03 Feb 2020 PASSION FOR SPEED – PREVIEW
2020 PASSION FOR SPEED – PREVIEW
Thousands of car freaks, racing fans and just plain adrenalin junkies poured into Killarney International Raceway on Saturday 28 December for the annual StreetFest in partnership with the City of Cape Town.
BIG-ENGINED V8’S LEAD THE CHARGE AT KILLARNEY’S PASSION FOR SPEED
The entry list for the international Passion for Speed by G-Energy at Killarney International Raceway on Saturday 8 February features a number of big-engined V8 monsters from the golden era of sports-car racing in South Africa, as well as some of the fastest Sports & GT cars currently dominating the South African Endurance Series.
Topping the contenders for the headline race of the day, the 45 minute SA TT for for Pre ’66/68 Le Mans Sports & GT cars, are father and daughter Peter and Paige Lindenberg, sharing a Shelby Daytona Coupé, and brothers Mark and Jonathan du Toit from Pretoria, in a Lola T70 Spider and a Daytona respectively.
The thundering seven-litre Ford-powered Daytona was developed from the AC Cobra by Pete Brock specifically to win the World GT Championship, which it did in 1964 much to Enzo Ferrari’s annoyance, while the Spyder is the open-topped earlier version of what later became the iconic Lola T70 coupé, usually powered by a five-litre Chev V8.
Du Toit’s T70 is a replica of Doug Serrurier’s 1965 example, which he famously campaigned under the Wall’s Ice Cream banner.
Keeping them honest will be Colin Ellison in a Chevron B19, Peter van der Spuy (1972 Porsche Carrera 911 RSRT), Djurk Venter and James Temple (Daytona), Swedish drivers Brent Anderson (Lola T212), Kennet Persson and Janne King, each in a Ford GT40, and Dutch crew Michiel Campagnie and Frans van der Maarschalkerwaart in a 1964 Chev Corvette.
If anybody is going to give these ‘big dogs’ a run for their money, however, it’s Kobus Brits in his Porsche 911R and Christer Pernwal from Sweden in a classic Porsche 1966 911.
The Du Toits are also V8-powered for the Legends of the 9 Hour and Little Giants races, supported by the local heroes of the Bejo Trustees Fine Cars, with Mark in a Ford Fairlane and Jonathan in a Chevy Nova – proof that sibling rivalry is alive and well and living at Killarney! Peter Lindenberg has entered a Ford Mustang, and his daughter Paige will be at the helm of a Ford Galaxie, as will Colin Ellison.
In the same event, the Little Giants category features the Lynx Porsche 944 of Geoff Bihl and a brace of iconic two-litre Alfas, the GTAM of Jared Thomson and the Giulia of Trevor Tuck.
The cars themselves are the stars of the UK-based Historic Grand Prix Cars Association, featuring 18 pre-1965 Grand Prix cars, including a number that were raced in South Africa in period (two of them were even built here by Doug Serrurier) as well as iconic racers such as the Maserati 250 F and Lotus 16, that have never before been seen here.
These cars will be lined up on the KFM Straight for the Fan Walk during the lunch break, giving spectators a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get within arm’s length of the Grand Prix cars most of us have only read about.
Then it’s bang up to date with the Sports & GT races; here the big noises will come from Craig Jarvis’ thundering Chevy-powered Maui Motorhomes G57 Ginetta (holder of the ultimate lap record at every circuit at which it has competed!) and the astonishingly quick Honda-engined 2.5-litre turbo Lotus Exige of Dawie Joubert, with Sandro Biccari (Juno SS3) and Peter van der Spuy (Expel Porsche RSR Turbo) to keep them honest.
Among the entries for Millstock Cars Pre 1980 & Pre 1990 Classics are Franco Donadio’s all-conquering Ford Escort Mk1 and Charles Arton’s immaculately prepared Datsun 240Z.
Topping Class B will be Dave Alhadeff in a BMW 325is and Geoff Bihl in the Lynx 944 – but look out for new entries Rodney Green in the Piri Piri MGB and Jacques Blom in the Speed Bandit Ford Sierra RS.
The bumper programme of 17 races also includes Historic Single Seaters as well as Powersports, Clubman and Classic motorcycles.
Fine food and ice-cold drinks are available at the Trackside Pub and Grill, upstairs at the Clubhouse, the New Pits Lounge and the Karting Cafe, with live coverage of the entire circuit on TV screens on the Clubhouse Balcony and in the New Pits Lounge, while petrolheads-in-training enjoy the pedal karts, jungle gyms and more at the Clubhouse Kiddies Korner and below the New Pits Lounge.
Gates open at 7:00am, racing begins at 9:30am. Book through Computicket at https://tickets.computicket.com/event/passion_for_speed_2020/7134091/7134095/69693 or pay at the gate: Adults R90, scholars under 16 R40 and children under 12 free.