By Brandon Jacobs

Round one of the 2026 Toyota GR Cup South Africa at Killarney International Raceway is officially complete, and what a jam-packed weekend it was. It was an incredible privilege to compete in my very first race in my hometown, at one of South Africa’s most historic racing circuits.

Cape Town delivered scorching conditions across the weekend, with temperatures climbing to around 30°C. That meant keeping a close eye on vehicle temperatures would be critical. Our cars were now fitted with revised setups for racing, including lower suspension and upgraded performance Powerbrakes, designed to better handle the demands of track driving.

As with most race weekends, Friday was dedicated to practice sessions, allowing drivers the opportunity to get comfortable with the circuit and fine-tune the car setup. After three practice sessions, I began finding my rhythm around the 79-year-old circuit while learning to adapt to the new hard-clamping Powerbrakes. My pace improved each time I went out, but according to telemetry data from the Garmin device, there was still time to be found, particularly through Turn 2 and the final corner.

Saturday was race day.

The morning began with qualifying ahead of the two races later in the day. I managed to qualify 4th in the media group, just fractions of a second behind Craig Nicholson from News24 and Taye Mbiri from AutoTrader. Because the media drivers share the grid with the dealership competitors, this meant I would start 10th overall on the starting grid.

Race one was a special moment for me. Many of my friends and family came to the circuit to see me and the Khulekani on Wheels / Kumbi-M on Cars number 4 Toyota GR Corolla race car in action. It was incredibly heartwarming to see the younger members of the family getting an up-close look at a real race car in a professional environment. It was also a full-circle moment, bringing my dad and uncle back to the very track they used to take me to when I was younger.

Once the lights went out, I knew the task ahead. I needed to pass three dealership-driven Toyota GR Yaris cars to get within striking distance of Nicholson in third place in the media group. That meant pushing hard while avoiding mistakes, especially through Turn 2, where I knew I could still improve.

After a strong race and managing to overtake one dealership GR Yaris, I crossed the line, finishing 4th in the media category.

With confidence building, I headed into race two later that afternoon with greater trust in the capabilities of the GR Corolla. My fastest lap in race one placed me 4th again on the starting grid, but this time I was closer to the rest of the media pack, with fewer dealership cars between us.

The rolling start lights went green and I launched hard into Turn 1, carrying strong speed through the opening corners. By the final turn of lap one, Mbiri ran wide off track, allowing two dealership GR Yaris cars and myself to slip through. That moved me up into 3rd place in the media category.

With seven laps remaining, my focus shifted to the two GR Yaris cars ahead as I tried to work my way toward Nicholson in second place. At the same time, Mbiri was pushing hard behind me to regain third.

On lap four, exiting Turn 2, Mbiri made contact with the rear of my car. The impact knocked my exhaust loose, something I only discovered after the race.

By lap five, I managed to pass one of the GR Yaris cars ahead, with Mbiri following through shortly after.

Unfortunately, my race took a turn shortly after. While running 3rd in the media class, I was bumped off the track, causing damage to my car that forced me to retire from the race before the finish.

Despite the disappointment of not finishing race two, the weekend was still an incredible experience. Racing the GR Corolla at my home circuit in front of family and friends is a moment I won’t forget anytime soon.

Round one delivered valuable lessons, more confidence in the car, and plenty of motivation heading into round two of the 2026 GR Cup season at Redstar Raceway in Mpumalanga on 17 April.