Hakskeen Pan, Northern Cape - Right now, in the middle of nowhere, hundreds of petrolheads have gathered for the third annual Kalahari Desert Speedweek.
Held in a remote part of the Northern Cape at an arid venue known as Hakskeen Pan, Speed-week is a racing event like no other. It’s billed as a top-speed competition where vehicular all-sorts open full throttle across a 5km stretch of a flat-dried lake bed – to see how fast they can go.
But, since its inception in 2012, the happening has exploded into a mechanical fashion show where entrants are often judged more by style than maximum speed.
Because of its faraway location at South Africa’s north-western tip about 10km from the Namibian border, Speedweek attracts an eccentric bunch of motoring enthusiasts. For every 300km/h Lamborghini there are at least 10 rusted jalopies lowered to belly-scraping altitudes and loud enough to blast the dust off a Karoo lamb from across the pan.
Think of it as a fuel-fed Oppikoppi-type gathering where leathery old dirt bikers can share a dop and turn a chop with well-groomed and well-heeled supercar drivers. Expect anything from 1940s model Nash sedans limping along in period-correct warbird liveries to finely tuned Italian exotics humming at breakneck speeds, billowing dust clouds in tow. Everyone and everything is welcome, and organisers say that if it has a motor, it’s eligible.
Kalahari Desert Speedweek runs over eight days at the end of each September, with this year’s meeting coming to a close on Sunday 28 September. As far as top speeds go, The Star’s Motoring team tops the current leaderboard with a maximum 266km/h achieved with a Mercedes E63 S AMG, but last year’s winner, Greg Parton, is expected to defend his 304km/h title at the weekend in his Lamborghini Aventador.
Look for a full review and picture gallery on October 3.
The Star