Motorcycle racing returns to KZN after 25-year absence

This weekend is a historic one for South African motorsport, and the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal. That's because the air will, after a 25 year absence, once again be filled with the high-pitched squeal of motorcycle racing in round five of the new-look South African national motorcycle championships.

After months of work on this initiative, GAS Sports, the managers and promoters of the Monster Energy Super GP Champions Trophy, have confirmed that they have leased a portion of the old Durban International Airport, in a partnership with KDG Logistics and former multiple national Superbike champion Russell Wood, to run the planned KwaZulu-Natal Super GP.

KZN has had a fleeting, but illustrious motorsport history. Its first track, Roy Hesketh, was built in 1953. Later came Westmead Circuit, which held rounds of the Springbok Grand Prix series in the early 60's. This was short lived however, as the track closed a few short years later, while Hesketh only survived to 1981.

It was during this time that Short Circuit Racing was born in Natal. South Africa's only world champions Kork Ballington (1978/79) and Jon Ekorold (1980) were born of this era, growing up at Hesketh and enjoying but a few events at Westmead.

Once the tracks had closed, attempts were made to run street circuits along the Durban beachfront. However these too were short lived and the last time KZN's legion of motorsport fans were treated to two-wheel racing at national level was in a round of the 1988 national championship on a street circuit that included sections of NMR Avenue.

"We are delighted to be bringing national championship motorcycle racing back to KwaZulu-Natal, which has a proud history in the sport and boasts several national and world champions," said Stephen Watson, Executive Director of GAS Sports.

"We have been working closely with Russell on this event and we are very excited about this whole project. It is a daunting venture as we literally have to create a circuit from scratch with all the infrastructure and facilities that you normally find at an established circuit. Russell completed a few laps of the provisional marked-out circuit and the smile on his face afterwards said it all," added Watson.

Anthony Lauter, GAS Sports Executive Director, gives a breakdown of the circuit: "The old Durban International Airport offers us an incredible opportunity to create a safe motor racing venue right in the heart of one of the country's major cities and a world-renowned tourist destination. We have designed a 2,4-kilometre anti-clockwise layout that will feature 11 turns, including a hairpin turn one at the end of the pit straight (the old DIA South runway) and a chicane with pit entrance to end the lap."

Furthermore, the event will be broadcast live on SABC 3. Engines fire up at 15h00 on Sunday, 24 August.