Passion for Speed Historic Festival opens season racing season on high note

Passion for Speed Historic Festival opens season racing season on high note

Paul Blackburn

The 2016 South African circuit racing season started on a high note at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on Saturday (January 30). The annual international historic Passion for Speed festival filled Zwartkops to the rafters, and provided the huge crowd with brilliant spectacle, close racing and fantastic nostalgia. The day’s highlights were the races for Pre-1966 Legend Saloon Cars. Jonathan du Toit (Chev Bel-Air) led from start to finish but behind him, war was waged. Sarel van der Merwe (Ford… Read More

Champion of Champions Legends Pre-1970

Champion of Champions Legends Pre-1970 – Zwartkops – Saturday 30 January

Paul Blackburn

From 1966 to 1974 the USA had one of the greatest Production Car Racing Formulas. The Great Trans-Am Series. Trans-Am was the product of the great “Pony” car boom which emerged in the late fifties and early sixties when a new generation of young and “thirty somethings” demanded performance. It started with the Corvettes, Studebaker Hawks and Shelby Cobras but the BIG break came in 1965 with the Ford Mustang. Despite scepticism from Ford management the Mustang took off with… Read More

The 9th South African TT Revival Series

The 9th South African TT Revival Series

Paul Blackburn

Nine years ago Zwartkops added motorcycling to the annual “Passion for Speed” weekend that has become so popular at Zwartkops Raceway. Since classic and historic motorcycles were added to the program the event has evolved from featuring a series of high speed parades to one which includes the first two rounds of the “South Africa Classic TT”. “The South African Classic TT Racing Series” will feature two races as part of the “Passion for Speed” day on Saturday 30th January,… Read More

Rock ‘n Roll to the beat and the sound of the 60’s – The Golden Age of Motor racing

Rock ‘n Roll to the beat and the sound of the 60’s – Zwartkops – Saturday, 30th January

Paul Blackburn

Rock ‘n Roll to the beat and the sound of the 60’s – The Golden Age of Motor racing. When the 2nd World War babies grew up their music was rock ‘n roll and the beat was “Go Go Go” which gave birth to the Golden Age of Motor racing. On Saturday and Sunday Zwartkops will vibrate to the sound of rock ‘n roll with some of the greatest racing cars which were ever raced in the 60’s. There will… Read More

15th Historic Passion for Speed Festival to be the biggest yet

15th Historic Passion for Speed Festival to be the biggest yet

Paul Blackburn

This year’s South African circuit racing season will, as has become tradition, start off with the annual Historic Passion For Speed Festival at the Zwartkops Raceway near Pretoria on the weekend of January 29, 30 and 31. The event, to be held for the 15th consecutive year, will be the biggest of its kind yet, with more than 300 entries – including 55 from overseas, tackling 26 races over two days.

Legends Newsletter - 1-2016

Legends Newsletter 1 – 2016

Paul Blackburn

Legends of the 9 Hour Greetings to all the great Legends of South African Motor Sport. When the ‘tide is going out you will see those who are swimming naked’! For us South Africans the tide has and is still going out – we have the current Rand, a government which is confused and prone to making one error after another, the collapse in commodity prices and then to top it all a devastating drought. It all sounds grim but… Read More