Cape Town - Illegal street racers will soon be able to experience the thrill of the track at Killarney Race Track every week. That’s if the Western Province Motor Club and the City of Cape Town have their way.
The city and the club have entered a joint initiative, called “Street2Strip”, that is aimed at taking illegal street racing off the roads and onto the race track by hosting racing events on a weekly basis at Killarney.
The event will cost an estimated R100 000 per month with the city investing over R700 000 “to get the ball rolling”.
The initiative is expected to be launched in coming weeks once negotiations have been finalised.
Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith said traffic officers dislike impounding cars and “heading drag racing operations”.
“Our resources are better used on roads where pedestrians are being slaughtered by careless and negligent driving,” he said.
He said traffic officers will be involved, assisting in any way they can to create a successful event.
POPULAR EVENT
Executive manager of the Western Province Motor Club, Des Easom, told the Cape Argus that the event has always been a popular one with 200 competitors with over 2 500 showing their support since it was launched in 2008.
He said this had tied in well with the city’s safety and security sector and traffic management which had been advocating for safer streets by providing an outlet for racing enthusiasts to “blow off steam”.
Easom said: “Street racing is dangerous. Killarney’s Street2Strip experience offers you all the thrills but with none of the usual risks.”
He added that the Killarney circuit would not be altered, but rather, special structures to reduce noise levels will be erected to prevent any inconvenience to surrounding residents. This would be at a cost of about R200 000.
The event would offer free roadworthy checks, security and emergency medical services as well as the availability of medical professionals.
LENDING SUPPORT
An entertainer lending his support to the event is DJ Ready Reddy D, a racing enthusiast.
He runs a mentorship and road safety programme, called the Great Cape Ambassadors Project at Killarney that educates the youth about the dangers of illegal street racing.
“I crashed my car on a few occasions and managed to walk away in one piece. If that had to happen on a public road, my chances of survival would have been zero,” he said.
An illegal drag racer said the “appeal of racing is more than the thrill of being chased by law enforcement”.
“It’s about the adrenalin, the blood pumping through your veins.
“It is like a drug. I would rather spend money on my car than pay fines so I do not mind taking my skill to the race track,” he said.
He said the option of being able to have your car assessed for roadworthiness was a bonus as many street racers speed in unlicensed, unroadworthy vehicles which are a danger to themselves and other road users.
Another illegal drag racer welcomed the idea, but was concerned about the entrance fees for racers.
Cape Argus