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This weekend: Top Gear Festival!

ALL THE GOODIES: Just some of the automobile gems that will be on show/in use at the Top Gear Festival.
ALL THE GOODIES: Just some of the automobile gems that will be on show/in use at the Top Gear Festival.
The 2011 Top Gear Festival - a real celebration of motoring - powered by BP Ultimate fuels, will have its debut at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit from March 17-20 with an incredible line-up of cars and driving talent and be hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

That's this weekend!

It will feature the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Team and South Africa’s very own Formula 1 champion Jody Scheckter, SA rally champion Gugu Zulu, as well as a host of other guest drivers, presenters and celebrities. The event promises to be the largest motoring festival South Africa has yet seen. Clarkson said of the new Festival: "It should be... just brilliant!"

OUTDOOR FEATURES

The 2011 event will give its visitors a more interactive experience, expanding it from a "theatre show" to a full motoring festival thanks to its move to Kyalami which has all the infrastructure needed to host this impressive event.

As well as The Top Gear Stunt Show, featuring all three presenters, visitors will also enjoy a huge variety of other exciting outdoor features around the Kyalami track. Drag racing, power testing and time trials will take place at ‘The Strip’ whilst drifting, rallying and off-roading will be key activities taking place at ‘The Bowl’.

Throughout the day there will be a full timetable of special appearances by the talent as they participate and commentate on a number of special Top Gear challenges. Further features will include the BP Stunt School, Freestyle Motocross bikes, Kart Track and Motoring Pavilion.

FAMOUS FACES: Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond ham it up ahead of the 2011 Kyalami Top Gear Festival.

The Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Team, accompanied by former F1 driver David Coulthard who will drive one of the team's cars throughout the weekend to crown the incredible track content already scheduled. All resulting in a fitting celebration for the renowned Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

RED BULL EXPERIENCE

David Coulthard said of his involvement: "I’m really looking forward to going to Johannesburg for the Top Gear Festival; tens of thousands of spectators will get the chance to see an F1 car on the race track and witness exactly what it can do.

"I don’t think a current F1 car has been to South Africa so I plan to give everyone a true Red Bull experience with plenty of noise and burning rubber! I hope to see you all there.”
 
Honouring South Africa’s own Formula 1 champion Jody Scheckter, who took the 1979 Formula 1 World Driver’s title, is another way of celebrating the 50 years of the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit’s existence. Jody will have his collection of iconic F1 cars in addition to being honoured at a special tribute dinner on Friday, March 18.

The real challenge of announcing the impressive list of guest drivers, celebrities and presenters at Top Gear Festival 2011 is trying to decide in which order to place them as each is as important as the other, their status within the motoring world making this a must-see motoring extravaganza.

CAR COLLECTOR

Top Gear’s tame racing driver, The Stig, will be taking to the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, as will legendary driver Sir Stirling Moss, whose success in a variety of categories of racing placed him among the world’s elite and ensures he is often called “the greatest driver never to have won the World championship”.

The list continues with the likes of Derek Bell, five-times winner at Le Mans; Eddie Jordan, the BBC’s F1 pundit and owner of Eddie Jordan Racing; and Nick Mason, best known as Pink Floyd’s drummer but also a renowned car collector and participant in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Another motoring expert, former Top Gear presenter and current co-presenter of Fifth Gear on Britain’s Channel Five network, Tiff Needell, will also be taking part in South Africa’s Top Gear Festival. And last but not least Sabine Schmitz, the female motor racing driver and TV personality who has also appeared on Top Gear, will join the fun.

In addition a chosen number of private owners will also be given the opportunity to join the list lining up to drive their car on the prestigious track.

FULL DAY OUT

This year’s Top Gear Festival powered by BP Ultimate is expected to attract tens of thousands of petrolheads keen to see the world-famous presenters, guest drivers, presenters and celebrities in action and to take part in this true celebration of all things motoring. Visitors are encouraged to book early to avoid missing the most exciting event on this year’s entertainment and motoring calendar. 

The event offers an exciting, full day out for visitors – young and old.  Kyalami is ideally located for easy access from all across Gauteng and has a convenient park-and-ride facility for festival-goers.
 
You can now purchase your Top Gear Festival ticket at any BP Express Shop in Johannesburg. Priced at R250, these will give you access to all the outdoor festiviities (apart from the Stunt Theatre, which can easily be upgraded via Computicket for an extra R115. For more information and bookings, visit www.topgearfestival.co.za or www.bp.co.za or www.computicket.com
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