caren Nienaber, third and 12 points adrift, also returns, while fourth-placed Shriyav Naidu will miss this one. Henry Platt is 10 points behind Nienaber. Arri van Heerden, Mariska Du Plessis, Miguel da Costa, and Selvan Kistnasamy will also be back on the grid. Mike Grobler will pilot the OG Track Taxi this time around, while Philip Mostert Jnr & Snr are looking forward to their third consecutive outing.
The weekend will see two new drivers. Henry Harber will make his circuit racing debut in a BMW E90 330i. Mitch Coetzee, a regular in various series, will pilot a BMW E87 130i. Nicky Dicks will be in a new car, Andre van Vuuren’s BMW E90 335i, which was rebuilt after the latter’s Round 1 accident.
The Championship points table sees Smith leading Loubser, Malemela, Van Vuurden, and Wessel Mostert.
Saturday’s programme will see:
10:00 – Classes D, E & F – 8 Laps
12:25 – Classes A, B & C – 8 Laps
13:40 – Classes D, E & F– 9 Laps
16:15 – Classes A, B & C – 9 Laps
Spectator tickets can be purchased at the Red Star Raceway entrance gate. The event will also be broadcast live on the Extreme Festival Presented By Coca-Cola website. A handy mobile device-friendly event link portal has also been created to access important links and downloads easily.