A breathtaking line-up of historic Grand Prix and F1 Cars spanning nine decades of legendary racing will take to Top Gear’s first ever street circuit this June as part of the Top Gear Festival. Joining the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Teamon track will be a procession of iconic race cars, never before seen together in South Africa, spanning the 1920’s to the present day in Top Gear Festival’s tribute to Grand Prix Racing and F1.
Taking to the grid will be a Bugatti Type 35B (1928), Maserati 6CM (1934), Maserati 4CLT (1948) Maserati 250F (1954), LDS MK3 Climax (1967), Lotus 101 (1989) and Benetton B193 (1993). Motorsport fans will also delight in the fact that it’s not just the cars which have impeccable credentials. South Africa’s very own Formula 1 Champion Jody Scheckter, who won the 1979 World Championship with Ferrari, will join the line up as he’s reunited with his Tyrrell 007 (1974) and Narain Karthikeyan, currently racing in the 2012 F1 season with HRT Cosworth, will also join the stellar line-up of driving talent.
This spectacular gathering of F1 cars will form just part of a 90 minute extravaganza which takes place on the specially created street circuit in Durban on the 16th & 17th June 2012. F1 and Le Mans racing driver Tiff Needell will be joined by Sasha Martinengo to introduce a whole host of motoring festivities alongside the F1 tribute.
Other highlights include power laps with The Stig, supercar grudge matches and a celebrity quarter mile challenge. Top Gear will also be introducing its own InterNations challenge, where with a nod to the sadly departed A1 GP series, they’ll pitch country against country with a grid of celebrity racing drivers, such as Sabine Schmitz for Germany and Shane Lynch for Ireland.
To ensure the dust never settles on the Top Gear street circuit, the MSA will be staging the fifth round of their Wesbank Super Series on track. Hardcore motorsport fans not yet intoxicated by this mountain of motortainment can head to the motoring exhibition packed with some of the world’s greatest supercars, classics and motoring memorabilia.
This year’s Top Gear Festival powered by Shell V-Power in ‘the warmest place to be’ is expected to attract tens of thousands of petrol heads keen to see the world famous presenters, guest drivers, legends and celebrities in action and take part in this true celebration of all things motoring. Visitors are encouraged to book early so as not to miss the most exciting event on this year’s entertainment and motoring calendar. Tickets are on sale and range from R250 for a bronze ticket to R1995 for a VIP super fan ticket. For more information on ticket prices or to book visit www.itickets.co.za or www.topgearfestival.co.za
For guests that would like to come from further afield, there is a full range of travel packages giving Top Gear enthusiasts the perfect excuse for a weekend in Durban. Packages range from R 3395-00 per person sharing for a package from Johannesburg – including return flights, 2 nights accommodation at a 3* Southern Sun Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis as well as a silver ticket to the Top Gear Festival. Visit www.topgearfestival.co.za for more information on the exclusive travel packages on offer.
