Brad Liebenberg piloted his TurnMeOn / Sparco Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO to overall and GT3 class victory in his first 2025 Extreme Supercars driven by Dunlop outing at Cape Town’s Killarney International Raceway on 8 March 2025. He was joined on the overall podium by fellow GT3 drivers Charl Arangies (Stradale Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R2) and Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO).
Liebenberg and Franco Scribante (Porsche 997) traded fastest laps throughout Friday’s qualifying sessions, with Liebenberg setting the fastest time of the day in the final session. Liebenberg carried that pace over into Saturday morning’s qualifying session where he topped the timesheets, taking pole position by just over a tenth of a second from Arangies. The second row was filled by du Toit and Scribante, with Kris Budnik (Dodge Viper) and Paul Hill (Kalex / Fast Developments Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO). Gianni Giannoccaro (G&H Transport McLaren MP4-12C) got the better of Marius Jackson (MJR Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT3) to take seventh place, while youngster Shayur Harpal (Lamborghini Gallardo) just edged Marco Retter (Progress Precision Engineering BMW E46) to take ninth place. Ricky Giannoccaro (G&H Transport Mercedes AMG), Roy Obery (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR), Ant Blunden (G&H Racing / SAJCO McLaren MP4-23C), Renzo Torrente (ATM Chiptuning), Jimmy Giannoccaro (G&H Racing Porsche) and Uli Sanne (G&H Racing BMW Z4), who didn’t set a lap time in the session, completed the grid for the first heat.
Liebenberg led the field away from the start with Arangies close behind, but Scribante had other ideas. Scribante took the lead on the fifth lap and headed off into the distance, leaving the trio of GT3 cars piloted by Liebenberg, Arangies and du Toit to fight it out for best of the rest. Unfortunately for Scribante, he went faster than the 1’11,0” lap time allowed for Class A cars, and the subsequent time penalty dropped him to fourth place overall, behind Liebenberg, Arangies and du Toit, who were separated by just over a second at the flag. Budnik was next over the line in a slightly lonely fifth position. Gianni Giannoccaro was just under half a second ahead of Jackson to take sixth, while Harpal held off Ricky Giannoccaro by a car length to take eighth. Blunden finished in tenth.
Scribante’s first race penalty meant he had to start the second heat from sixth on the grid with Arangies and du Toit on the front row. It didn’t take long for Scribante to hit the front; this time, he took the lead on the fourth lap and was never challenged on his way to the flag. As in the first race, the same trio of GT3 cars were fighting for second on the road, with Arangies leading the way from Liebenberg and du Toit until the final lap, when an attempt to overtake by du Toit went wrong. He and Arangies took a trip through the grass on the outside of turn two. While Arangies recovered quickly, du Toit took a while longer and rejoined behind Budnik. Scribante was the first to cross the line but again went faster than the allowed Class A lap time and ended in third place behind Liebenberg and Arangies in the final results. Budnik managed to hang on to take fourth, just ahead of du Toit, with Gianni Giannoccaro a second and a bit further back in sixth. Jackson, Hill, Blunden and Ricky Giannoccaro rounded out the top ten.
The final heat of the day saw Liebenberg and du Toit set off from the front row of the grid with Scribante again down in sixth after his second race penalty, but a great start by Arangies demoted du Toit down to third. A couple of laps later, Scribante got past du Toit to move up to third, but his charge to the front came to a premature end. A couple of corners later, a broken side shaft forced him out of the race. Shortly after half-distance, du Toit found a way past Arangies, but Liebenberg had things under control at the front and went on to take the chequered flag. Du Toit had to settle for second ahead of Arangies. Budnik had a lonely race to fourth, while Hill just got the better of Ricky Giannoccaro to take fifth. Obery, Jackson, Torrente and Blunden completed the top ten.
In the overall class standings, Liebenberg took GT3 honours from Arangies and du Toit, with Gianni Giannoccaro in fourth. Class A went to Ricky Giannoccaro with Jackson and Scribante in second and third. Budnick had an easy win in Class B ahead of Hill and Retter. Class C went the way of Obery from Blunden and Torrente, while Jimmy Giannoccaro took class D from Sanne.
The Extreme Supercars driven by Dunlop drivers now head to the iconic Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Midrand for the second round of their 2025 championship, which takes place from 10 to 12 April.