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Cars, stars, engines and fumes will crash the Sunday peace
when the WesBank Soweto Street Race rips through the township.
SOWETO
will again be swaddled in a blanket of fumes and reverberate to the roar of
engines and whine of screeching tyres on Sunday, 19 July.
The ruckus will be caused by turbocharged V8 engines taking
part in the WesBank Soweto Street Race, an additional feature of the WesBank
Super Series National Circuit racing calendar.
Enjoying the spectacle
Deemed the first professional and official street race in
Soweto, the WesBank Soweto Street Race - the first of its kind in a township - will
be characterised by ferocious, dare-devilish speed stunts and adept wheel
drifts, and will feature Bridgestone Production Cars and WesBank V8s drifting
and racing on an L-shaped street track.
And petrol heads and motorsport enthusiasts will be able to
enjoy this motor exhibition for free. Grandstands for more than 8 000
spectators will be erected and provision will also be made for ample public
parking for the race, which will begin at noon.
The WesBank Street Race
will be hosted by the City of Johannesburg, and organised by the finance company,
WesBank, and Motorsport South Africa.
Speed and stunts
Spectators will be treated to a battery of motor stunts and the exhibition will
include all cars that participate nationally in several categories of the
WesBank Super Series, including the WesBank V8 Supercars, Interfile Superbikes
(1000cc), Bridgestone Production Cars, Formula VW and Engen Polo Cup as well as
the Supersport motorcycles.
There will be 12 entrants in each category; earmarked to participate
are WesBank V8 Supercar champion, Hennie Groenewald; Interfile Superbike and
Supersport champion, Sheridan Morais; and former Bridgestone Production Car
champion, Gary Formato; alongside Tschops Sipuka.
The WesBank Street Race was piloted in Soweto
in November 2008; it appealed to thousands of motorsport fans in
Soweto and was just a teaser of what is to become an annual feature on the motorsport
calendar.
It's about precision
With the University
of Johannesburg's Soweto
Campus serving as the pit area, last year's pilot demonstration took place on
an oval street circuit of 900 metres, stretching between the corner of Bara
Mall and the campus.
This year, the route has been altered and extended to accelerate
the adrenaline factor. It will have an L-shaped extension into Nicholas Street and
will be 2,2km long. Surrounding routes will be closed and lined with yellow
water-filled barriers for safety. These will be manned by Joburg metro police
officers.
Roads closed
Closures will include a section of Chris
Hani Road, which will be cordoned-off to traffic
from 6am and turned into a real race track. Signage of closed and alterative
routes will be mounted two weeks before the day, confirms George Nyabadza,
WesBank's marketing manager.
"To minimise the inconvenience to the residents of Power Park
and the general community, a temporary pedestrian bridge will be erected for
easy access to surrounding shops and homes," reads a press statement issued by WesBank.
Nyabadza reflects on last year's event: "We have learned
valuable lessons from last year's launch event in November and we will use
[this] knowledge to deliver an even bigger and better event to the people of Soweto."
He says that this year, fans will be able to watch even more
daredevil speedsters demonstrate their driving skills. The fastest lap driver
will take home the inaugural WesBank Soweto Street Race Trophy.
And in a first for street races, spectators will be allowed
to talk to drivers and celebrity guests; the race will also comprise exhibition
parades and time trials for each category.
WesBank is the official sponsor of the WesBank Super Series
and has been involved in motorsport for more than 25 years.
Spin-offs
Considered to be a world-first in that it is officially the first professional
street race to be hosted in a township, the WesBank Soweto Street Race is
expected to yield positive spin-offs for Joburg's economy, promote career
opportunities in the motorsport sector and create about 500 temporary jobs.
"Encouragingly the community of Soweto will benefit from the
race with the creation of temporary employment as 70 percent of the contract
workforce for the event will be local residents from Soweto," reads the press statement,
adding that vendors will be allocated a designated area to sell and display their
food and crafts.
All revenue generated by the race will be injected back into
the township, notes Nyabadza, who believes it will be an opportunity for the
people of the sprawling township to experience motorsport first-hand, in the
comfort of their own neighbourhood.
Through its WesBank Super Series, the bank wants to develop
black motorsport competitors and bring gripping racing to fans around the
country.
In addition to the race, WesBank, the retail motor industry,
Motorsport South Africa and the City are exploring the prospects of
establishing a WesBank Motorsport Academy
in Soweto in an
effort to grow motorsport in previously marginalised communities and establish
a legacy of motorsport in townships.
It is envisaged that the academy will provide school leavers
with an interest in motorsport, the necessary training and technical skills for
them to pursue a career in the industry.
"The magic of this motoring spectacular is in the legacy
that will be left behind," Nyabadza enthuses.
The City believes that hosting such an event confirms its desire
to be a truly world-class city committed to creating new economic and social
opportunities for its citizens. It will also help to position the metro as an
innovation hub, a place where novel concepts originate.
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