The Citizen (Gauteng)

YouTube sensation at Carnival

INTERNATIO­N STARS COMPETE: FINAL ROUND OF GYMKHANA GRID SERIES ON EAST RAND

- André de Kock

Already-crowned world champion Luke Woodham tops the list of contestant­s.

For serious YouTube addicts, Ken Block awaits at the Carnival City Casino complex this Saturday and Sunday.

Actually, Ken Block and much, much more.

The occasion will be the final round of this year’s internatio­nal Gymkhana GRiD series.

The series, now in its sixth year, features a gymkhana track on tarmac, tackled by two cars at a time.

Each car takes on a mirror image of the other car’s route, swapping over in the middle, with the first one over a finish line the winner.

Thus, starting with between 20 and 30 cars per class, the losers are eliminated, until, at the end, the two quickest drivers take on each other for final glory.

The classes are broadly defined for all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive vehicles.

This weekend, the all-wheel drive category will see the world’s top contestant­s of this discipline taking to the Carnival City tarmac.

Topping the list will be already-crowned 2017 world champion Luke Woodham in his Monster Japspeed Nissan Skyline.

He will face serious competi- tion from people like World Rallycross regulars Johan Kristoffer­son (Monster VW Polo), Andreas Bakkerud (Monster Ford Fiesta RS), Petter Solberg (Monster VW Polo), Ken Block (Monster Ford Fiesta RS) and Mikko Ikonen in his all-wheel drive Monster MINI.

The rear-wheel drive contingent will see 23 South African contenders – mostly drifting regulars – taking to the tarmac.

Both Saturday’s and Sunday’s competitio­ns will commence at 11am.

The parking area next to the racetrack will feature the #AutoCIRCUS, a widely varied wheelswise entertainm­ent area.

It will feature interactiv­ity and public entertainm­ent in the form of drift thrill rides in purpose built drift vehicles, all sorts of motorcycle stunts, drift trikes, plus various street rods and trick bakkies on static display.

Local and internatio­nal vehicle after-market products will be on display and for sale. For more informatio­n e-mail info@xspromotio­ns.co.za.

 ??  ?? CHAMPION. Already crowned 2017 champion Luke Woodham will head up the all-wheel drive category in his wild Monster Nissan Skyline.
CHAMPION. Already crowned 2017 champion Luke Woodham will head up the all-wheel drive category in his wild Monster Nissan Skyline.
 ??  ?? CRAZY STUFF. Motorcycle stunts will be in vogue as part of the #AutoCIRCUS show.
CRAZY STUFF. Motorcycle stunts will be in vogue as part of the #AutoCIRCUS show.
 ??  ?? RODDING AROUND. The static displays will include some of the meanest street rods to ever straddle tarmac in this country.
RODDING AROUND. The static displays will include some of the meanest street rods to ever straddle tarmac in this country.
 ??  ?? FAMOUS PERSON. YouTube sensation Ken Block will be in spectacula­r action with his Monster Ford Focus ST.
FAMOUS PERSON. YouTube sensation Ken Block will be in spectacula­r action with his Monster Ford Focus ST.

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