The FIA World Rallycross Championship has announced it is to visit Africa for the first time next year. Cape Town’s Killarney race circuit will stage a round of the World Championship in 2017 as part of a new multi-year deal with Championship promoter, IMG.
The South African round of World RX will form the final event of next year’s calendar, with construction of a brand new rallycross track set to commence in the next six weeks.
The Western Cape facility had its first taste of international Formula One racing when the non-championship Cape Grand Prix was held at Killarney back in 1960. Since then, the complex has grown and hosts several forms of main circuit racing as well as motocross, karting, stock cars and drag racing.
“Killarney is delighted to be hosting this first of its kind event in Africa,” explained Des Easom, executive manager of Killarney International Raceway. “Our thousands of loyal fans and spectators, Cape Town and its New Seven Wonders of Nature Table Mountain deserve no less. This is a thrilling, highly competitive form of racing with international appeal and media coverage. We look forward to working with IMG and pooling our expertise and experience on the series of events. This is a great addition to our whole-year racing calendar and spectators can look forward to an international and world-class event.”
“We have been looking at South Africa as a potential new venue in World RX for some time and we are delighted to be able to announce the new deal from 2017 onwards,” added Paul Bellamy, World RX managing director for IMG. “We are the only FIA World Championship to host an event in sub-Saharan Africa and the Killarney circuit is a fantastic facility where we can create a truly sensational season-closer. Next year will mark the first time that a rallycross event has taken place on the African continent and we are extremely excited to bring the sport to a new continent. I’d like to thank the Killarney organisers and the city of Cape Town for all their support in helping to get this project off the ground.”
