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There's a rumble in Cape Town's city centre as DriftCity takes over the Grand Parade on Sunday, celebrating Heritage Day in a way petrolheads love best...with lots of burning rubber and tyre smoke!
There will be loud noises, the squealing of tyres and rubber burning, some cheers and shouting, and cars tearing around the heritage site track. DriftCity is back.
It might be cold, but the rains have cleared somewhat. Perhaps you've changed your mind about being out and about on Heritage Day and have nothing to do in the Mother City or surrounds.
If so, motorsport loves any weather, but especially when it's as cold as it is on Sunday.
DriftCity continues to gain local and international attention and credibility.
In the tournament, gladiatorial drivers go head-to-head, taking on the Grand Parade course against their competitors with one goal: to win the title of DriftCity Champion 2023!
The event always pushes the boundaries of what's possible on the track. It's an electric, adrenalin-fuelled kind of day, but it's also an urban lifestyle event that includes live entertainment, food trucks, car shows and more.
A lot goes on behind the scenes with an event of the magnitude of DriftCity, so we asked Gary Stockenstroom, the man responsible for the entire production, what it takes to pull off something to this effect.
Stockenstroom says there's a large crew behind the scenes. "When we initiate the rigging, we start with a staff of one hundred, and by the time the event rolls in, we have six hundred people working on the project.
"Set-up begins four days in advance, with rotational shifts. As we get closer, we are on-site and working around the clock, with a full 24-hour work programme leading up to the start."
Stockenstroom says a lot of that - the team and the hours to build - is all about safety.
This event is high-profile and at the national heritage site. There are a lot of things that have to be up to the highest standards.
So, how does the selection work? And how did Stockenstroom get into the event?
He says there are 32 top competitive drifters, and it is an invite-only event.
"So, in a way, it is a private party, but we choose our drivers carefully over the whole year. We observe their performances in gymkhana and drifting events so we know who should be in it.
"There's also a pretty big car show within the event with about 80-odd cars, and they compete as well. These participants are hand-selected and invited to attend.
"Meguiar's South Africa is on board with us this year for the Custom Car Show segment, which is always a huge hit."
It's been a long five years since the last event, primarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
For this year, Monster Energy, Meguiar's, City Of Cape Town and Tubestone Tires are all partners. McDonald's has also come on board for the kid's play area.
In 2022 the event was cancelled for safety reasons.
Stockenstroom says their biggest concern is always the wind.
Many people think it's the rain, but it's actually the wind that is the problem. Also, some people believe that it is about the safety of the drivers when, in fact, we often make decisions based on the safety of the spectators.
"Due to the location, the Grand Parade has these wind tunnels, where particular winds come funnelling down toward the event site, and this causes possible safety issues with the spectators and the grandstand and such.
"If it's raining, it's not a problem. There might be less rubber burning and less smoke, but we can still go ahead.
"If it's a windy forecast, like last year, we must cancel for safety reasons."
And when it's all over, how big is the de-rig?
Stockenstroom says it takes one day to strike the site and pack it away until next year. So, the whole process is a six-day event.
Four days to rig, event day, and one day after the event to pack it all away. About 6 000 to 8 000 people are expected to pack the Grand Parade on Sunday.
Gates open at 11:00 with general access standing tickets priced at R150 (Computicket) or R170 at the gate.
Grandstand seating – unreserved is R280.
