Van Rooyen Targets Aldo Breakthrough

Defending South African Touring Cars champion Michael van Rooyen will return to the Aldo Scribante Racetrack in Gqeberha for Round 5 of the championship on 14–15 August.

The event was originally scheduled to take place at the East London Grand Prix Circuit. However, following a change by the Extreme Festival management, the national tour will return to the other Eastern Cape circuit just seven weeks after its previous visit.

The change presents Van Rooyen and Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa with an opportunity to build on the progress made during Round 4. After narrowly missing the podium in the opening race, Van Rooyen fought back to finish second in Race 2 as the team recorded its first one-two result of the 2026 season.

Although a victory has so far eluded him this year, the reigning champion has remained a regular contender near the front of the field. His 2025 title campaign demonstrated the value of consistency, with Van Rooyen combining a steady run of podium finishes with two reverse-grid sprint victories to secure his first South African Touring Cars crown.

The development of the Toyota GR Corolla throughout the current season has left Van Rooyen encouraged by the direction the team is moving in. Returning to Aldo Scribante with recent information from the circuit should also provide a stronger starting point as the team works to extract more from the car.

“The car has improved every time we have taken it to the track, and the team has put in a huge amount of work to move us closer to the front,” Van Rooyen said.

“Going back to Aldo so soon means that we have fresh data to work with, which should help us get the most out of the car in whatever conditions we face. We were much stronger there in June, so the goal is to build on that progress, fight at the front from the start and hopefully turn it into our first win of the season.”

With three rounds remaining, a strong weekend could prove important as Van Rooyen looks to strengthen his championship challenge and take the next step in the continued development of the GR Corolla.

Practice will take place on Friday, 14 August, followed by qualifying and racing on Saturday, 15 August.