The AKKA ASP Racing Mercedes-AMG crossed the line to win the 2021 (yes, that is technically correct) Kyalami 9 Hour at the weekend. And although not as many cars entered the race as in the past, the storylines that unfolded during the Intercontinental GT Challenge – powered by Pirelli, were quite compelling, Ernest Page (who was part of the broadcast team) reports.

As is the case with so many (otherwise carefully planned) public events these days, the 2021 Kyalami 9 Hour, which was due to take place in December last year, had to be postponed at the very last minute due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus. Teams and organisers were aghast at the thought of ending the championship without its much-anticipated final race…

Therefore, in the time-honoured South African tradition, the organisers made a plan. And, on 5 February 2022, the modern rendition of this classic race took place once more. As the South African national anthem rang out and the nation’s flag was flown at the opening ceremony, many, including yours truly, had a lump in their throats.

For me, the big story was seeing all of those spectators, many of them with their right hands held to their chests, getting ready to experience the spectacle of motor racing for the first time in nearly 2 years. A few years ago, I would have said that circuit racing was in its death throes in the Republic, but thanks to us being confined to our homes for much of the past 24 months, we’ve become quite starved for outdoor entertainment.

It was refreshing to see the masses being out in force, lighting braais at Barbeque (corner) and being festive again. It didn’t hurt that some of the coolest race cars that (lots of) money can buy were part of the live entertainment!

Kelvin van der Linde’s Audi GT3 made it to the podium in this year’s event.

With GT3 races taking place on most weekends these days, worldwide motorsport has seen an unlikely resurgence. On local soil, the South African GT series presents local drivers with an opportunity to go wheel-to-wheel with international drivers in an incredible season finale – the Kyalami 9 Hour. That’s something that’s been missing from SA motorsport for a long time. A feeder series, if you will, which draws participants from all over the world.

In that vein, our local heroes were very impressive, Charl Arrangies and the Stradale Motorsport team were fast enough to, albeit briefly, compete with the international squads and, who can forget the Into Africa team who became the first all-African team to not only compete in the Kyalami 9 Hour, but also finish it.

Comprising of local legends Tschops Sepuka, Phillip Kekana and led by Xolile Letlaka, they were an inspiration to many spectators at the Midrand circuit and people across the nation… the applause for them and their fellow SA drivers proved it. Other locals that had success was Scuderia Scribante, who won the locally run 1-hour race.

The local trio of Phillip Kekana, Tschops Sepuka and Xolile Latlaka in their Lamborghini Huracan GT3.

On the main stage, Mercedes-Benz crossed the line first, thereby ensuring that their 3 top drivers Jules Gounon, Raffaele Marciello and Timur Boguslavskiy etched their names in Kyalami 9 Hour history forever. Ferrari took the drivers’ championship and Audi won the manufacturers’ title. Now consider that each car has three drivers, a relatively large crew (and many hangers-on!), you have the makings of a racing after-party second to none.

The topsy turvy 2021 season is now finally behind us and South African motorsport has a lot to look forward to – and be proud of. We have always been able to cultivate the talent, and now finally, we have an international event in which we can showcase it. Yes, this type of racing is exorbitantly expensive, but because of the 3-driver system and the wealthy benefactors that have been willing to support this series financially, young talented drivers have a better chance of creating success here than in the even more expensive single-seater feeder formulas abroad.

If the crowds come back at the end of this year, and the production quality of the Kyalami 9 Hour is at the same level as – or higher than – the “2021” event, SA motorsport indeed has a brighter future, on and off the track.