High speed, high stakes Abdool sends it

Round 5 of the National Extreme Festival took place at the legendary East London Grand Prix Circuit. A venue steeped in history and revered for its raw speed and unforgiving layout. Known as the fastest and most fierce track on the calendar, this coastal circuit is not for the faint-hearted, and it’s been circled on my calendar all season.

The preparation for this weekend began well before the transporter rolled into the paddock, and Nabil Abdool said he spent time at Toyota Gazoo Racing HQ, dialing in his lines on their simulator and working closely with seasoned instructor Devon Scott to fine-tune his understanding of East London’s high-speed rhythm.

With valuable insight and solid sim time, Abdool arrived at the circuit confident and eager to extract the most from the 2025 GR Yaris.

 FRIDAY PRACTICE: FULL SEND FRIDAY

Nicknamed Sandbagger by the other drivers, as he tends not to reveal his true pace during the practice sessions and then unleashes everything on the very last qualifying lap. This time, however, he decided to hit the ground running from the very first session on the same rubber we ran back at Zwartkops.

• Practice 1: P1 with a 1:35.306, a tenth quicker than 2024’s GR Cup pole time, set in a GR Corolla.

• Practice 2: Another P1, going sub-1:35 for the first time with a 1:34.987.

• Practice 3: We turned the wick up and delivered a blistering 1:34.377, topping the charts once again and the only GR Cup car sub-1:35.

That final time put them well clear of the Dealer and Media Challenge classes. Even more encouraging, their onboard Garmin Catalyst GPS timer showed an optimal theoretical lap time of 1:32.9 based on combined best sectors. The potential was there, and his goal was to dip into the 1:33s during qualifying on Saturday once the new tires were fitted.

 SATURDAY QUALIFYING: CHAOS IN THE CLOUDS

Mother Nature had her say, and overnight rain left the circuit drenched. The driver arrived at the sodden track and immediately noticed the 3 rivers of standing water down the main straight. They found out later that this was due to a burst reservoir pipe near the circuit.

Reports were coming in that the track had slick patches everywhere, and their only available tyre option was our semi-slicks. This cast trepidation amongst many across the paddock, but they were not about to miss this opportunity!

With uncertainty hanging in the air, the grid was split into two qualifying groups. Abdool rolled out with the first group. This was his first time driving the GR Yaris on a wet circuit with semi-slicks, an extremely tricky combination. 

After a few exploratory laps and a handful of full-opposite lock moments, his bravery and car control were put to the test! Aside from the streams down the main straight, the newly resurfaced Cox corner was slippery in the dry; now it was an ice rink!

The Sweep up to Beacon corner had virtually no grip, and he almost swapped ends there a few times. However, the rookie driver managed to hook together a lap and set the fastest time of our session with a 1:43.477, right at the chequered flag.

It was now time for the second group to head out, the track was drying up and the sun was breaking through the clouds; better conditions for them could topple the first group's standings. But the session took a frightening turn.

Down the main straight, the CFAO GR Corolla #555 aquaplaned at close to 200km/h, leaving the circuit in a violent crash. It was a horrific sight, but thanks to the world-class safety systems built into the GR Cup cars and the top-tier safety equipment issued to every driver, Riaan de Ru emerged from the wreck unharmed. It was a sobering reminder of the risks they take and the strength of the machinery they race in.

The session was red-flagged, and the decision was made to base the starting grid on the quickest practice times. That meant SuperSport’s GR Yaris #11 would once again be starting from Pole position for the fifth consecutive race weekend.

RACE DAY: A DOZEN LAP FEATURE

With the day’s schedule thrown into disarray due to multiple incidents and red flags across categories, the GR Cup was converted from the usual two 8-lap sprint races into one extended 12-lap feature event.

Leading the field of Dealer Cup and Media Challenge competitors through the rolling start, Abdool was relieved to see clear skies and a dry track.

At lights out, Devon Scott in the Academy Corolla was immediately on the attack, followed closely by Kyle Kock (Car Magazine), Mario de Sousa (Motus Toyota) and Phuti Mpyane (TimesLive) The opening laps were intense as the SuperSport’s GR Yaris #11 driver scrambled to build a gap with a succession of quick laps (including the fastest lap of the day 1:35:618 on lap 4).

Knowing he’d be running 50 per cent more race distance than usual, Abdool had to carefully manage the tires, brakes, and fuel consumption. Lift-and-coast strategies came into play, along with keeping a watchful eye on diff and gearbox temps, especially towards the latter part of the race. East London’s high-speed corners put huge loads through the drivetrain.

With a decent gap forming between him and the Academy Corolla of Devon Scott, he overtook four of the GR86s. Each time Devon encountered them, Abdool took the opportunity to coast and cool the car. He crossed the line 1st in class, securing the ninth win from nine starts in the 2025 season.

"My pragmatic approach to the race paid off; there was not a single line remaining on the fuel gauge when I crossed the line," he told SuperSport.

Overall, a mentally challenging weekend, but absolutely one of the best rounds this season! East London lived up to its reputation and delivered all the action!

BACK TO THE BEGINNING

With five rounds complete and just two remaining, we are taking a short break before heading back to the birthplace of this season’s journey, Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town, on 13 September. Until then, we celebrate another incredible weekend in the GR Cup!

 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 5:

Nabil Abdool (SuperSport) – 63

Phuti Mpyane (TimesLive) – 40

Kyle Kock (CAR Magazine) – 38

Lawrence Minnie (AutoTrader) – 26

Charl Bosch (The Citizen) – 19

Willem van der Putte (Independent Media/IOL) – 12