A change of class, from GT3 to the unrestricted A+ class, for Arnold Neveling gave him his best 2024 Extreme SuperCars Driven by Dunlop result on 28 & 29 June. Neveling put his Bobcat powered by Goscor Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO on pole position at Gqeberha’s Aldo Scribante Racetrack and then took victory in all three heats that made up the fifth round of the 2024 championship.

Stuart White (Into Africa Racing / Sparco / Wurth SA Lamborghini Huracan), who had won five of the previous seven heats heading into the fifth round, went quickest in the first practice session on Friday morning, laying down a marker that would not be bettered all day. Neveling and Xolile Letlaka (Into Africa Racing / Sparco / Wurth SA Lamborghini Huracan) ended the practice sessions with the second and third quickest times, while Jonathan du Toit (Trans Africa Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO) was the leading GT3 class car with the fourth fastest lap time of the day.

Arnold Neveling
Arnold Neveling won all three heats

In Saturday morning’s qualifying session, the roles were reversed, with Neveling just getting the better of White to claim pole position. His 56.891-second lap around the 2.48km circuit was just over a tenth quicker than White’s best effort. Behind them, du Toit got the better of Letlaka to take third. They were also separated by just over a tenth of a second. Charl Arangies (Stradale Motorsport Porsche 997) got the better of Ricky Giannoccaro (G&H Transport McLaren) to take Class A honours while Mark du Toit, back in the Trans Africa Racing Ferrari F430 just edged Ant Blunden (SAJCO/ G&H Transport McLaren) to take Class B.

In the opening heat, Neveling led the field away from pole position with White in his wheel tracks. The pair soon opened a substantial gap on the chasing pack, which Jonathan du Toit led. While White used everything he knew to find a way around the flying Audi, Neveling was able to hold on to take a hard-fought win with White just over six-tenths of a second in arrears. Du Toit came home in a lonely third place to take the GT3 class win, with Letlaka in fourth. Ricky Giannoccaro had a brake calliper on his McLaren self-destruct just after half-distance, bringing his race day to a premature end and leaving Arangies to cruise home in fifth place, taking the Class A win. Blunden got the better of Gianni Giannoccaro to take sixth, and Class B. Mark du Toit brought his Ferrari home in eighth.

There was more of the same at the front of the second heat, with Neveling taking another light-to-flag win from pole position and White chasing for all he was worth. Jonathan du Toit ended in third place again, taking another GT3 class win. Letlaka was comfortably ahead of Arangies, while Blunden came out on top in his duel with Gianni Giannoccaro again. Mark du Toit ended the race as a spectator after his Ferrari cried enough.

Neveling continued his winning ways in the final heat of the day, run just as the sun started to set over the Aldo Scribante circuit. White again had no answer to the pure pace of the Audi and again had to settle for second, this time just over four seconds adrift. Jonathan du Toit took another third place overall and GT3 win ahead of Letlaka, with Arangies the leading Class A contender in fifth. The day-long battle between Blunden and Gianni Giannoccaro again went the way of Blunden, the gap this time only eight-tenths of a second.

Ricky Giannoccaro
Ricky Giannoccaro’s day came to a premature end when a brake calliper exploded

In the day’s overall standings, calculated on the total race time in the three heats, Class A+ went to Neveling from White and Letlaka. Jonathan du Toit claimed another GT3 class win from Gianni Giannoccaro. Arangies had things his own way in Class A after Ricky Giannoccaro’s demise in the opening heat, while Blunden had an easy run to Class B honours.

The Extreme SuperCars, driven by Dunlop competitors, will now make their way to the East London Grand Prix Circuit for the sixth round of their championship, which takes place on 26 and 27 July.

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