Kyalami

Kyalami

Kyalami

Race track in South Africa

This article is about the motor racing circuit in Gauteng, South Africa. For other uses, see Kyalami (disambiguation).

Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (from Khaya lami, My home in Zulu) is a 4.529 km (2.814 mi) motor racing circuit located in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa, just north of Johannesburg. The circuit has been used for Grand Prix and Formula One races and has hosted the South African Grand Prix twenty times. Among the Formula One races held at the track the 1977 South African Grand Prix stands out, as it is principally remembered for the fatal accident that claimed the lives of race marshal Frederick Jansen van Vuuren and driver Tom Pryce. In recent years, the area surrounding the circuit has developed into a residential and commercial suburb of Johannesburg. More recently, Kyalami has played host to five rounds of the Superbike World Championship from 1998 to 2002 and later in 2009 and 2010, the season finale of the Superstars Series in 2009 and 2010, and the South African round of the 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix season. International racing returned to the circuit in November 2019, when it hosted the 2019 Kyalami 9 Hours, serving as the season finale of the 2019 Intercontinental GT Challenge.

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History

The original, sweeping circuit was designed and cleared by Harry Pierce and Dick Bremner along with a few friends and workers in the mid-1950s. The two were also responsible for the hosting and housing of early race teams that ventured to Africa to try out the new track with Bremner being the chairman of the South African Automotive Racing Association. Its first major international event was in 1961 until political sanctions (due to apartheid policies) eliminated the Grand Prix after the 1985 race.[2] When the circuit was rebuilt in the early 1990s as part of a commercial development, Leeukop Bend, the Kink, Pit lane, the start/finish straight, Crowthorne Corner and Barbeque Bend were all eliminated. Jukskei Sweep was heavily modified to create the entrance into the bend before the then newly built Pit lane and start/finish straight. The remaining part of the old fast circuit, modified to a lesser degree were Sunset Bend, Clubhouse Bend and the Esses still incorporated into the current configuration, with the result that the circuit became a narrow, twisty ribbon rather than one of the fastest circuits on the calendar. Formula One abandoned the rebuilt circuit in 1993 after just two races on the new layout, caused by a bankruptcy on the part of the promoter.

It hosted the South African motorcycle Grand Prix until 1992.

Kyalami was changed again with the building of the current pit lane and start/finish straight and later again changes were made, with the addition of a chicane which in turn was removed again for the 2009 World Superbike race.[3] Kyalami came under new management and 2008 saw the 50th anniversary of the 9-hour revival being held at Kyalami with golden oldies like David Piper and others.[4] On 6 June 2014, it was announced that Kyalami would be auctioned off on 24 July without reserve.[5] On 24 July 2014, it was auctioned off for R205 million. The winning bidder was Toby Venter, owner of Porsche South Africa.[6] R100 million was invested to upgrade the circuit, allowing it to successfully obtain an FIA Grade 2 status.[7]

On 12 December 2019, the provisional calendar for the 2020–21 FIA World Endurance Championship was announced, containing a six-hour race at Kyalami scheduled for 6 February 2021.[8] However, after the calendar was revised due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kyalami was removed.[9][10]

Layout history

  • The original layout in red built in 1961, 26 feet wide and measuring 4094m
  • The widened layout in red built in 1968, 36 feet wide and 40 feet from the Kink to Crowthorne and measuring 4104m
  • Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (1968–1988)
  • Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (1988–1991)
  • Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (1992–1993, 2009–2015)
  • Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (1994–2008)
  • Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (2015–present)

South African Grand Prix

From 1967 to 1993, Kyalami hosted 21 editions of the South African Grand Prix. Perhaps the most infamous of these was the 1982 edition, when the Grand Prix Drivers' Association staged a strike in protest of new superlicence conditions imposed by FISA.

Niki Lauda became the most successful driver at Kyalami, taking his third victory at the circuit in 1984. Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Jackie Stewart are the joint second-most successful drivers at the circuit, with two wins each. Jody Scheckter became the first and only South African driver to win their home race during the 1975 edition. Ferrari and Williams are the most successful constructors at the circuit, with four wins each.

In June 2022 it was reported that Stefano Domenicali, the President of Formula One, had flown to South Africa to meet representatives of the circuit about a possible return for F1 in 2023, but was not included in the 2023 provisional calendar.[11]

Lap records

As of February 2023, the fastest official race lap records of the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit are listed as:

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See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kyalami.

Notes

    References

    1. [1]
      "Circuit Facts". Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
    2. [2]
      service, Grandprix.com – First & fastest: The original online F1 news. "Grandprix.com". grandprix.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
    3. [3]
      de Carli, Guido. "TRACKS: KYALAMI". gdecarli.it.
    4. [4]
      "THREE-HOUR ENDURANCE RACE FOR HISTORIC CARS". Independent Online. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
    5. [5]
      Ackroyd, Bianca. "Kyalami race track to go under the hammer". enca.com.
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      "TimesLIVE". Sunday Times (Johannesburg).
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      "Kyalami". Racing Circuits. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
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      "Monza and Kyalami on 2020–2021 WEC calendar". GrandPrix247. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
    9. [9]
      "WEC shelves winter calendar format for 2021". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
    10. [10]
      "2021 FIA WEC provisional calendar revealed". www.fiawec.com. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
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      "F1 closes in on deal for South African GP". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
    12. [12]
      "2020 Kyalami 9 Hour Classification" (PDF). 12 December 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
    13. [13]
      "2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9 Hour Mobil1 V8 Series Race 2 - Classification - Amended" (PDF). 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
    14. [14]
      "2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9 Hour Wild Rose Gin Sports & GT Race 2 - Classification" (PDF). 23 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
    15. [15]
      "2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami BMW M Performance Parts Race Series Race 2 - Classification - Amended" (PDF). 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
    16. [16]
      "2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami Global Touring Car and SupaCup Championships Race 1 - Classification" (PDF). 24 February 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
    17. [17]
      "2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge Kyalami 9 Hour Investchem F1600 & FF Kent Race 2 - Classification" (PDF). 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
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      "Speedhive". 24 August 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
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      "1995 Kyalami F3000". Retrieved 1 May 2022.
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      "2 h 30 min Kyalami 1998". Retrieved 7 August 2021.
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      "2005 Kyalami Grand Prix Masters". Retrieved 20 April 2022.
    22. [22]
      "THE HOTTEST SEAT IN MOTORSPORT' Grand Prix Masters launches 2-seater like no other - automobilsport.com". www.automobilsport.com.
    23. [23]
      "2005 Reynard 2KI Grand Prix Masters | Monaco 2022".
    24. [24]
      "2 h 30 min Kyalami 1999". Retrieved 29 January 2023.
    25. [25]
      "Superbike Kyalami 5–6–7 April 2002 Results Race 2" (PDF). World Superbike. Dorna. 7 April 2002. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
    26. [26]
      "Vodacom Speed Festival Kyalami". Retrieved 19 May 2022.
    27. [27]
      "Supersport Kyalami 5–6–7 April 2002 Results Race" (PDF). World Superbike. Dorna. 7 April 2002. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
    28. [28]
      "1990 Yellow Pages 200". Retrieved 20 May 2022.
    29. [29]
      "Kyalami 500 Kilometres 1986". Retrieved 7 August 2021.
    30. [30]
      "Kyalami 6 Hours 1974". Retrieved 19 May 2022.
    31. [31]
      "Kyalami 9 Hours 1971". Retrieved 5 February 2023.
    32. [32]
      "Group C2 Kyalami 1987". Retrieved 22 November 2022.
    33. [33]
      "Kyalami 1000 Kilometres 1979". Retrieved 5 February 2023.
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