SA Touring Car Championship Round 1 — Kyalami: Chadwick Takes Dominant Win

The 2024 South African Touring Car Championship got underway at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit with Bradley Chadwick serving notice of his intent for the season. Driving the Chadwick Motorsport Mercedes-AMG C63, the defending champion took pole position for both races and converted them into commanding victories. Race 1 saw Chadwick lead from lights to flag, building a gap of over 12 seconds to second-placed Giniel de Villiers in the Volkswagen Motorsport Golf 8 GTI. De Villiers, making his touring car debut after a stellar Dakar Rally career, showed impressive pace for a newcomer to circuit racing and will be a factor for the championship. Race 2 was more competitive in the early stages, with de Villiers hanging on to Chadwick's gearbox through the first ten laps. A safety car period after contact between third and fourth place bunched the field, giving de Villiers the opportunity to apply pressure. However, Chadwick's pace in clean air was simply too strong — he pulled away by over eight seconds in the final ten laps. "The car is perfect," said Chadwick post-race. "The AMG team has done an outstanding job over the off-season. The balance is exactly where I need it to be." The championship continues in three weeks at Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria — traditionally a circuit that favours front-wheel-drive machinery, which could shuffle the order.