November 9, 2005
By Sipho Maduna
KYALAMI racetrack will again be filled with the roar of Formula 1 engines when the SA Altech Grand Prix Masters (GPM) comes to town.
The Masters, the continent's biggest motorsport racing event, takes place from 11 to 13 November. In a blast from the past, fans will again be able to watch their long-time heroes - Nigel Mansell, Ricardo Patrese, Alan Jones, Rene Arnoux, Andrea de Cesaris, Derek Warrick and Han Joachim Stuck.
To add to the entertainment, Irish boy-band Westlife will perform at the circuit on Sunday.
"The racing circuit has met the requirements to cater for the GPM cars that will be blasting around the circuit at speeds of more than 300 kilometres an hour," said Jo Giles of Channel Communications, the event's publicists.
If watching the masters at work is not enough for the crowds, there will also be Formula 1 double-seaters (F1x2) racing, courtesy of Oasys Events, one of the joint venture partners.
The race will feature a host of star drivers, including Johnny Herbert, Alan van der Merwe, Bas Leinders, Tarso Marques, Gianni Morbidelli, Marc Surer, Matteo Bobbi, Robert Doornbos, Zsolt Baumgartner, David Saelens and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Kyalami racetrack will fill with the roar of Formula 1 engines
Herbert took three Formula 1 Grand Prix victories before turning to sports car racing, which he has done successfully in Europe and America.
"The event is like me really, a lot of fun but with a serious edge," said Herbert, who is the adviser for the Midland F1 team.
Morbidelli, who began racing at the age of 12, is a veteran of 70 Formula 1 Grand Prix, signing up as Ferrari's test driver in 1990. "I think it will be a lot of fun to drive an F1 car again ... I enjoy driving at Kyalami and am looking forward to this event."
Saelens won the French Formula 3 and the prestigious Marlboro Masters in 1998. The Belgian driver then moved up to F3000, in which he became Rookie of the Year in 1999.
"I have done a few events in the F1x2 cars and it has been great fun. But to do it in front of a big crowd at Kyalami will be spectacular," Saelens said.
He competed in the German DTM series for AMG Mercedes and in 2001 became Minardi's F1 test driver.
"From what I heard the Altech South African F1x2 Grand Prix is going to be a blast, especially headlining alongside the first Grand Prix Masters race," Hunter-Reay said.
Brazilian Marques debuted with Minardi in 1996, before he became test driver at Bridgestone. He was also the youngest driver to win a F3 race. "I was very happy to accept the invitation to race at Kyalami," he said.
The beneficiaries of the event are the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and Unite Against Hunger.
The build up to the 2005 Altech South Africa Grand Prix begins tomorrow, with a demonstration of the cars racing through the streets of Sandton.
Event director Duncan Heafield said that spectators should get their tickets soon to avoid being disappointed.
Race tickets are available at Computicket and at Shoprite Checkers shops. For more information contact Jo Giles on jo@channelcom.co.za or Angelo Coppola on angelo@channelcom.co.za.
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