The South African Festival of Motoring is taking place this week, from Friday 26 August to Sunday the 28th, at the Kyalami Gran Prix Circuit in Midrand, Gauteng.
The weekend will be packed with automotive action, from the latest news and reveals from the country’s top carmakers, to test drives, drifting events, video games, and supercar displays.
Online tickets start at R250 for adults and R50 for children under the age of 12. You can purchase tickets at the gate or online following this link.
What you can expect
The Festival of Motoring will play host to many of South Africa’s biggest automakers, each with its own model line-ups and events.
The list of confirmed original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) includes Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Baic, Chery, Citroen, Fiat, Ford, Isuzu, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Mopar, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Toyota, Suzuki, and Volvo.
All these brands will host the public from 08h30 to 18h30 for the length of the festival and can be found at the main pits, 4×4 track, and handling track.
Here are the many events you can look forward to at the 2022 Festival of Motoring.
Formula 1 live
For the Formula 1 fans out there who are curious to see what the racing series could look like if it comes to South Africa next year, a series of demonstration laps will be performed around Kyalami’s main circuit by no less than four F1 cars.
This includes a Cosworth-powered Minardi F1 M189, the Ferrari A1 Gran Prix car, a Renault 3.5, and the Pilbeam MP58 powered with the Infiniti Indy engine.
The demonstration is scheduled to take place between 09h50 and 10h20 on Saturday and between 09h45 and 10h05 on Sunday.
Track drives
Festival goers will be able to experience the thrill of taking a number of different performance cars around the main track at Kyalami.
The event is on a first-come, first-serve basis and entry will cost between R350 and R1,200.
The drives will take place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Here are the times:
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| 07h55 – 08h55 | 08h50 – 09h50 | 07h55 – 08h55 |
| 09h50 – 10h50 | 10h45 – 11h45 | 09h15 – 09h45 |
| 11h15 – 12h15 | 14h35 – 15h35 | 10h05 – 11h05 |
| 13h10 – 13h40 | 16h05 – 17h05 | 11h35 – 12h05 |
| 14h35 – 15h05 | 18h00 – 19h00 | 12h30 – 13h30 |
| 16h00 – 18h30 | 14h05 – 15h05 | |
| 15h30 – 16h30 |
Drifting and self-handling experiences
Those who would love to experience what it’s like to drift, head to Platform 2’s Handling track for the festival’s drifting experience.
This will take place between 08h30 and 16h00 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and the cost is R200 for the normal event and R500 for the extreme experience.
Anyone looking for a more controlled driving experience can head to the self-handling track to test out the latest vehicles from automakers including Mercedes-Benz, Suzuki, Chery, and Volvo.
The event will also include electric cars and motorbikes, as well as a few surprise vehicles, said the organizers.
Participants will be required to provide a valid driving license and perform a breathalyzer test before going out on the handling track.
Like the drifting experience, the self-handling drives will take place between 08h30 and 16h00 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the handling track.
Go-karts and gaming
A driving experience for all ages; a go-kart track will be set up along the handling circuit with prices starting at R250 per session for a mini-kart and R300 for an adult-kart.
The go-karts will be available for all three days of the festival from 08h30 till 18h30.
Alternatively, car enthusiasts can head to the main building galleria to try their skills at the various video game and virtual reality experiences on show.
4×4 courses
Dunlop is hosting a 4×4 event complete with simulators, competitions, and demonstrations designed to showcase the capabilities of their off-road tyres.
Additionally, numerous carmakers such as Jeep, Ford, Peugeot, Volvo, Suzuki, Baic, Nissan, and Isuzu will be in attendance to allow motorists to check out the latest Overlanding accessories and to get behind the wheel for a rugged driving encounter.
This event will run every day from 08h30 to 18h30.
Demonstrations and displays
The Festival of Motoring’s Speed Challenge will see three categories of vehicle – extreme supercars, classic cars, and modern muscle cars – compete in a series of speed trials on the main track.
Fans and enthusiasts will also be able to view and take photos of all the latest supercars on display in the main galleria, including a collection of Ferraris and a Mercedes-Benz G63 6×6.
Additionally, the main circuit will play host to the Legends of the 9 Hour race, which will have its qualifying round on Saturday at 12h10 before the first official race kicks off at 15h35.
Another two races will take place on Sunday at 08h55 and 11h05 respectively.
Meanwhile, two-wheeled action can be caught unfolding on the main track and handling circuits in the form of the Sunbet ZX10 Masters Cup, featuring motorbikes from prominent brands such as Kawasaki.
These races will occur at intervals throughout the day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with the first bikes leaving the starting line at 07h30.
Like the supercars, these bikes can be found on display alongside other models from the likes of Suzuki and Harley Davidson.
A lifestyle zone will further include various shops and stands for consumers to visit, and the food court with multiple outlets will provide much-needed fuel to keep you moving at a track-day pace.
Parents with small children will also be able to make use of the kids zone with its own bumper cars for a motoring-packed day out for the family.
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