08 Nov The e-Blower (special edition).
The e-Blower (special edition).
HO, ho, ho. Yes it’s almost that time again. But while the final e-Blower of the year is almost ready for publication, we’re bringing out this special edition concentrating on the last round of 2017 FIA World Rallycross Championship at Killarney and how it affects club members.
Firstly, while members have free admission to every meeting promoted and staged by the WPMC, this does not apply to events not controlled by us. Nothing new, it has always been like that and even applied way back at the SuperTruck meeting. We requested free or a discounted admission fee for our members, but this was declined by IMG.
However, after discussions with the organisers in London, Des Easom was able to negotiate certain privileges. As a result, club members benifitted from the following:
1: Early bird booking of seats on the prime viewing stand with access to the Pits at specific times. This was a real benefit as seats on this stand sold out extremely quickly when opened to the public.
2: Preferential discounted parking for cars at the track (R100 discount). And for motorcycles (R50 discount), with entry for those approaching from the Malmesbury / Dunoon side through Gate 3. Those from the Cape Town / Milnerton side, can enter through Gate 2. Tickets must be obtained beforehand, from the Admin office.
3: Access to garages and workshops in the week leading up to the event.
4: Bomas and viewing areas may be open and can be used as meet and greet venues for the weekend.
5: The clubhouse will be open for drinks during the event.
The RX world series is controlled by IMG, a major sporting organisation based in the UK. They have support from Monster Energy, with the final approval coming from the FIA. The Killarney meeting is sponsored by Gumtree (by arrangement with IMG), while our club has secured the patronage of Wingfield Motors, KFM Radio and the AMV GROUP.
The final round at Killarney this weekend (Nov. 11 & 12), is going to be quite unlike any other major motorsport meeting ever staged in South Africa.
For a start it’s a Saturday / Sunday weekend affair, with a variety of events that are certain to add a festive atmosphere to the promotion. And it all takes place on a short compact circuit that enables spectators, no matter where they are seated, to follow the progress of the competing cars nearly all way around.
Then there’s the banking on the west (or river), side of the complex, that is being offered to spectators for R400, strictly as a raised BOG (bums on grass) facility. No vehicular traffic will be allowed into this area. The view from here is magnificent.
Other prices include R700 for a numbered grandstand seat and R220 for scholars under 16 in the open areas. An U12 kiddie in the unreserved area have free entry to the unreserved areas if he/she, is in the care of a paying adult. All the prices are for the two day weekend.
A limited number of tickets are still available from “ticketpros.”
You can get involved in the World Rallycross final round.
Members can be part of the dream of multiple SA champion, Mark Cronje, when he drives a 600 bhp Peugeot 208 in the Killarney RX event.
Cronje returned recently from racing this car in a round of the French WRX championship at Lessay where he competed in a field of 20 supercars and won two heats, so is all fired up to make an impactful debut next month.
How can you be part of Mark’s dream? Buy one of a very limited number of advertising spaces on his car for R17 000. The sponsor can use the space to promote a company or products. It’s an opportunity for a sponsor to get his or her message out there in an adrenaline-charged, high octane environment.
Each “space” gives the sponsor a unique experience to be part of his team at the event in Cape Town. The R17 000 gets the sponsor:
– 2 VIP tickets at the event, including hospitality
– Exclusive “goodies pack” with limited edition merchandise
– A signed framed photo of the sponsor standing next to his or her space on the car.
– Meet and greet with Mark during the event.
Mark also has two Super VIP experiences on offer for R 30 000 each. This entitles the buyer to be a team member for the whole weekend as well as getting the above; you will blend in with the team as a special guest in the pit-box throughout the weekend. This is most certainly the best ticket for the event; an experience of a life time.
Mark will be one of two South Africans competing at Killarney. The other is Ashley Haigh-Smith, a super enthusiastic young rally driver from Cape Town.
Mark’s extensive experience in all aspects of motorsport, from karting to circuit racing, off-road racing and rallying will be an excellent foundation for rallycross, which is basically a mix of rallying and circuit racing.
Besides winning championships in all these branches of motorsport, Mark has also gained valuable experience from attending a course at the Winter Rally School in Norway. The nature of RX and the brand new 60/40 split of gravel and tarmac circuit should suit his flowing driving style.
He heads to the event with limited knowledge of the new Killarney rallycross track, which is located within sight of the magnificent Table Mountain. He joined series regular Petter Solberg at the pre-season launch, and drove an RX2 car for a couple of laps of the 1.07km track, but doesn’t believe that will necessarily give him the edge.
Making a return to circuit action for the first time since he won the Rotax Max World Final, Mark’s karting pedigree should also help as he acclimatises to competing against other 600 horsepower Supercars. But against a strong world championship line-up that includes defending champion Mattias Ekstrom, Hoonigan Racing’s Ken Block, and nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb, Mark has set his sights on reaching the semi-finals.
“I’m really looking forward to racing in World RX, and love the fact that I will be in front of all my supporters. I have been competing in motorsport for 27 years and previously won the Rotax Max World Final in front of my home fans in 2003, and it was unbelievable. I have no rallycross experience, just a very kind sponsor who enjoys throwing me in at the deep end!
“Albatec Racing comes highly recommended by a number of engineers and organisers. It’s going to be very different as we will be rubbing door handles with other competitors, and it’s going to bring back some great memories of when I competed on tarmac. I’ve done some circuit racing, it’s where I cut my teeth, and I have a few karting championships, and the World Final to my name, so I’m very excited about racing against other people again.
“There has been a lot of interest in South Africa ahead of the first World RX event as we’re starved of International motorsport, and I’m sure the event will be a sell-out. As a first time run it was enjoyable but I believe the track will change before the event, it’s new and requires some small tweaks, however they have done a tremendous job. I’d like to mix it with some of the best in the world, and getting to the semi-finals would be awesome! The biggest challenge will be getting to the end of a race with the 208 in one piece!”