It’s officially Top Gear Festival time, with the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban set to enthral petrolheads with the variety of activities planned this Saturday and Sunday.
The highlight of the weekend will be the Top Gear Live Stadium Show hosted by the usual suspects: Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond, and that infamous white helmet known as The Stig. Fans can expect the trademark special effects and ridiculous motoring stunts we’ve become accustomed to – but a special show highlight will be The Stig piloting the 2011 season-winning Infiniti Red Bull Racing F1 car inside the stadium.
STREET CIRCUIT
There’s lots happening outside the stadium too, not the least of which will be the Street Circuit where the Red Bull F1 car will be charging down the road in the hands of Red Bull Junior driver Antonio Felix da Costa. Two-time Formula One champion Mika Häkkinen will also be in attendance, and along with The Stig will be piloting some exotic machinery through the winding streets of Durban.
Hosted by radio personality Sasha Martinengo and racing driver Gugu Zulu, the updated 2.8km circuit (now with better viewing opportunities) will also play host to the fifth round of the Bridgestone Production Car National Championship. Motorsport fans can expect to see brands like BMW, Audi, Ford, Renault, VW, Mini and Chevrolet take on the circuit’s new hairpin corner and chicane in anger.
Top South African drivers like Etienne van der Linde, Johan Fourie, Melvill Priest and Gennaro Bonafede in Class A and Graeme Nathan, Gavin Cronje, Gary Formato and Michael van Rooyen in Class T will have their work cut out for them.
ICONIC RACE CARS
Other show highlights include a display by the Franschhoek Motor Museum celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Le Mans 24 Hours, with a procession of 14 iconic racing cars spanning the period from the 1930s to present day.
The Red Bull Toyota Dakar Hilux bakkie, driven by Giniel de Villiers, will also be in attendance, tackling a specially set-up rally stage in a point-to-point timed format. De Villiers will be piloting the same Hilux in which he finished second in this year’s Dakar rally.
Also interesting will be the Super Rugby Hot Rods Grudge Match, which combines motoring and rugby. The inaugural challenge will see eight hot rods race a total of five laps against Australian and New Zealand counterparts. Then there’s the Hot Hatch Grudge Match, which sees international pro-race drivers go head to head in a bid to set the fastest lap over five races.
ACTION ZONE
The Action Zone will play host to South Africa’s Shell Stunt School and the XS Promotions Stunt Team, who will be demonstrating Fast and Furious-style handbrake turns and drifting.
It will also be home to drag racing, rallying and extreme offroading – as well as the Red Bull X-Fighters and their FMX champion riders Nick de Wet and Brian Capper.
Rounding off the festivities is the Motoring Pavilion, which will feature new cars like the Jaguar F-Type, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the Peugeot 208 GTI and Audi’s RS5 Cabrio. Ticket prices range from R250 to R2 100 and are still available. For information on tickets and travel, or to book, visit www.topgearfestival.co.za
-Mercury Motoring