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Calling all adrenaline lovers, fun-seeking families and all-things motorsport enthusiasts! It's time to mark the 24th and 25th of November 2018 as a pilgrimage to petrol heaven on your calendars.
Watch as the Gumtree World Rallycross of South Africa takes over the Killarney Raceway in Cape Town, and transforms the track with a powerful, all-out, uncompromising two days of the fastest motorsport action imaginable.
Living up to the reputation
Following on from 2017’s hugely successful event that saw almost thirty thousand people attend, this year’s races are only the second time the Gumtree World Rally Cross of South Africa has played out in Africa.
READ: Calling all adrenaline-seeking motorsport fans - World Rallycross returns to Cape Town
The reception and atmosphere will undoubtedly be as highly charged and exciting as it was last year when South Africans from all walks of life lived up to their reputation for being extremely passionate, hospitable and vocal supporters.
"It’s very important for us to come to South Africa. This is the only FIA World Championship to have a round stage in sub-Saharan Africa. We felt the country was right for a World Championship – I can’t think of any better place in the world to visit in November than Cape Town," enthuses Paul Bellamy, World RX Managing Director for IMG.
'What your dream about as a kid'
Rallycross is something special. Incredibly special. Ask Formula 1 Champion Jenson Button, who famously said, "These cars are awesome, what you dream about as a kid". And he’s right.
These amazing, brutal, ferocious supercars are equipped with an astounding 600bhp, allowing them to accelerate from 0 - 100km/h in less than two seconds. That’s fast. Faster than Formula 1 cars. No wonder Jenson dreams of rallycross.
World Rallycross is also the fastest growing motorsport in the world, with year-on-year increases in everything from Social Media followings to TV audiences, media attendance and merchant sales.
Image: Twitter/FIA World Rallycross
But most important is that live attendance has shot up by 225% in five years, which means the people across the globe are catching on to the pure entertainment and utter excitement of seeing all of these magnificent motoring beasts battle it out in the flesh.
Driver entries are also on the up, and the big names will be out to play in Cape Town. Current World Champion Johan Kristoffersson will be joined by hard-racing track heroes Sebastien Loeb, Petter Solberg and Mattias Ekström.
Image: Twitter/Petter Solberg
With twenty-five hugely popular drivers in all, fans will be spoilt for choice, both of whom to support and in the different driving styles on display. SA rally cross Driver Mark Cronje describes the event as "Unpredictable and massively entertaining. If you want to come and watch a proper motorsport event, this is the place to be." That’s for sure!
This is going to be a weekend of all-out, on-the-edge-of-your-seat, wouldn’t-miss-it-for-the-world and action-packed entertainment.
Also on the bill will be the RX2 category and local disciplines of motor racing, as well as loads of additional entertainment on and off the track. So go on, satisfy your need for speed and head on over to the Killarney Raceway. The sun will be out, the engines will be roaring, and the cars will be very, very fast.