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Gauteng takes on 'Speed' series

<b>'ONCE MORE PLEASE, GUYS!'</b> February 2013 will be the seventh time that this UK team has contested the Castrol Day of Champions Race Series with an all-star set of riders. <i>Image: Quickpic</i>
<b>'ONCE MORE PLEASE, GUYS!'</b> February 2013 will be the seventh time that this UK team has contested the Castrol Day of Champions Race Series with an all-star set of riders. <i>Image: Quickpic</i>
Gauteng will now host the international ‘Passion for Speed’ historic cars and motorcycles series and will stage the show over two weekends in February.

Under sponsorship from Castrol, the meetings will be held at Zwartkops over February 2/3 and at Kyalami on February 9.

The event used to include a weekend at Cape Town’s Killarney track but now, the organisers claim, “it will be a bonanza for Gauteng enthusiasts with many out-of-town visitors expected for the spectacle”.

RACING PROTOTYPES

Castrol SA’s Nandi Canning said: “We are very aware of Castrol’s heritage in motor sport and the technological benefits we enjoy as a result of our involvement in this high-tech area of competition. SA has a wonderful motor racing heritage going back to the 1950’s, including the Nine-Hour Races and car and motorcycle Grands Prix. The annual Passion for Speed highlights the amazing cars and close racing enjoyed in those days.”

Castrol Edge will sponsor the SA Tourist Trophy for cars and the races for International Sports Racing Prototypes for pre-1974 cars, as well as races for cars that were seen at the Grand Central circuit and in the early days at Kyalami.

Castrol will sponsor the Day of the Champions for racing motorcycles on Sunday February 3 as well as the SA Tourist Trophy for motorcycles over three rounds: Port Elizabeth (Jan 26), Zwartkops (Feb 3) and Kyalami (Feb 9).

“The Pre 1966/68 Le Mans/Sebring sports and GT cars that will contest the Castrol Edge racing will be,” the organisers say, “the best yet seen at the Passion for Speed meetings. There will be seven Ford GT40’s headed by two European entries – one of them the car the Alan Mann team raced at Le Mans.”

They will be matched by two Lola T70 Spyders, Chevron B8’s, Daytona Coupes and a whole group of cars of all shapes and sizes from big 1967 Sebring Camaros to the little Mini Marcos and SA-built GSM Darts.

MORE STRUCTURED

The Castrol Edge International Sports racing Prototypes will see the return of the big, black McLaren of Michiel Campagne. At Zwartkops this car could be challenged by the nimble Chevron B19’s one of which comes from the Netherlands and is very quick. Other contenders in this race will be Porsche 917 replicas and thundering V8 Lolas.

The Castrol Day of the Champions, at Zwartkops for the sixth time on February 3, will have a more structured programme than before with events scheduled from 8am-5pm.

Motorcycles in the Castrol SA Tourist Trophy will be split into three categories: pre-1975, 1976-84 and 1985-88. There will be two races at each circuit and the overall winner will be awarded the SA Tourist Trophy, which dates back to the race of that name organised by the Rand Motoring Club in 1922.

There will also be Castrol Day of the Champion parades for riders who have won World, International or National championships or Isle of Man races. They will ride classic or historic racing motorcycles up to 1992, with two “demonstration” outings at each circuit.

Canning added: “This year’s double-header at Zwartkops and Kyalami is going to be a real bonanza for Gauteng racing enthusiasts.”
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