TimesLIVE ready to tame the Toyota GR Cup in Gqeberha this weekend

Another month, another round of the 2022 Toyota GR Cup. Following on from Killarney in February and Zwartkops in April, I and the five other lucky motoring scribes selected to represent our titles in this competitive single-make series will be tightening our helmet straps for a rumble around Gqeberha's Aldo Scribante race circuit on Saturday May 28. 

Fast and flowing, this 2.48km track situated a stone's throw away from the Coega Harbour is foreign to me. Yes, I have driven around it on the odd car launch (sans the main straight to save brakes), but never in race conditions. And the last time I was there this circuit hadn't yet benefited from a resurface. So it goes without saying I have been YouTubing lots of in-car videos to get reacquainted. 

On the one hand, this unfamiliarity is causing its fair share of mental anxiety as I do not know what to truly expect when I buckle into my seat and spear out of the pit lane. On the other hand, it presents a nice opportunity to go out and have some fun without any of that “home track” pressure I experienced racing at Zwartkops last month. 

Whatever happens, I will be aiming to play it cool and keep my TimesLIVE GR Yaris as far away as possible from Citizen Motoring's Mark Jones (aka “The Boksburg Bomber”) who did a sterling job reshaping some of its sheet metal while executing a ballsy kamikaze passing manoeuvre into Zwartkop's notoriously tight Turn Five. I will also be looking to take full advantage of a fresh set of Dunlop Direzza semi-slick tyres (the previous set saw me through an initial shakedown day plus two full race weekends — impressive), some new Ferodo DS2500 brake pads and the extra grunt you get from running at sea level.

Aldo Scribante has a mightily long main straight, so it will be interesting to see if my 198kW GR Yaris can match the 203km/h I saw flash briefly on the heads-up display while rocketing toward's Killarney's Cape Town Corner in February. Complemented by some properly fast sweepers, it should be a hell of a good time behind the wheel. 

Again forming part of the prestigious National Extreme Festival, the Toyota GR Cup will be running alongside some of the country's other flagship circuit racing series such as the popular Global Touring Cars (where Toyota Gazoo Racing SA is fielding no less than three purpose-built Corolla challengers), SupaCup and G&H Transport Extreme SuperCars. 

Watch this space (or follow me over on Instagram) for updates as and when they happen.

TimesLIVE

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