South African Touring Cars SupaCup champion Jonathan Mogotsi will attempt to earn his Grade A “Ring Licence” at the Nürburgring, racing in the NLS1 and NLS2 four-hour events to qualify for the 24-hour race in May.
Mogotsi, a Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa veteran, will join Max Kruse Racing, which fields three Golf 8 TCRs in both the qualifying events and the main 24-hour race. He has been allocated to car 2 of the team’s line-up.
“I am absolutely delighted to confirm that we will be taking my next step in my incredible 10-year Volkswagen Motorsport journey when I qualify for, and race in the 2026 Nürburgring 24-Hour,” says Mogotsi.
“Like the rest of this incredible trip, it’s a dream come true and I cannot thank Mike Rowe and the Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa team more.
It’s one of our most exciting projects in years and we cannot wait to see it coming to life.”
— Mike Rowe, Volkswagen Motorsport head
“We have realigned our plans this year, which left Jonathan with nowhere to race locally,” says head of Volkswagen Motorsport Mike Rowe. “So we took it to the next level. Jonathan will race the two NLS 4 Hours to qualify for the big race and then compete in the Nürburgring 24-Hour in May. It’s one of our most exciting projects in years and we cannot wait to see it coming to life.”
Mogotsi has built a strong reputation in South African motorsport, remaining loyal to Volkswagen since winning the 2016 Volkswagen Driver Search. His journey began in sim racing, where he won several online titles and nearly qualified for an international GT3 competition, before transitioning to real-world racing.
After excelling in the Driver Search, Mogotsi earned a 2017 Engen Volkswagen Polo Cup drive. He recorded his first victory at Aldo Scribante and finished ninth in the championship. In 2018 he took third in the Polo Cup, including a double win from pole in East London.
In 2019 Mogotsi moved into the new turbo-era Polo Cup, then advanced to the SupaCup in 2020, finishing second in 2021 after winning his first SupaCup race at Aldo Scribante. He later earned a drive in Global Touring Cars, but the factory Volkswagens were destroyed in an accident, returning him to SupaCup competition.
His 2023 SupaCup campaign resulted in two wins and multiple podiums, followed by a dominant 2024 season that saw him claim five race victories and the national title. In 2025, he added another five wins, finishing second in the championship.
Alongside circuit racing, Mogotsi has excelled in hill climbing, recording multiple class wins in SupaPolos at events such as the Knysna Simola climb. In 2026 he is scheduled to race at Simola, Zwartkops Top of the Hill and the Cape Town Speed Festival, as well as guest drives in Germany’s new Polo Cup.
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