Round 3 of the 2026 GR Cup season at Zwartkops Raceway proved to be a spectacular homecoming for the series. As the official base of operations for Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, the tight Pretoria circuit hosted one of the most competitive weekends of the year so far.
For SuperSport’s Nabil Abdool, the weekend marked another milestone aboard the new Toyota GR Corolla DAT. By securing overall pole position and two class victories, Abdool extended his unbeaten streak to a perfect six wins from six starts in the 2026 season.
QUALIFYING DUEL
From the outset, it was clear that lap times around the tight, 2.4km Zwartkops circuit would be incredibly close. Abdool found himself locked in an intense qualifying duel with Academy driver Paul de Vos, who was piloting the manual GR Corolla.
The chess match continued throughout the session before Abdool ultimately secured overall pole position, narrowly edging out the Academy driver by a mere 0.037 seconds. Craig Nicholson lined up directly behind the front-row duo after displaying tremendous pace throughout Friday's practice sessions.
SAFETY CAR DRAMA
Race 1 began flawlessly for Abdool, who managed a clean getaway and immediately began building a gap at the front.
However, the race changed dramatically on lap 3 when the Safety Car was deployed following contact between media driver Kumbi Mtshakazi and Dealer driver Theo Britz. The interruption erased Abdool’s hard-earned advantage and compressed the entire GR Cup field.
Once racing resumed, Abdool came under sustained pressure from the chasing pack, particularly the hard-charging De Vos - while simultaneously navigating backmarker traffic from the GR86 field. Despite the pressure, Abdool held his nerve to cross the line first overall and secure another Media Challenge victory.
Craig Nicholson (News24) finished second in class just behind the leading duo, while Yolanda Lukhele impressed on debut by completing the class podium.
RECOVERY DRIVE
The second sprint of the weekend presented a completely different challenge. As the Race 2 grid is determined by each driver’s fastest lap in Race 1, heavy traffic during the closing stages of the opening race compromised Abdool’s lap times, relegating him to third on the grid.
Starting behind Nicholson and pole-sitter De Vos, Abdool wasted little time launching an attack. On Lap 2, Nicholson suffered a slow exit out of Turn 4, allowing Abdool to draw alongside on the run down to Turn 5 and reclaim second place with a decisive move under braking.
From there, Abdool began to hunt down the leading Academy Corolla with the help of traffic. He ultimately crossed the line just behind De Vos, but secured another Media Challenge victory to complete a stellar double-win weekend.
Nicholson again finished second in class with a superb drive, while Lukhele repeated her impressive debut performance with another third-place finish.
Elsewhere in the Media Challenge, with Mtshakazi unfortunately ruled out of the running, Justin Ford and Tayedza Mbiri traded fourth and fifth throughout the weekend. Naresh Maharaj was also forced to sit out Saturday’s races following an off-track incident during Friday practice that caused significant damage to his GR Corolla DAT.
SIX FROM SIX
“Round 3 at Zwartkops was a tough but rewarding weekend,” Abdool reflected after the podium ceremony. “We knew the field and the times would be incredibly close and competitive. I was surprised by the pace of the new GR Corolla DAT."
“With six wins from six starts this season, we’ll definitely be looking to carry this momentum into the coastal leg,” Abdool added. “The new Corollas are still opening up as the engines and gearboxes wear in, so the next round should be another exciting challenge.”
COASTING
The GR Cup now heads to the coast for Round 4 at Aldo Scribante Raceway in Gqeberha, where dynamic weather conditions, high attrition, and evolving machinery promise even more explosive GR Cup action.
Remaining 2026 National Extreme Festival Calendar
27 June - Aldo Scribante, Gqeberha
15 August - Prince George Circuit, East London
19 September – Killarney International Raceway, Cape Town
17 October - Zwartkops Raceway, Pretoria