Damion Purificati Dominates as Championship Battle Explodes at Red Star Raceway

Round two of the 2026 Sunbet ZX10 Masters Cup delivered a statement weekend at the very technical 4-kilometre tight and twisty Red Star Raceway, as part of the National Xtreme Festival, and with key championship contenders absent, the balance of power shifted dramatically.

Reigning and two-time champion Clinton Seller remained on the sidelines as he continues recovering from nerve-related issues, while joint championship leader Jayson Lamb was also not present for the round. That immediately left the door wide open for the rest of the field—and it was Damion Purificati who stepped through it with authority.

Purificati arrived at Red Star tied at the top of the championship standings, but quickly turned intent into dominance. In qualifying, he laid down a marker aboard his ZX10R , securing pole position with a commanding lap of 1:56.326. Behind him, Hein McMahon secured second on the grid, with Keith Agliotti completing the front row in third. James Barson lined up fourth ahead of Trevor Westman in fifth, while Henk Kruger completed the second row in sixth.

Reginald Seale headed row three in seventh, with AD van Dalen eighth as he continued to battle through injury sustained earlier in the season during Round 1. Pieter Delport returned to the grid for the first time in 2026 in ninth, ahead of Dirk Stols in tenth. Byron Rothquel, Renatus van Niekerk, Joao Cruz, Robert Ferreira, Tyron Piper, Alfie Swanepoel, Stephen Galgoczy, Ian Harwood, and Nico Zietsman completed the 19-rider field.

Race one unfolded in improving conditions as the sun broke through after earlier damp patches, with many riders electing to skip the final Qualifying 4 session due to wet patches and rather head into the race on fresh Bridgestone R11 tyres. From the moment the lights went out, however, there was no question about the winner.

Damion Purificati delivered a flawless performance, immediately pulling clear and never looking back. He controlled the race from the front, setting a blistering 1:55.971 and building an extraordinary 21.779-second advantage by the flag. It was a commanding display of pace, precision, and control around the demanding Red Star circuit.

Behind him, the battle for second was intense. Keith Agliotti, Hein McMahon, and James Barson were locked in a fierce fight throughout, trading positions in a high-pressure scrap for the remaining podium places. At the line, Agliotti narrowly edged McMahon by just 0.065 seconds to secure second, with McMahon third and Barson fourth. Barson, however, claimed Class C honours, while Agliotti took Class A and Purificati secured Class B.

Further down the order, Henk Kruger delivered a strong ride in fifth, narrowly missing a sub-two-minute lap with a 2:00.086. Ad van Dalen showed determination to bring his bike home in sixth despite injury, ahead of Trevor Westman in seventh. Reginald Seale finished eighth and second in Class C, with Dirk Stols ninth and Pieter Delport tenth.

Byron Rothquel came home eleventh, followed by Renatus van Niekerk in twelfth, Tyron Piper in thirteenth, Joao Cruz in fourteenth, and Ian Harwood in fifteenth. Nico Zietsman finished sixteenth. Stephen Galgoczy suffered technical issues and retired early with his bike going into limp mode, while Alfie Swanepoel also did not finish with an arm issue due to tight gloves.

Race two once again delivered ten laps of hard-fought action, but the story at the front remained unchanged. Damion Purificati completed a perfect weekend, securing a second dominant victory and completing a clean sweep at Red Star Raceway. He won race two by just under 20 seconds and set a best lap of 1:56.678, firmly sealing both the overall win and Class B honours for the round.

Behind him, Hein McMahon bounced back strongly after earlier visor fogging issues in Race 1, improving into the 1:58s with a 1:58.882 to take second place. Keith Agliotti remained in the fight throughout once again, finishing just six-tenths behind McMahon for third and continuing his strong run in Class A.

James Barson was again right on the edge of the podium battle, finishing just 0.621 seconds shy of third but once more securing Class C victory with another consistent performance.

AD van Dalen brought his bike home in fifth ahead of Henk Kruger in sixth, while Reginald Seale produced one of the standout moments of the race, climbing from ninth to seventh with a decisive late-race charge through the final sequence of corners, first passing Trevor Westman down the straight and then Byron Rothquel heading into the final sequence of corners.

Byron Rothquel finished eighth, while Trevor Westman delivered one of the most remarkable rides of the weekend. After oversleeping in his van and missing the grid cut-off, he started from pit lane and still charged through the field to finish ninth. Pieter Delport rounded out the top ten, with Dirk Stols eleventh, Robert Ferreira twelfth, Tyron Piper thirteenth, Joao Cruz fourteenth, and Stephen Galgoczy fifteenth on a borrowed machine after earlier mechanical issues.

Ian Harwood finished sixteenth, Nico Zietsman seventeenth, and Renatus van Niekerk was classified eighteenth after a heavy crash, thankfully walking away with only bruising. Alfie Swanepoel suffered another DNF due to gearbox issues.

At the end of the weekend, the class results reflected both consistency and pace across the field. McMahon took Class A honours overall ahead of Agliotti and van Dalen, while Westman, Delport, and Stols followed. In Class B, Purificati was untouchable ahead of Kruger and Rothquel, with Ferreira, Piper, Zietsman, and Galgoczy completing the order. Class C went to Barson ahead of Seale and Cruz, with Harwood and Swanepoel completing the classification.

1st – HEIN MCMAHON

2nd – KEITH AGLIOTTI

3rd – AD VAN DALEN

1st – DAMION PURIFICATI

2nd – HENK KRUGER

3rd – BYRON ROTHQUEL

1st – JAMES BARSON

2nd – REGINALD SEALE

3rd – JOAO CRUZ

When the dust settled, it was a defining weekend for Damion Purificati—two wins from two races, maximum points, and a commanding statement in the 2026 Sunbet ZX10 Masters Cup title fight.

The Pumpelec CC rider of the day when to Dirk Stols

A huge thank you goes out to:

Sunbet, Bridgestone, EBC Brakes, Vag Automotive Centre Centurion, SealPro Winelands, GoZone Water, and Tork Craft for their continued support of the championship.

The series now heads to Zwartkops for Round 3, where the chasing pack will be looking for answers.

Picture Credits – Sunbet ZX10 Masters Cup / BEAM Productions