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KYALAMI 9-HOUR REVIVAL - A RESOUNDING SUCCESS
- 9-Hour Revival thrills Kyalami crowd
- Race heroes gather to celebrate the 9-Hour legend
- Martin takes Pre-'66 honours to hold classic trophy at last
- Bezeidenhout best survives Pre-'77 track warfare
- Reib beats big guns in modern class race of attrition
- 50th Anniversary 9-Hour confirmed for 22 November 2008
CLASSIC CAR AFRICA 9-HOUR THRILLS KYALAMI CROWD
If ever a race meeting at Kyalami captured the essence of the circuit's most memorable races, the Classic Car Africa Kyalami 9-Hour Revival managed that - and then some. Everyone who was at Kyalami on Saturday 17 November left thrilled by a stunning day's classic racing to commemorate those legendary races of the 'fifties, 'sixties, 'seventies and 'eighties.
The 9-Hour revival brought a magic atmosphere to Kyalami, where a pit area crowded with over 100 legendary race cars excited competitors and thrilled classic racing fans prepared for a trio of racing classes commemorating the halcyon days of those original 9-Hour races in three heats apiece over nine gruelling hours.
 The crowd was treated to a classic Le Mans-type staggered start, close racing and thrilling dices throughout, while nightfall brought with it the kind of endurance racing magic last seen at Kyalami in the late 'seventies. Fans were kept riveted to their seats until well after the last of the races drew to a close - each highlighted by amazingly close fought battles racing through pitch darkness.
The event was also hailed as a great success by the organisers, who negotiated a tough path to get the show on the road. Many doubters promised the 9-Hour Revival would never happen and unscrupulous rumour-mongers did their utmost to stall best laid plans, but the event not only happened as promised - it was also a success beyond all expectation…
RACE HEROES GATHER TO CELEBRATE THE 9-HOUR LEGEND
Amongst the off-track activities at the Classic Car Africa Kyalami 9-Hour Revival was a gathering of many heroes of past 9-Hour meetings for a luncheon hosted by the organisers.
Six-time winner David Piper, double winner from 1960 and '61 Dr Dawie Gous, '78 winner Clive Cook, Peter de Klerk, Jackie Pretorius, Dave Charlton, Basil van Rooyen, Tony Martin, Arnold Chatz, Hennie van der Linde, Dirk Marais, Libero Pardini, Mario Lupini, Vernon Bricknell, Terry Townsend and many more drivers, mechanics and characters from the past gathered at the circuit to usher in a new 9-Hour era.
MARTIN TAKES VICTORY TO HOLD CLASSIC TROPHY AT LAST
Racing began with a classic Le Mans-type start in the first heat of the Pre-1966 Grand Central Trophy and by the end of the evening one man's long-held 9-Hour dream had come true. Former Daytona 24-hour winner and ex-SA Drivers Champion Tony Martin was ecstatic to lift the original Rand Daily Mail Kyalami Trophy on Saturday night.
"I can't remember how many times I tried to win this one back in the past" Martin admitted on accepting the honour. "It's a dream come true!" Martin and team mate Ressel Westuzen's Backdraft Cobra had started from third on the thrilling Le Mans start of the opening 45-minute heat behind Richard Ransome's similar car and David Piper and Mario Casoni driving the very Ferrari 250 LM in which Piper had won the 1964 Kyalami event.
The Ferrari and the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray of Michiel Campagne initially challenged the Cobras, but Casoni was into the pits when the Ferrari developed a lubrication problem. That left the Corvette chasing the Cobras, with Frank Klinkert's Cobra, Paolo Cavalieri's Ferrari 250 GT, Englishman Michael Knight's Austin Healey and a gaggle of Alfa Romeos, Volvos and Minis in pursuit and positions changing throughout, with plenty of on-track dices and compulsory pit stops.
Martin and Westuzen held on to win from Ransome, Campagne, Klinkert and Clive Densham's Alfa Romeo Sprint. The second heat saw Ransome best negotiate an action-packed safety-car interrupted second one-hour heat to pip Martin and Ransome at the post, with Campagne a lap adrift and Densham managing to get his Alfa ahead of Klinkert's Cobra.
But perhaps the most exciting race of the Pre-'66 day was the half-hour night race that witnessed a race-long duel between Classic Car Africa editor Stuart Grant's 1958 Protea Triumph, Edwin Green's '59 MGA Twin Cam - both of which cars competed in the 1959 Grand Central Nine Hour Race; Brett Peachey's Alfa Sprint, Massimo Astegno's Alfa Giulia and Star Motoring scribe Jesse Adams' Ford Cortina GT. The five were never separated by more than a few car lengths throughout the race to provide fans with an incredible night time spectacle.
Tony Martin used his night racing experience to good effect to take a commanding win and assure himself of that long-held dream of Kyalami 9-Hour glory from team mate Ransome, with the delighted Dutch visitor third in his little yellow Corvette. Mini pilot Stuart Greig drove to index victory at 96.07%, while Piper and Casoni took the Paddy O'Sullivan Spirit of the 9-Hour Trophy for their attempts to keep the 'troublesome old Ferrari 250 LM' in the running…
Classic Car Africa Kyalami 9-Hour Revival
Pre-1966 Grand Central Trophy - Overall Results
- 1 Tony Martin/Ressel Westuzen Backdraft Cobra 67 laps at 123.6km/h
- 2 Richard Ransome Backdraft Cobra 67 laps
- 3 Michiel Campagne Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 65 laps
- 4 Frank & Mark Klinkert Cobra 62 laps
- 5 Clive Densham Alfa Romeo Sprint GT 62 laps
- 6 Stuart Greig Mini 1000S 60 laps
- Index: Stuart Greig Mini 1000S 96.0%
BEZEIDENHOUT BEST SURVIVES PRE-'77 TRACK WARFARE
The biggest field of the day ensured the most action at the Classic Car Africa Kyalami 9-Hour Revival and it was Pretoria attorney Andre Bezeidenhout who best survived a fraught day's action in the Pre-'77 9-Hour Trophy.
A 44-car grid, truly representative of its era, formed up behind the pace car for the rolling start of the first heat with the Peter Bailey/Rui Campos Porsche 917 ahead of Mike Nel and Colin Frost's stunning Ford GT40s, the Porsche 911 RSR trio of John Greve, Bezeidenhout, Warren Bricknell/Mervyn Fiebeger, Peter Lindenberg and Anthony Corin in the ex-Olthoff BG Ford Capri Perana and the Chevrolet Camaros of Hennie Groenewald/Cobus Pienaar and Michele Lupini/Willie Hepburn.
The Porsche 917 led initially from Nel's Ford GT40 the trio of Porsche 911s and the Camaros, but after 15 minutes, the order had changed to Bezeidenhout leading Greve, Hepburn and Pienaar. The safety car was deployed while many cars were pitting and some confusion reigned to exact race positions but the first test came down to Lupini's Camaro running ahead of the slick-shod Groenewald, Bailey and Bezeidenhout with all four cars battling for position on the final lap.
In the end, Groenewald ran out a close race 1 winner from Bailey and Bezeidenhout. Race 2 saw a similar dice up front with Greve's Porsche and the Capri Perana back in the fray too, but Greve drove a consistent race to win from Bezeidenhout's similar Porsche 911 RSR and Groenewald's Camaro after Bailey's 917, Hepburn's Camaro and Lindenberg's Perana retired.
With the Pre-77 and Pre-88 fields running together in a single, thrilling night race, Bezeidenhout drove his Porsche faultlessly in spite of immense pressure from the repaired Campos 917 to claim overall victory from the Groenewald/Pienaar Camaro and an eventually consistent Bricknell/Fiebeger Porsche 911 RSR. Greg Pearce took a 96.42% index win in his Sebring MGB.
Classic Car Africa Kyalami 9-Hour Revival
Pre-1977 9-Hour Trophy - Overall Results
- 1 Andre Bezeidenhout Porsche 911 RSR 66 laps at 120.5km/h
- 2 Cobus Pienaar/Hennie Groenewald Chevrolet Camaro 66 laps
- 3 Warren Bricknell/Mervyn Fiebeger Porsche 911 RSR 65 laps
- 4 Evert Botha Porsche 911 RS 62 laps
- 5 Charles Arton/Clive Corder BMW 535M 62 laps
- 6 Mike & Keegan Ward Ford Escort 62 laps
- Index Seam Pearce MGB Sebring 96.4%
REIB BEATS BIG GUNS IN MODERN RACE OF ATTRITION
The Kyalami Trophy for Post-1976 cars brought high profile action in the form of a Porsche 956 versus Porsche 962C battle at the head of the field, but it was a Group 5 racing Porsche from a few years earlier that best survived the modern class action.
Kyalami fans will long remember Saturday's car-to-car dice between Vernon Bricknell's Porsche 962C and the earlier but similar 956 driven by Franz Pretorius. The duo fought nose to tail and side by side for most of the two daylight heats, but a delayed pit stop put paid to Pretorius' chances in heat 1, while Bricknell's second heat came to an end after contact with Citizen Motoring editor Andre de Kok's VSP Opel.
Pretorius' victory in the combined Pre'77/Post'76 night race wasn't enough to take overall honours though, as Thomas Reib's consistent drive in his Porsche 935K3 was enough to secure overall Kyalami Trophy victory for the day by two laps. Third in a race of attrition was John Glover's Ariel Honda from Brian Algar and Darryn Lobb's Shelby Nissan and Tony Lederle's Caterham, while Glover took index with a 91.2% run.
Classic Car Africa Kyalami 9-Hour Revival
Post-1976 Kyalami Trophy - Overall Results
- 1 Thomas Reib Porsche 935K3 70 laps at 126.3km/h
- 2 Francois Pretorius Porsche 956 68 laps
- 3 John Glover Ariel Honda 64 laps
- 4 Brian Algar/Darryn Lobb Shelby Nissan 63 laps
- 5 Tony Lederle Caterham 63 laps
- 6 Brian Saldsman/Roedie Brooks VSP Opel
- Index: John Glover Ariel Honda 91.2%
50th ANNIVERSARY 9-HOUR CONFIRMED FOR 22 NOVEMBER 2008
In all, competitors, fans and organisers alike greeted the Classic Car Africa Kyalami 9-Hour Revival as a stunning success. The event ran smoothly and a great atmosphere prevailed throughout - highlights included the chance to see great fields of cars gathered together in era-governed groups to amazingly represent the 9-Hour grids of the sixties, seventies and eighties - all of them once again racing flat out for glory.
The excitement of the Le Mans start that brought back many a memory of those great pre-'66 9-Hours, the aroma of sunset barbecues, the magic of night racing and a simply awesome atmosphere conspired to ensure that there is much more to come from the Classic Car Africa Kyalami 9-Hour Revival.
To that end, organisers confirmed on Saturday that the 50th Anniversary 9-Hour would take place at Kyalami on 22 November 2008. The event has been inscribed on the FIA International Historic Racing Calendar and organisers are already in negotiation with a number of international competitors regarding their competing in this landmark event. Further details about the event and a festival weekend of historic motor racing around it at Kyalami, will be announced early in 2008.
HOW WE CAN HELP
It's not too early to begin preparations for the 50th Anniversary 9-Hour next year. Whether competitor or spectator, we will arrange your international and local flights, transfers, vehicle hire, meeting and greeting and all your accommodation requirements during this unique event. We can also organise optional safari or sightseeing trips to make sure you get the most from your time in South Africa.
Please contact us with your particular travel needs, and let us do the rest. Watch this space for updates on special flights/accommodation/transfer packages and the best accommodation prices available. Read more about this special event at motoring.iafrica.com/9hour
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