Killarney celebrates 70 years
FOUR VETERANS WHO HELPED DEVELOP TRACK RECEIVED SPECIAL SERVICE AWARDS Maestro Sarel van der Merwe delivered a special birthday message.
The heritage of local motorsport came to the fore in South Africa last week, with two of the country’s historical coastal circuits involved. The Western Cape Killarney circuit celebrated 70 years of racing, starting in 1947.
Four veterans who helped to develop the track were honoured with special service awards.
Alderman JP Smith, City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for safety and social services, unveiled a special commemorative board depicting the track’s history.
Motorsport maestro Sarel van der Merwe, 11 times South African rally champion and international racer at Le Mans and Daytona, delivered a special birthday message.
More than 100 guests who had raced at Killarney or had some connection to the track gathered at the clubhouse for the awards presented to Adrian Pheiffer, 86, Denis Joubert, 82, Dr Harry Wade, 89, and Brian Hoskins, 70. Chairman of the Western Province Motor Club (WPMC), Gavin Cerff, and Killarney’s executive manager, Des Easom, presented the awards.
Alderman Smith congratulated Killarney as one of Cape Town’s assets, built, financed and expanded without support from government or the taxpayer.
Sarel van der Merwe, honorary member of Killarney, said this circuit helped to shape his own racing career and that of other champions like Koos Swanepoel, Denis Joubert, Deon Joubert, Peter Gough and Johan Fourie.
“Killarney, Ferrari and I have something in common – we are all 70 years old,” said the maestro.
Adrian Pheiffer, who still works at Killarney as motor writer and historian, was chairman of the WPMC and its predecessor, the Metropolitan Motorcycle and Motor Club.
He arranged the Goodwood Motor Show that saved Killarney from bankruptcy, launched kart racing in South Africa and Motocross at Killarney.
Denis Joubert, an architect and president of the WPMC, was honoured because all of the buildings on the Killarney site started on his drawing board. He was secretary of the WPMC and WPMC chairman from 1970 to 2006.
Dr Harry Wade was recognised for his many years of service for medical emergencies and care at the track.
Killarney, Ferrari and I are all 70 years old.
Brian Hoskins was vice-chairman of WPMC for 16 years, a motorcycle racer and arguably the most knowledgeable clerk of the course in South Africa.
Killarney has, over the decades, become a multi-purpose venue for racing, sports and classical cars, motorcycles, karts, a large annual motor show, cycling, running and charity events.
In the Eastern Cape, plans are advanced to bring the sights and sounds of 1930s Grand Prix cars back to the historic East London circuit on a large scale. The planned occasion is the SA Historic Grand Prix Festival, to be held in November next year.
The event will celebrate the iconic racers that originally participated in the SA Grands Prix in the 1930s.
The first South African Grands Prix took place at the Prince George Race track in East London between 1934 and 1939.
For further information, contact Mark Woolley at mark@ speedstreamgroup.com