By Brandon Jacobs

Round three of the 2026 Toyota GR Cup South Africa heads to Zwartkops Raceway on 23 May, and the championship is beginning to enter an important phase as the media field prepares for another fiercely contested weekend of racing. After two demanding rounds at Killarney and Redstar Raceway, the fight for points is already intensifying, with every result starting to shape the championship picture.

The Khulekani on Wheels / Kumbi-M on Cars Toyota GR Corolla continues to be shared between Brandon Jacobs and Kumbi Mtshakazi throughout the season, with the drivers alternating race weekends. This time around, Kumbi will take the wheel for the Pretoria round at what is effectively his home circuit, before Brandon returns to driving duties for the upcoming coastal rounds in Gqeberha and East London.

The opening rounds have delivered a combination of strong performances, setbacks, and valuable lessons for the team. Round one at Killarney International Raceway saw our GR Corolla finish fourth in race one before an unfortunate retirement in race two following contact from AutoTrader’s Tayedza Mbiri while battling inside the media pack.

Round two at Redstar Raceway marked a major step forward, with back-to-back third-place finishes helping the team climb to 12 points overall in the media standings. That leaves the Khulekani on Wheels / Kumbi-M on Cars pairing tied with Justin Ford from eNCA heading into round three.

SuperSport’s Nabil Abdool currently leads the standings on 28 points after winning every race so far this season, while News24’s Craig Nicholson sits second on 19 points thanks to his consistency and experience.

Zwartkops presents a completely different challenge compared to the flowing, high-speed nature of Redstar Raceway. The Pretoria circuit is short, technical, and notoriously unforgiving, rewarding aggression and precision while punishing even the smallest mistakes.

Overtaking around Zwartkops is also incredibly difficult, making qualifying one of the most important sessions of the weekend. With over 25 cars from the dealer, academy, and media categories all sharing the circuit, securing a strong grid position could prove crucial in determining race results. Close-quarters racing is expected throughout the field.

Adding another layer of excitement is Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa’s new GR Cup Hot Seat initiative, which debuts this weekend with content creator and sim racer Girlie Lukhele stepping into competitive circuit racing for the first time in the GR Yaris AT.

As the championship approaches a pivotal stage before the season heads to the coast, the importance of building momentum cannot be overstated. Racing at the home of Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa always creates a special atmosphere, especially with senior Toyota executives and passionate fans expected to attend in large numbers.

For the Khulekani on Wheels / Kumbi-M on Cars team, this weekend represents another opportunity to continue climbing the standings while building confidence in the GR Corolla package. With packed grids, intense competition, and little room for mistakes around Zwartkops, all the ingredients are in place for another blockbuster round of GR Cup action.