And now for something completely different! For the first time ever, Killarney will play host to a round of the Gauteng Regional Extreme Festival on Saturday 10 August – giving local motorsport enthusiasts an opportunity to experience categories of racing rarely, if ever, seen at Killarney.
The most iconic of these are undoubtedly the Mobil 1 V8 Supercars; these thundering monsters, formerly the stars of the WesBank V8 series, will be taking on the locally built one-make Killarney V8 Masters in an interprovincial showdown that’s expected to deliver epic racing with a soundtrack to match.
The BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series is open only to cars with BMW engines in BMW chassis and grew out of an amateur series of races for members of the BMW Car Club Gauteng. It’s now a fiercely contested Northern Regions championship but most of the drivers will be competing at Killarney for the first time – anything could happen and probably will.
Ferro Energia 111/GT Sports & Saloons is a production-based series aimed at showcasing modern cars and recognisable brands. You’ll see intense racing featuring familiar shapes and names, driven by competitors who are almost all new to Killarney. Also joining in this category are the Superhatch brigade from Zwartkops.
The teenage hotshots of the Volkswagen Rookie Cup visited Killarney for the first time in March 2024; they’re back on 10 August to let loose with their own brand of ‘young gun’ racing. This series was conceived by VW Motorsport as an all-important stepping stone from karting to main circuit racing; each of these youngsters is out to make a name for himself – and it shows in the way they drive.
The Pabar VW Challenge is a closely fought race series featuring standardised Polo hatchbacks in three tightly controlled classes. On their previous (and only) visit to Killarney they thrilled local fans with ultra-tight doorhandle-to-doorhandle racing – expect more of the same on 10 August.
Another category where the locals take on the visitors is the DOE Formula Vee partnered with CIM Lubri Fuel open wheelers. Formula Libre racing at Killarney has become a series of intense confrontations between local Formula Vee racers; on 10 August they’ll test their mettle against the best from the North. Expect fireworks.
Also racing on the day are the locally-based Laude Classic Cars.
All the visitors will be parked on the circuit during the lunch break, giving you the chance to meet the drivers, take selfies and get a close look at racing cars that are seldom seen at Killarney. The Regional Extreme Festival is an opportunity not to be missed for local motorsport fans.
At the same time, Spin Outlaws will be shredding rubber on the Castrol Spinning Pitch; experience this vibrant expression of street-car culture at no extra charge.
Make a day of it at Killarney on Saturday 10 August; there’s lots of off-track entertainment with live music and stalls, as well as food and beverage outlets to suit every taste.
