Johannesburg, 10 March 2025 – The 2025 Astron Energy Polo Cup kicked off with a stunning display of racing action at the season opening Extreme Festival powered by Coca Cola at Cape Town’s Killarney International Raceway on Saturday. Ethan Coetzee picked off Mo Karodia and newcomer Shrien Rajpaul to win the first race before Rory Atkinson took the second race and Karodia took the third. Wayne Masters beat race 1 winner John Kruger to Astron Energy Polo Masters honours.
There was a surprise in qualifying when ever-improving young lady driver Tyler Robinson claimed the first point of the season by putting her AF Fans Team Red Polo on pole position from Rory Atkinson’s Industry Petroleum car, Shrien Rajpaul’s Dubcorp version on his Astron Energy Polo Cup debut, Ethan Coetzee, Hannes Scheepers’ Dainfern Dental entry and Mo Karodia and his Fast 5 Motorsport LTR Polo.
The top six progressed to Superpole, where Atkinson made best of the single-shot session to take pole from Rajpaul, Karodia, Robinson, Coetzee and Scheepers. Behind them Charl Smalberger’s Sabertek Polo lined up seventh from BLI lass Lonika Maartens on her Polo Cup return, Nirav Singh and Rookie graduate Dhivyen Naidoo tenth. Brothers, Rookie Champion Judd’s Volkswagen Motorsport Polo and Bjorn’s Sizani Plastics version lined up row 6 from Rookie Cup champion Kyle Visser’s Charl Engineering car after a tricky session, Team Red rookie Milan Emslie, FSS sophomore Pierluigi Muzzulini and Upward Spiral’s Roshaan Goodman.
John Kruger put his Habot Lubricants machine on a compelling over-50s Astron Energy Polo Masters pole from champion Wayne Masters’ Performance Master and Derick Smallberger’s Sabertek cars. Elio Muzzulini’s FSS Pool, Mike Barbaglia’s Haupt entry, Rob Franco’s Graphix Supply World car and Norbrake man Gavin Ross closed off the biggest Polo Cup field in some years with 23 cars on the grid.
There was action from the get-go when pole man Rory Atkinson did not get away quite as expected to be swamped to the pack. So rookie Shiren Rajpaul, driving like a pro in his maiden Astron Polo Cup outing dealt with extreme pressure from Mo Karodia and Ethan Coetzee. Coetzee pulled a great move to steal second around the outside before Rajpaul slipped wide in turn 2 with two laps to go as Coetzee, Karodia, Scheepers and Robinson pounced to see Rajpaul slip to sixth from a recovered Visser, Naidoo, Goodman and Charl Smalberger in tenth. John Kruger beat Derick Smalberger and Wayne Masters to Masters honours from Mike Barbaglia, Roberto Franco, Elio Muzzulini and Gavin Ross.
There was a shakeup on the race 2 grid as Atkinson found a gap in the opening heat to turn the fastest lap and claim pole from Scheepers, Karodia, Robinson, rookie Bertholdt and race 1 winner Coetzee. Atkinson made no mistakes this time to fend off LTR duo Karodia and Coetzee, and lead lights to flag for a happy victory. Coetzee caught Karodia napping to steal second into turn 2 with two laps left to race, while a robust Scheepers fought Visser, Robinson and Judd Bertholdt off as Rajpaul, Singh and Goodman closed off the top ten. Masters turned the tables on Smalberger and Kruger to take the second Masters win.
With the final race grid based on drivers’ second best qualifying lap times, Rory Atkinson lined up on pole for the third time on the day from Robertson, Karodia, Coetzee, Rajpaul and Scheepers. But it was Karodia who pulled an incredible start to lead Atkinson, Robertson, Rajpaul, Scheepers and Coetzee. That’s pretty much how it stayed as Karodia managed the race from the front to take his maiden Astron Energy Polo Cup win, while Charl Smalberger, Judd Bertholdt and Singh closed off the top ten and Masters beat Kruger and Derick Smalberger to the Masters win.
At the end of the day, it was a delighted Mohammed Karodia who took the day overall from Ethan Coetzee. Hannes Scheepers fought his way to third from the impressive Tyler Robinson, Shiren Rajpaul. Race 2 winner Rory Atkinson, Kyle Visser and best rookie Judd Bertholdt. Dhivyen Naidoo followed from Charl Smalberger in tenth, Roshaan Goodman, Nirav Singh and Milan Emslie. Wayne Masters took masters for the day from John Kruger, Derick Smalberger, Mike Barbaglia, Roberto Franco and Gavin Ross.
Astron Energy Polo Cup joins the second round of the Extreme Festival presented by Coca-Cola next when the national and regional series come together at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit blockbuster over the weekend of 11 and 12 April.
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