Summarize

One of South Africa’s favourite race weekends, the annual Zwartkops Passion for Speed is gearing up for the weekend of 31 January and 1 February 2025. Best of all, this year’s action doubles up with a second meeting at the Red Star Raceway a week later! Set to attract an international field to Pretoria as always, 2025 will be no different, except for double the action over two race weekends, with organisers set to confirm the full international line-up early in the New Year, but there’s already more than enough to get excited about.

Topping the Passion for Speed Pops, Pre-74 The International Sports Prototypes usually attract a strong overseas entry to join the local Springbok Series Lolas, Chevrons and the like. Stunning prospects at the time of writing included an overseas Can Am McLaren to take on  the best of the local Le Mans Ford GT40s, Can Am McLaren M1As and more. There will also be a full complement of Lola T70 s including Larry Wilford and Neil Lobb’s MK3 Coupes and Mark du Toit and Russel Fear in their Spyders. They will be joined by the local regulars and a few visiting GT Porsches, and a gang of rumbling Trans Am V8 Touring Cars. Talking V8s. Many of the Sports, GTs and V8s will also race in another Passion for Speed highlight, the prestigious annual 45 minute Le Mans Sports & GT Tourist Trophy. It attracts the best of the local Cobras, Daytonas, Lolas and GT40s and will have at least a Dutch Corvette to add to the attraction, with more to be confirmed soon.

Passion for Speed would not be Passion for Speed if it were not for the monster Marlboro Crane Hire Pre’66 Legends of the 9 Hour Production Cars. Rest assured the giant Galaxies, Impalas, Novas, Falcon Thunderbolts, Fairlanes, Mustangs, Mercurys, Studebakers, Plymouths and Camaros as always will be out to thrill the Festival crowd. With a little extra international spice mixed in there too. Not to be outdone, the local South African Historic Single Seaters always deliver great interest. Look forward a few rasping rotary former SA championship Formula Atlantics to join the ranks alongside Formula Fords, Vees and other machines that made local racing history over the years.

Those regular Passion attractions will be complemented by a full program of local Historic and contemporary races to keep all tastes satisfied. The Evapco HRSA Sprint will have a Gqeberha Chevy Can Am chasing the locals up, while HRSA Pursuit and Classic Touring Cars always up the ante. Add International Race Supplies & Roofsure MHCC Historics, Marlboro Crane Hire Little Giants and to keep that Passion for Speed kettle boiling all weekend long! Modern race fans can look forward to the Extreme SuperCars Powered by Dunlop Lamborghinis, Porsches, Ferraris, McLarens and the rest, that swarm of BMW M Performance Parts Racers, and the first round of the 2025 DOE Formula Vee Championship delivering even more best racing, as always.

There is of course far more to the Zwartkops Passion for Speed than just track action from Formula 1  and drifting demos to aerobatic displays in the lunch break on Saturday. Zwartkops’ spectacular Fan Experience includes the pit walk and driver meet and greet with special autograph and photo opportunities. Zwartkops’ VIP Experience adds Mercedes-AMG passenger rides, while interactive family friendly zones pack in racing simulators, karts and quad rides and kids entertainment from jumping castles to face painters, balloon artists and stilt walkers to a scavenger hunt. 

So, be sure to diarise 31 January and 1 February 2025 for the Zwartkops Passion for Speed, and a week later for Red-Star right now. Log on to computicket-boxoffice.com to buy your discounted tickets, or buy them at the gate. Log on to www. zwartkops.co.za email info@zwartkops.co.za or call 071 670 0585 for more info.