Local teenager back on track after tough Maputo weekend
Vereeniging — Eighteen-year-old motorsport prospect Morgan Jacobs will be back behind the wheel this weekend for Round 5 of the 2026 Regional Extreme Festival Championship, weeks after an eventful international outing in Maputo.
Jacobs, who lives and works in Vereeniging as a Property Practitioner at Platinum Properties, travelled to Mozambique for the Automóvel & Touring Clube de Moçambique (ATCM) meeting in Maputo. The trip produced mixed results: her car experienced persistent problems and the team elected to retire her VW Carado for the weekend, but she continued to support her younger brother, Zander, trackside.
"During what felt like a long winter break, Morgan kept her edge sharp by putting in continuous work on the simulator and training with her sports psychologist," said her mother, Camilla.
That preparation appears to have paid off on the family front. Zander Jacobs, driving an Opel Tigra, claimed third overall in his division in Maputo and won the A+ class on the final day. He is also entered to race again on 26 September at Zwartkops.
Back home in South Africa, Morgan will be contesting this weekend’s round in a different machine. Now in just her second year on the long circuit and part of the Pablo Clark Racing / EasyEquities development squad, she will pilot a BMW E46 for the event. Earlier in July she recorded her first trophy in that BMW against a strong field of fellow BMW drivers.
- Event: Round 5, 2026 Regional Extreme Festival Championship
- Local connection: Lives and works in Vereeniging; races for Pablo Clark Racing / EasyEquities
- Recent international outing: ATCM meeting in Maputo — car retired for the weekend
- Brother: Zander Jacobs — third overall in Maputo, A+ class winner; next race 26 September at Zwartkops
The weekend meeting promises more than on-track action. Organisers have promoted a family-friendly atmosphere with pit-lane access to meet drivers, live music, a DJ, gourmet food stalls, drifting demonstrations and the high-octane racing that draws local motorsport fans.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Driver | Morgan Jacobs (18) |
| Home | Vereeniging |
| Team | Pablo Clark Racing / EasyEquities (development) |
| Cars recently used | VW Carado (retired in Maputo), BMW E46 (current weekend) |
| Brother | Zander Jacobs — Opel Tigra; third overall in Maputo; A+ class winner |
For Vereeniging motorheads, the narrative is familiar: talent emerging from local streets, balancing a day job with the demands of national and regional motorsport. Jacobs’ profile — young, locally based, and part of a professional development programme — is the kind of pathway organisers and sponsors cite when they talk about growing the sport in South Africa.
Her mother’s remarks about simulator work and sports psychology underline another trend in junior motorsport: drivers are increasingly treating racing as a full-time athletic pursuit even while maintaining careers off-track. In Morgan’s case, weekday shifts at a property agency sit alongside simulator sessions and physical and mental preparation.
Fans who want to follow her progress can find her on social media at Instagram: @Morgan_jacobs_04 and Facebook: Morgan Jacobs Racing. The family’s presence in Maputo and the planned return to action this weekend will be watched closely in Vereeniging, where motorsport supporters say they enjoy cheering on local talent as it climbs the ranks.
Whether the BMW E46 will be kinder than the Carado remains to be seen. For now, Jacobs’ gamble on fresh preparation and on-track time is enough to keep her profile rising — and to draw a healthy local crowd this weekend.
