What’s happening at Kyalami?
Toby Venter dishes out the dosh in attempt to rebuild iconic track
WHEN you’re spending hundreds of millions of rands like Toby Venter is on the refurbished Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit & International Convention Centre, you’re laying quite a lot of faith in the maxim: “build it and they will come”.
The CEO of Porsche South Africa bought the iconic circuit on auction for R205-million in October last year and is now spending nearly the budget of a small country on the biggest and most expensive upgrade of its 54-year history. Long neglected by its former owners and allowed to fall into disrepair, the Midrand track is getting a top-to-bottom revamp to turn it into a five-star motoring facility.
Already well over the original upgrade budget estimated at R100million, additional work is taking place on the track and facilities, which has also pushed the final completion date from the originally scheduled September 2015 to the middle of next year.
The track has been lengthened and tarred and the runoff areas have been upgraded for better safety. Most of the hospitality bomas have been demolished to make for more of a grass-roots spectator experience with better views of the track. Most spectator areas don’t have stands; it’s a case of bring your own camping chair and braai just like in Kyalami’s heydays decades ago when thousands turned up to watch the likes of Sarel van der Merwe and Tony Viana bumping mirrors on the track.
The track itself has been completed with the straight lengthened by some 300m to 900m which will make for much higher top speeds for racing cars, and corner one – renamed Crowthorne after one of Kyalami’s original corners – is a tight lefthander which should make for some exciting out-braking manoeuvres.
“The area at Crowthorne will offer one of the most exciting views available in motorsport,” says Venter, who apart from being the Porsche boss is also an avid racer. His successful bid for the circuit came as a relief to motorsport fans who had feared a property developer would snap up the circuit, with its highly sought-after Midrand location, and turn it into a townhouse or business complex.
The bowl, which is now called the Crocodile corner, has been widened to make for better overtak- ing opportunities.
New viewing decks have been built on either side of the pit building, giving spectators views of heretofore hidden sections of track.
The circuit will also include a completely revamped pit complex, hospitality and conference area, an upgraded public address system, a new access road, and a high-performance driving centre with its own 1km handling track.
Kyalami will have an FIA Grade 2 licence which means it can host any form of international track racing except Formula One. The circuit will stage motor racing but corporate rental is where the main income is expected to come from.
According to track manager Dennis Klopper, several motor manufacturers, driving schools and cor- porate customers have expressed interest in hiring the circuit for launches and events.
The first confirmed function is an international press driving event of new all-wheel-drive Porsche 911 models in late January. It was also recently-announced that the SA Festival of Motoring will take place there from August 31 to September 4 next year to replace the biennial Joburg International Motor Show.
Inspired by the UK’s successful Goodwood Festival of Speed, the event will focus on automotive lifestyle, motorsport demonstrations and vehicle drive opportunities for visitors. Depending on its success next year it could become an annual event.