GR Cup Round 2: Double Podium Finish at Red Star Raceway
Some weekends remind you exactly why you race and Round 2 of the 2026 GR Cup at Red Star Raceway was one of those weekends for me. A weekend where everything started to click where the work behind the scenes translated into real results.
P3 in Race 1.
P3 in Race 2.
P3 overall.
And most importantly, momentum.
From Friday Struggles to Personal Best
Friday practice didn’t start where I wanted it to.
My first benchmark was a 2:19, and at a circuit as technical as Red Star Raceway, that left a lot of room for improvement. The track demands rhythm and precision, and it took time to get comfortable. But that’s where the real work began. Session by session, lap by lap, I chipped away at the time, refining braking points, trusting the car more, and focusing on smoother inputs. By the end of the weekend, I had brought it down to a 2:14.1. A personal best and a five-second improvement.
The Car That Delivered
A big part of that progress came down to the car.
The Toyota GR Corolla Auto performed exceptionally well throughout the weekend. From stability under braking to confidence through Red Star’s fast, flowing sections, it gave me exactly what I needed to push and improve.
It’s a car that rewards commitment, but also precision. And this weekend, it really came together.
Finding Flow at Red Star Raceway
Red Star Raceway is all about flow. It’s not a track you can bully into submission. You have to be smooth, deliberate, and patient. Every corner feeds into the next, and one small mistake can cost you an entire section of the lap.
That’s what I focused on:
- Cleaner racing lines
- Better braking consistency
- Smoother throttle application
Driving smarter, not harder.
Race Day: Execution Matters
Going into the races, the goal was simple: execute. No unnecessary risks. No overdriving. Just clean, consistent racing and that paid off. Two races, Two P3 finishes.
In a grid as competitive as the GR Cup, consistency is everything and this weekend proved that.
Racing at the Front
Up front, Nabil Abdool was in a league of his own, taking quali and P1 in both races. Craig Nicholson followed closely with P2 in both races, making it a tightly contested front of the field. Racing alongside drivers like this pushes you to elevate your own performance and that’s exactly what I’m here to do.
A Podium Worth the Work
Standing on the podium at the end of the weekend meant more than just the result. It was a reflection of the progress:
- From a 2:19 to a 2:14.1
- From learning the track to racing with confidence
- From chasing pace to delivering results
That’s what this journey is about.
Next Stop: Zwartkops Raceway
Now, the focus shifts to the next challenge, Zwartkops Raceway on the 23rd of May. A home race on a track that I have struggled to always put together for some reason, a place that has always eluded me of a podium finish. A completely different circuit, a different kind of test but the same goal remains: keep building. More pace. More consistency, more confidence. Because if Red Star was about progress, Zwartkops is about taking the next step.
