Petrol-heads can expect to revel in the resounding roar of GT3 supercar engines, pulsating music and world-class delicious cuisine when the Kyalami 9-Hour race returns to South Africa next month, following a 37-year hiatus.
The prestigious international motorsport event is scheduled over three days, from Thursday 21 to Saturday, 23 November at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Midrand.
It is endorsed by the City of Johannesburg and is expected to attract over 120 000 spectators worldwide.
More than 20 international car manufacturers are billed to battle it out for the outright race victory, including Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Porsche.
Organisers say motorsport enthusiasts can expect two days of packed race track activity including a support race, qualifying laps, celebrity hot laps, team activations and grid walks, all leading up to the 9-hour race on Saturday, 23 November.
Off-the-track lifestyle entertainment includes performances by Black Coffee, Sun-El Musician, Prime Circle, MiCasa, Shekinah as well as consumer activations, DJs, food trucks, kids’ zone, bars and more.
The event is tipped to create about 17 000 jobs over three days and inject around R75-million rands into the local economy.
At a ceremony to handover the formal endorsement letter to the Kyalami 9-Hour organisers on Tuesday, 2 October, the Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba said the event will remind the world that Johannesburg is not merely a stopover destination.
“The City continues to place itself firmly as a major player on the world stage and this is cemented by iconic events like these being hosted here,” Mashaba added.
The City, in partnership with the Kyalami 9-Hour race, intends to introduce a legacy programme that will see medium to long term investment in education infrastructure to help people in previously disadvantaged areas to learn motor mechanics skills.
In a statement, CEO of the Kyalami 9-Hour race Tom Pearson-Adams said the event will also provide a platform for some of South Africa's top-performing artists to entertain.
“We have catered for fans from all walks of life. This will be entertainment at its best. Speed and sound, family and fun,” Pearson-Adams explained.
The first Kyalami 9 Hour race was held in 1958 at the Grand Central Airport in Midrand before moving to Kyalami in 1961. Early bird tickets can be purchased through the Kyalami 9 hour race website, www.kyalami9hour.com. Gates will open at 8 am daily.
Written by Takalani Sioga
