Big Red Galaxie and Michiel Campagne blue Can-Am Mclaren M8E
“Come mothers and fathers throughout the land, your sons and daughters are beyond your command.”
– Bob Dylan 1960’s
By the mid 1960s World War II babies had grown up. They knew little about depression and war. They wanted to do their own thing, so a new generation emerged, sometimes known as the James Dean generation. “The Rebel without a Cause.” He died in his racing Porsche Spyder on the way to a race track in a horrible road accident. So an icon was born – Rebel, slick hair, red jacket and the need for speed. This new generation wanted cars that were powerful, 4 on the floor and nothing else. Not much by way of suspension or braking technology, just go, go, go. This all ended in road carnage and needless fatalities. So by the late 1960s speed limits were introduced, which become global. The 2025 Passion for Speed embraces the go, go, go generation but also includes some contemporary racing categories. See what is happening at Zwartkops Raceway on the 31st of January and 1st of February 2025 and at Red Star Raceway on the 7th & 8th of February 2025, and visit our website www.zwartkops.co.za
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Passion for Speed 2025
Zwartkops Raceway – 31st January & 1st February 2025
Red Star Raceway – 7th & 8th February 2025
The biggest and most exciting motor racing event in South Africa
– Our heritage, great drivers and cars of the past and the present
– Expect to see some 400 cars at Zwartkops and Red Star Raceway over the two weekends
– Every event is special and unique and has a story
Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the greatest of them all?
1. International Sports Racing Prototypes, Trans-Am
Michiel Campagne has entered one of the fastest sports racing cars of the sixties. This International Sports Racing Prototype was, and still is, as fast and furious as most of our modern sports racing cars – pure sight, sound and fury. The green Lola T70 MK3 of Larry Wilford will be seen at the Passion for Speed as well as Neil Lobb in the big John Love/ Brian Redman T70 MK3 and Mark du Toit in the Lola T70 Spyder. A Porsche 917 and the more diminutive Chevron B8, Ecosse and B19, and Tiga-Honda of Antonie Marx will be the challengers and do not underestimate the Le Man’s RSR Porsches. Russel Fear in his T70 Lola Spyder will also be competing.
2. The Great Legend Production Cars
Pablo Clark’s Racing Ford Galaxie will be piloted by Italian Nicky Pastepelli who will be the leading contender for what will be the most dramatic event of the day. The 1st heat in 2024 with seven V8s racing to be first over the line was incredible. This year the format will be a little different with double yellow starts and time limits around 72.5 seconds for class A and 74.5 seconds for class B. Who is driving what is still being sorted. The cars however are ready to race.
3. The Evapco Historic Racing SA
HRSA will be a 40-plus grid of spectacular racing cars. The field will be led by GT cars with a field of VW Sciroccos, Datsuns and Ford Escorts in Pursuit!
4. Pre’66/68 Le Mans Sports & GT, incl. Classic Touring Cars – 45 Minute
The SA Tourist Trophy 45 minutes – 2 drivers compulsory, 3-minute minimum pitstop. This is a prime event which embraces the era of the Le Mans 24 hour, Sebring 12 hour and Kyalami 9 Hour – the golden age of sports and GT Racing. Three GT 40s, two Shelbys, Ginetta, Cobras, Chevron B8s plus some of the giant killers of a bygone age will compete. Included in this event will be the SA Classic production cars (Old Timers) by special invitation. Dutch competitor, Frans van Maarschalkerwaart, driving his yellow Corvette should be a leading contender.
5. BMW ///M Performance Parts Race Series
This is where many aspirational competitors compete. Expect fast and furious racing. The support for this series is huge, so much so that the field has to be split into two events. The lap times put up by the leaders come close to some of the Extreme SuperCar GT3 cars!!
6. South African Historic Single Seaters
In most instances, this is where it all began – MG Specials through the ages to Formula Fords, in which our great SA Formula One Drivers of the seventies honed their skills.
7. DOE Formula Vee partnered with CIM Lubricants
The modern counterpart of SA privately built practical and affordable single-seater racing. These Single-seaters are the contemporary Formula Vees – a great story to be told.
8. Marlboro Crane Hire Legends of the 9 Hour LITTLE Giants, incl. U2
The Little Giants Pre 1970 is a very interesting racing category. They showcase South African ingenuity, when we built our own cars to race against powerful factory teams: GSM Darts, Flamingos, Marauders, and special sports racers. Then we modified and developed some of the mass-produced production cars. Our own versions of Lotus Cortina, Consul 315s, Minis, MGBs, Ford Anglias and Alfas, from the fifties through to the seventies. “Unreal!” There will be a full field of these giant killers, who were not only created by the locals, but also had many triumphs over the “BIG” factory cars.
9. Extreme Supercars driven by Dunlop – GT3
The Fast and Furious. The fastest racing cars in the country. Unbelievable sight and sound. The Extreme SuperCars will have some interesting new entries.
10. Other events to expect at the Passion for Speed 2025
1. F1 Demo and drifting demos in the lunch break on Saturday. Along with Aerobatic displays.
2. Fan Experience
a. Pit Walk/ Driver Meet and Greet/ Signature and Photo opportunities
b. VIP Experience
c. Passenger rides with AMG Mercedes Benz
3. Interactive Family Friendly Zones
a. Racing simulators
b. Karts and quad rides
c. Entertainment for young children
i. Jumping castle/ face painters/ balloon artists/ stilt walker
ii. Scavenger hunt
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