This 24-hour race in South Africa is only open to cars under R50,000

The MF Autobody 24 Hours of iLamuna – “Africa’s only 24-hour race” according to the organisers –  is back for its second-ever event at the Red Star Raceway in Delmas on 29 and 30 October 2022.

The iLamuna, Xhosa for lemon, is only open to cars under R50,000 and a full field of 71 competitors is expected to cross the starting line this year.

“Of course, there are many ways teams carve up this limited cash: they can either spend around R25,000 on a crusty old car and then throw what remains at kitting it out for the track or simply spend it all on something more showroom than scrapheap and hope it manages to hold together for 1,440 hours of mechanical torture,” said the event organisers.

However, to ensure the safety of the drivers, this minuscule budget cap does not include the fitting of mandatory safety equipment such as a roll-cage, racing seat, five-point harness, and fire extinguisher.

Teams are also encouraged to theme their vehicles and there are bonus laps up for grabs for those who present the cleverest of liveries and odd aesthetic add-ons.

“For example, last year’s race saw an old VW Golf dressed in yellow and blue like the Flying Squad of yesteryear chasing a legit single-cab tow truck around the track for hours on end,” said the organisers.

“Meanwhile another car had a giant rocket strapped to the roof complete with a stuffed Wile E. Coyote along for the ride, and a crashed Audi TT competed with a trailer ratchet strap holding the bonnet down.”

How to watch the 24 Hours of iLamuna

The 24 Hours of iLamuna opens for official timed practice on Friday 28 October, which will include a night session, with the race scheduled to begin with a genuine Le Mans-style standing start on the afternoon of Saturday 29 October.

Teams hoping to compete will only be reserved a spot on the starting grid once they have paid the R25,000 (excl. VAT) entry fee. This steep sum includes a set of Davanti tyres as well as 200 litres of fuel per team.

Spectators who want to watch the show can see it unfold on the National Motorsport Mzansi YouTube Channel.

2021 24 Hours of iLamuna