Van Rooyen Salvages Fifth Place at Frustrating Red Star Outing

Michael van Rooyen, the reigning South African Touring Cars Champion, faced a frustrating but ultimately encouraging weekend at Round 2 of the championship, where he managed to secure a fifth-place overall finish at Red Star Raceway. This event marked the much-anticipated return of the national Extreme Festival to the Mpumalanga circuit after a four-year hiatus.

After a rocky start to the season at Killarney, where a series of challenges derailed his performance, the Rustenburg Rocket arrived at Red Star with a renewed sense of motivation. With those early issues now sorted, van Rooyen felt a clear difference in his car's balance and handling, which gave him a boost heading into the weekend.

During Saturday’s qualifying session, the atmosphere was electric, with only mere tenths of a second separating the top drivers. Unable to match the pace at the front, Van Rooyen managed to clinch fifth on the grid, hoping to make a strong start from the newly introduced standing start.

Race 1 unfolded with drama right from the start, as chaos erupted at Turn 1 on the first lap. Showcasing his experience as a driver, van Rooyen deftly avoided the mayhem that caused two cars to veer off track, propelling him into second place. However, a small mistake just a few corners later set him back, and he ultimately crossed the finish line in fourth.

The second race featured an inverted grid, allowing van Rooyen to start from third. Following a strong start, the Rustenburg businessman fended off an early challenge for position, and despite running as high as second, the TGRSA driver would soon be under attack, dropping to third and eventually fourth. Unfortunately, an incident later in the race forced him to the back of the field, thwarting his chance of another top-four finish.

Despite facing these setbacks, van Rooyen’s performance highlighted significant progress in his title defence. "It’s definitely frustrating because we’re close, really close, but just missing those last few tenths to battle with the leaders. The car felt much better this weekend, which is a big step forward, but there’s still more to discover. We’ll keep pushing and come back stronger for the next round."

Although the final result didn’t fully reflect his true potential, the improvements he made over the weekend set a solid foundation as the championship unfolds. The next round of the championship heads to Zwartkops Raceway over 22-23 May 2026.