Van Der Merwe Battles Overheating Issues to Secure Solid Zwartkops Points

Dawie van der Merwe delivered a pair of sixth-place finishes at Round 4 of the 2025 SATC SupaCup Championship, held at the tight and technical Zwartkops Raceway on Saturday.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa driver demonstrated grit throughout the weekend despite being hindered by overheating issues that resulted in a noticeable drop in engine performance. The loss of power forced Dawie into a more defensive drive than he would have liked, particularly in Race 2, where he had to work hard to hold position in a tightly bunched midfield pack.

Still, the Mbombela-based racer made the most of the situation, bringing the Fast Developments-prepared Toyota Supa Starlet home safely in sixth in both races.

“We’re making progress at every round,” Dawie said. “We struggled a bit with some overheating, which cost us pace, but we managed to salvage good points. It’s all part of the development process, and a car that still has a few teething issues. We’re learning all the time, but more importantly, we’re improving too.”

While not yet on the pace of the front-runners, the team continues to unlock more from the Supa Starlet package, building valuable data for the second half of the season. Dawie will return for Round 5 of the South African Touring Cars SupaCup when the championship makes its annual stop at the historic East London Grand Prix Circuit .