ABDOOL AND SCOTT STAR AT RED STAR AS TGRSA BUILDS MOMENTUM IN 2026 SEASON

Abdool and Scott star at red star as TGRSA builds momentum in 2026 season

Round 2 at Red Star

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing South Africa (TGRSA) continued its strong start to the 2026 season with a competitive showing at Red Star Raceway this past weekend, where Round 2 of both the GR Cup and South African Touring Cars (SATC) championships delivered intense racing in mixed conditions.

Overcast skies and overnight rain left the circuit damp for Saturday morning's qualifying sessions, but conditions improved significantly for the races, which were contested largely in the dry — allowing drivers to fully exploit the pace of their machinery around the demanding Mpumalanga circuit.

In the SATC category, TGRSA’s Jason Coetzee and reigning champion Michael van Rooyen faced a more challenging weekend, but still secured valuable championship points.

Qualifying in tricky wet conditions saw Coetzee place his GR Corolla fifth on the grid, while van Rooyen qualified sixth.

Race 1 saw Coetzee deliver a strong performance, fighting his way through to finish second and secure another podium result, while van Rooyen drove a measured race to finish fourth.

Race 2 proved more difficult for both drivers. Coetzee recovered from an early off-track moment to finish fourth, while van Rooyen brought his GR Corolla home in sixth place, ensuring further points for the team.

“It was a bit of a mixed weekend overall. Qualifying didn’t quite come together for me — I made a small mistake on my final lap, which was important as the track was improving all the time as it dried. I ended up fifth on the grid, but in Race 1 I was able to work my way up to second, and I had to push hard to hold onto that position, especially with double points on offer.”

“We made some really good progress as a team compared to where we were at Killarney. The changes we made to the car gave us much better pace, and it was great to be able to race at the front rather than just defend.”

Jason Coetzee · SATC, GR Corolla

Race 2 was a different story, with Coetzee recovering from an early off-track excursion.

“Race 2 was a bit more difficult. I got a strong start, but had a moment early in the race that forced me onto the grass, and from there I had to fight my way back to fourth. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s all part of the learning process for me in this category. A big thank you to the team for the effort they put in between rounds. We’ve definitely taken a step forward, and I’m confident we can start taking the fight to the front runners.”

Jason Coetzee · SATC, GR Corolla

Justin Ford (eNCA), Tayedza Mbiri (AutoTrader) and Kumbi Mtshakazi (Kumbi-M on Cars) were all involved in close midfield battles throughout the weekend, while Naresh Maharaj (Algoa FM/The Witness) unfortunately suffered an off-track incident during Friday’s running that resulted in damage to his GR Corolla DAT, ruling him out of Saturday’s races.

The GR Cup Media Challenge once again belonged to Nabil Abdool, who continued his dominant early-season form. In wet qualifying conditions, Abdool produced a superb lap of 2:13.041 to secure pole position in the Media class and overall.

“It was a strong and rewarding weekend, starting with a tricky qualifying session in challenging conditions. With grip at a premium and light drizzle, I managed to put together a clean run to secure overall pole position.”

Nabil Abdool · GR Cup Media Challenge

Behind him, Craig Nicholson, Justin Ford, Kumbi Mtshakazi and Naresh Maharaj all featured in competitive midfield battles throughout the weekend, while Tayedza Mbiri retired after qualifying.

Nabil Abdool · GR Cup Media Challenge, Red Star

The GR86 Development Academy delivered some of the closest racing of the weekend, with Connor Weston emerging as the standout performer. Weston secured victory in both races, leading home Kobus Reyneke and Emma Dowling in Race 1 before repeating the result in Race 2 after another closely fought contest.

“It was a great weekend overall, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Winning both races was really special, and I had a lot of fun racing closely with Kobus and Emma. It’s an incredible opportunity, and I’m already looking forward to the next round.”

Connor Weston · GR86 Development Academy

Reyneke and Dowling remained close challengers throughout, while Vatiswa Mokonnoana, Kian Fussell, Reagile Mailula, Miklos Hegyi and Tshepang Shisinwana all gained valuable experience in the highly competitive development category.