“We are putting major focus on the content for the WesBank SA Motoring Experience to ensure it will be an unforgettable event for all our visitors,” says Konstantin von Vieregge, the CEO of SA Shows Messe Frankfurt, which is staging the event at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit on September 1-3.
“Messe Frankfurt has an international partnership with the organisers of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and I was recently able to see first-hand how they use content as the driver to attract a wide spectrum of visitors to their renowned event when I visited the latest staging of the Festival of Speed in England in June.
“This world-famous event has been staged since 1993 and the focus on content has resulted in it growing steadily over the past 24 years. The fact that tickets are usually fully sold out on each of its four days has resulted in it becoming a very important event for exhibitors wanting to promote the latest cars and related products and services,” added Von Vieregge.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed had its major focus, originally, on motor sport, but it has proved such a drawcard that it is now considered the unofficial British Motor Show after the official motor show ended in 2008.
“This is no longer a static display of parked cars as one finds at a traditional motor show, but rather an action-packed festival with a passion-fuelled vibe and various on-track, four- and two-wheel activations as well as opportunities to meet local motorsport legends and see their cars.
“This means we can attract visitors from a wide spread of demographics and the Motoring Experience is an ideal event for the children to attend too, making it an ideal family outing,” explained Von Vieregge.
There is going to be plenty of action on the 1.1-km Kyalami handling track as well as on the main circuit. Show-goers will have the opportunity of being driven around the challenging and technical short track in high-powered saloon cars. Drifting demonstrations will add to the excitement at this venue as powerful cars power slide around the twisty track and visitors will be able to experience the action from inside the car and marvel at the car control of the talented drivers.
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Both current motorsport champions and legends of the past will be at the WesBank SA Motoring Experience powered by the SA Festival of motoring. Visitors will be able to interact with icons of the past such as multiple rally and racing drivers Sarel van der Merwe, who is celebrating 50 years in motorsport, and Geoff Mortimer as well as racing stars such as Ian Scheckter, Arnold Chatz, Basil Green, Paulo Cavalieri and Franco Scribante, while on-track tributes will be paid to motorsport stars who are no longer with us, such as Eddie Keizan and Tony Viana.
Many of the iconic cars driven by these people will be demonstrated on track.
Motorcycles will join car clubs with various parades on the main circuit, adding to the exciting and varied daily programme.
Besides the display of elite classic and unique cars in the pit building there will be static display of cars on the upper platform alongside the track. Fans of classic cars will be able to move among these club displays and talk to their enthusiastic owners.
“The Motoring Experience will offer something for everybody over three days at the beginning of September, be it the ordinary motorist wanting to compare the latest models on the local market or the motorsport enthusiast wanting to meet his or her heroes and heroines and view the cars they drive now or drove in the glorious past. Everybody will be treated to an unforgettable experience of automotive sight and sound, with continuous on-track action and other motoring activations such as a dedicated 4×4 the track,” concluded Von Vieregge.
The 2017 Wesbank SA Motoring Experience brings you the best motoring content in partnership with CAR magazine, AutoTrader and KykNET.
