Killarney Thanks Sponsors

Even the the four-wheeled petrolheads say the RST SUZUKI SOUTH Superbike races are among the most exciting on the programme at the Power Series regional events, with state-of-the-art litre class machines lapping at close to 1min 10secs and reaching speeds of more than 270km/h on the straights.

And remember, these are lightly modified production street-bikes, unlike the multi-million rand purpose-built endurance racers that are the only cars capable of quicker laps at Killarney.

Suzuki South was founded in 1980 by former motorcycle drag racer Nibs Cragg, whose son Rob went on to become a multiple Western Province champion in the first years of the new millenium – and still races in the Masters Class of the category.

Today it is part of the South Motorcycles group, under the general managership of Stewart Thom, a second-generation racer himself – that’s him in the picture, racing a classic Suzuki GS1000 in an historic racing event in 2018.

We honour them not only for their long-standing sponsorship but also for their deep involvement over many years in motorcycle racing at Killarney, from supporting individual riders to series sponsorship.

They currently offer new and used Suzuki, Kawasaki, SYM, Aeon, Kiden, Zontes and Mondial motorcycles, scooters and quads, as well as a wide range of accessories, parts and merchandise. Finance can be arranged if required, and they will either trade in your old bike or put it on their showroom floor on a commission basis.

In addition, their service department is fully equipped, up to and including on-site dyno testing, for servicing, tyre fitment, repairs (including insurance jobs) upgrades and modifications to current and classic motorcycles, scooters and quads.

As co-sponsor of both the Powersport and Clubmans categories at Killarney’s regional Power Series, TRAC-MAC’s support of motorcycle racing from the entry-level 300cc Powersport B class to the Clubmans Superbikes is as all-embracing as their range of tyres, accessories and bikewear for all types of machines and all kinds of riders.

It all started in July 1982 with a small ‘hole in the wall’ shop in Shortmarket Street where John McEwan (the Mac in Trac-Mac) opened the first specialist motorcycle tyre fitment centre in Cape Town.

In 1986 the business moved to Waterkant Street – then a hive of motorcycle activity – and its range expanded to include chains and sprockets, brake pads and crash helmets. Branches in Bellville and Wynberg followed in 2005 and 2007 respectively but by 2011 Trac Mac (and its range of products) had completely outgrown the Waterkant Street premises and moved again, this time to Marine Drive in Paarden Eiland.

Throughout the years Trac-Mac and the enthusiasts who work there have always been involved with motorcycle racing at Killarney. We thank them for their support and we are proud to have their name associated with the two categories that represent grass-roots racing at its best.

Another new name at Killarney is that of EMERGENCY GLASS REPAIRS – but the man behind it is a motorsport stalwart of many years’ standing. Peet van der Walt is not only a vastly experienced racer but also the driver of the Killarney Experience Audi A8.

This very unusual track car has been completely stripped of its luxury interior, replaced by a roll cage and four – count them, four! – racing seats with full safety harnesses. Its V8 engine has been tuned to deliver in the region of 320 horsepower, driving all four wheels through a six-speed manual transmission (borrowed from an RS4 – there is no such thing as a manual A8) and the standard Quattro final drive.

That makes it possible for three passengers to get first-hand experience of high-speed laps in a seriously fast car. But this is not an experience you can buy – you have to be invited! Typical guests include young people with life-threatening illnesses or from disadvantaged backgrounds, winners of competitions in aid of charity and people who have distinguished themselves by service to their communities.

The cost of these laps – fuel, tyres and maintenance of this demanding beast – is borne by Peet van der Walt, who also makes the Audi available as a pace car when needed. We salute you, and we thank you!

It used to be said that ‘Things go better with Coke’. Motorsport at Killarney certainly goes better with the world’s most recognisable cold drink, thanks to Western Cape distributor PENINSULA BEVERAGES.

Not only do they sponsor generous quantities of bottled water and soft drinks for the marshals, timekeepers and officials at main circuit events, they can always be counted on for the loan of the Coca Cola Gig Rig whenever an outdoor stage is needed for live music, competitions, DJs, prizegiving and announcements at major events such as H Day, the Killarney Motor Show and the Youth Day Road Safety Campaign.

They turn any event into a pop-up festive occasion with the loan of shop-fittings and fridges for the day, often at short notice and always with a smile. We thank them for their commitment to motorsport and our road safety initiatives – and for quenching our thirst on race days!

The concept of a pace car was the brainchild of Carl G Fisher, creator of the Indianapolis Speedway; he came up with the idea in order to have a rolling start for for the very first Indy 500 in 1911.

He led the warm-up lap in his own Stoddard Dayton road car, before pulling off the circuit and allowing the race to begin as the leaders crossed the start/finish line – a ritual that has not changed to this day.

The categories of main circuit racing at Killarney that feature a rolling start are led in strict formation on their warm-up lap by the pace-car driver and the circuit’s health and safety officer, in a road car, which pulls off into pit lane as the field enters the start/finish straight. As the front row crosses the start-line, the overhead red lights go out and the race is on!

What’s less well known is that the same pace car sits at the back of the grid during a standing start, and follows the field around the circuit for the first lap of the race proper, along with the circuit doctor in a medical response vehicle and the chief marshal in a fire bakkie.

The pace car at each Killarney main-circuit event (and, when needed, the medical response vehicle as well) is provided by IMPERIAL SELECT TABLE VIEW, a multi-franchise that includes, among others, Renault Table View.
We thank them for their long-standing support of racing at Killarney, as custodians of a tradition that goes back 109 years.

Ian Long of Imperial Select, who is deeply involved in motorsport at Killarney as chairman of the Clubmans section and vice-chairman of the Rallycross and Drag Racing sections, also carries the cost of fitting the light-bar on the roof of the pace car, signage, fuel and – quite often – two new left-side tyres after a day of hard driving around a circuit with four right-hand corners and only one left-hander!

At the start of each main-circuit race at Killarney, the field is followed round the circuit by the chief marshal in the ‘chase vehicle’, the fire truck and the medical response vehicle, to provide the fastest possible response should there be an incident while the competitors are still closely bunched.

The chief marshal’s chase vehicle (two of them, if necessary) at main-circuit meetings is provided free of charge by DTM HELDERBERG, a Somerset West dealer in new and used Nissan and Datsun vehicles.|

Dealer principal Wayne Wilson is not only a Killarney supporter of long standing but also an active competitor in both the Clubmans and Rallycross categories, along with his son Stacy.

“Our team and our family enjoy the privilege equally,” he says, “so we are fortunate to be able to enjoy these cars at Killarney.

Stacy Wilson races the aptly-named ‘Monster Maxima’, while Wayne and his crew have recently finished building a second Rallycross Maxima, which he describes as “just pure fun”.

“We are looking forward to the reigniting of the racing calendar.”
Without the support of stalwarts such as the Wilson family and DTM Helderberg, running motorsport events at Killarney would be a logistical nightmare. We thank them, we salute them and we join them in looking forward to the day when the engines roar again.

The partnership between Killarney International Raceway and the CITY OF CAPE TOWN began way back in 2016 in an effort to get illegal street racers off the public roads and into a safe and manageable arena.
This initiative, now widely known as #RobotRacing, has taken on a life of its own, with racing every Wednesday night, weather and pandemics permitting. It is thanks to the support of the City that we have been able to keep the ticket price down to R70 per person, with no further charge whatsoever to compete – an offering that is rare if not unique in motorsport.

The City also supports a number of national and international events at Killarney, notably the annual World Rallycross season finale, each year since since 2017, and a round of the ROK National Karting series, as well as the annual end-of-year StreetFest, a celebration of car culture that pulls in petrolheads from all over South African and as far afield as Namibia.
By helping Killarney to host events that attract thousands of visitors, both as as competitors and spectators, the City is also helping to promote Cape Town as a tourist destination, boosting every facet of the industry from accommodation to street vendors.

Nevertheless, the support we value most is when City officials such as Mayor Dan Plato, Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson and Mayoral Committee member for Safety and Security JP Smith attend these events, talking to competitors and fans down on pit lane where the action happens.

We thank the City of Cape Town for its support of Killarney and motorsport in the Western Cape, and we thank the City officials who give up their own time (and they know who they are!) to make it happen.

MONSTER ENERGY has been a dedicated supporter of the Killarney Motor Show for many years, setting up their Gig Rig to act as a sound stage, hosting celebrity guests and donating awesome prizes for visitor competitions.

Each year they bring awesome acts to entertain visitors to the Show, such as the Le Riche brothers, who turn the art of trails riding into a breathtaking circus act, and the high-flying riders of the Freestyle Motocross crew, defying gravity and seemingly re-writing the laws of physics.

What is less well known is that Monster Energy are also staunch supporters of Drag Racing – in particular grass-roots Street2Strip and #RobotRacing, throwing their weight behind Killarney’s efforts to get illegal street racers off the public roads and into a safe and controlled environment.
We thank them for adding extra sparkle to the annual Killarney Motor Show and we salute Monster Energy for their support of our road safety initiatives.

MASTERDRIVE is an advanced driver training organisation, established in 1999, that specialises in helping companies in managing driver risk interventions. They have three branches in South Africa – in Johannesburg, Durban and at Cape Town’s Killarney International Raceway, where they occupy the training centre at our skid-pan.

They’re also staunch supporters of World Rallycross at Killarney, as well as our road safety initiatives, particularly our Road Safety Youth Open Day, hosted by the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works and Killarney International Raceway.

Masterdrive provided the two activations that made the deepest impression. In the first an instructor demonstrated just how long it takes to stop a vehicle travelling at 60, and then 120km/h, leaving most of the participants astonished by how badly they had underestimated the stopping distance required.

In the second the notorious ‘Skid Monster’ – a small hatchback with castor-mounted rear wheels – showed just how quickly even a modern car can get out of control when the wheels break traction. On a spinning pitch, it’s great fun; on the public road, it’s a recipe for disaster, something that wasn’t lost on the (slightly seasick) passengers after their rides.

Masterdrive instructors believe that if even one young life is saved through these activations, they are worth the effort; we salute their dedication to road safety and thank them for their support.