I tackled Killarney International Race Circuit for the opening round of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Cup sponsored by Netstar, and it left me with a lot to learn. The return round on the 6th of September should be interesting.

Toyota

On Thursday, I arrived in Cape Town, feeling a mix of excitement and fear. Following approximately 30 laps of the shakedown and a few practice sessions at Zwartkops, Friday would mark the beginning of practice.

After receiving the calendar, I dove headfirst into analysing the Killarney circuit. However, there’s a limit to how much theory one can absorb before experiencing ‘analysis paralysis’.

I couldn’t wait until Friday’s practice to put my knowledge to the test and get a feel for my car on the track. As soon as we got to Killarney on Friday morning, my stomach churned because we were actually doing this.

Sitting in our cars, kitted out in our racing apparel, we all exchanged well wishes and a few moments after that, I learned my lesson the hard way on the first lap of practice when I spun off the track after failing to properly warm my tyres. This was no laughing matter.

I had to make sure I had the fundamentals down and, despite the GR Corolla being a great track partner, you need to ensure that you get the fundamentals right.

With veteran driver Sean Nurse at the front and showing us just how to do it, I managed to come in dead last with a time of 1:33:826 on the first session. Not dismayed though, as this was my first time at Killarney.

Now overwhelmed by some suggestions from last year’s GR Cup winner Setshaba Mashigo, I was ready to give the second and third rounds of practice a shot, and it appeared to have worked because I shaved off over four seconds. And a personal best time of 1:29:124 on the day.

The second day, the Cape Town weather threw a spanner in the works: rain. This meant that we would qualify in the wet, which was another first for me.

It turned out to be a round I would rather forget because it reached 1:43:983 with a lot to learn. This meant I would start at the back of the grid, trailing my other media colleagues Sean Nurse, Hannes Visser, Alex Shahini, Jaco van der Merwe, and Bernie Hellberg.

Mr Ernest Page’s encouraging words boosted my confidence once more, and I was ready for the first race. Lights out, and for the first race, it appeared like the universe was on our side. I finished fifth overall and ahead of Jaco van der Merwe, who sustained a puncture when battling Alex in the middle of the park.

My lap time also improved, and that boosted my confidence ahead of the second race. I mean, in racing, it’s all about confidence; lack of it and you will make a lot of mistakes.

With the second race being the final event of the day, all eyes would be on us. We lined up and set off. This time, the competition was tight, but after a few laps, the basics caught up with me again.

Skipping a couple of gears in the GR Corolla meant that the guys ahead of me would increase their pace, which increased my displeasure. This time, Lady Luck would not be on my side, and I would finish last, with a lot to learn for the upcoming round at Kyalami.

Nothing to take away from the GR Corolla; it handled hard laps around Killarney without hesitation. The Dunlop Direzza semi-slicks, along with the Ferodo brake pads and powerbrakes, performed admirably.

All of the vehicles crossed the finish line without any issues or missing body parts, indicating that the second round at Kyalami could proceed as planned.

See you there.