New book celebrates 60 years of Kyalami memories

A new coffee table book brings to life six decades of thrills and spills from South Africa's most famous motorsport circuit.

Illustrated by more than 1,500 pictures from award-winning photographers such as Colin Watling, Gavin Stapleton and Tony Alves, Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit — 60 Years of Memories has more than 500 pages covering the history of the world-renowned Midrand racetrack from its first race in 1961 until the 2021 Kyalami 9 Hour.

It is published by Denis Klopper who was the circuit promoter for many years as it went through shifting fortunes, redesigns and changes of ownership before the bankrupt property was purchased in 2014 by Porsche importer Toby Venter and returned to a solid financial footing.

Klopper kept every race programme published through the 60 years and turned his passion into a large-format tome, which was edited by motoring journalist Roger Houghton.

The commemorative publication covers all international and local events, including several Formula One Grands Prix, the last of which was in 1993 with Alain Prost as the winner. Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Sarel van der Merwe, Kork Ballington and Jody Scheckter — who took a famous home victory in the 1975 South African Grand Prix — were some of the other iconic racers who drew large crowds to the circuit.

In its heyday Kyalami had up to 100,000 spectators and the 9 Hour endurance race became a weekend-long festival with thousands of people camping alongside the track. The spectator scaffolding, sometimes mounted on trucks and bakkies, also became a regular feature as race fans jostled for the best vantage points.

Many youngsters inspired by the sights and sounds of motor racing at Kyalami went on to become famous drivers themselves. Their stories are told in a section of the book featuring personal memories from drivers and riders, officials, photographers, journalists and other personalities.

There are four other main sections: the early years and origins of the circuit, each year of competition from 1961 until 2022, year by year detail of each race with many programme covers, and a photographic section with close to 1,000 images. There is also a tribute to the local photographers who contributed to the publication.

The high-quality book is a beautifully executed trip down motorsport’s memory lane.

The collector’s editions and publisher’s editions are sold out, with limited copies of the standard edition still available for R1,950 excluding packaging and shipping. Orders can be placed on www.motorsportmemories.co.za.

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