Racing reflections as we encounter highs and lows at Zwartkops

IT WAS a mixture of euphoria and disappointment as I drove my Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa (TGRSA) GR Yaris into the pits after the final race of the fourth round of the GR Cup held at Zwartkops this weekend.

- WILLEM VAN DE PUTTE

Racing can be a cruel mistress and the highs and lows that come with it put you on an emotional rollercoaster.

Practice

It had been more than a month since we drove at the Aldo Scribante Circuit in Gqeberha and during the first practice at Zwartkops I felt a little detached from the car as I tried to get back into my rhythm with my times reflecting that as well.

The previous week I had done a number of laps during a Mercedes-Benz AMG day and with the help of a racing and media colleague, I had worked out all the important entry and exit zones. I stuck to them for the second practice ending with more competitive times despite struggling to get an open run in a field of 25 cars including our GR Yaris', dealers in their Corollas and the GR Academy youngsters in their GR 86's.

GR Cup popularity

Talking of 25 cars...

It's a testimony to the hard work and vision of the TGRSA staff that has seen the series grow exponentially in popularity from an initial six cars in 2022 to the almost full grid this season including five of the manual Yaris' that we started the season with.

It’s now a fully-fledged racing series that follows the Extreme Festival around South Africa’s most iconic race tracks.