Private race track club planned for South Africa



The world's surface is covered in once-great racing circuits. Take Kyalami, for example. Over the course of seven decades during the last century, the world-renowned racing circuit on the outskirts of Johannesburg hosted Formula One races. But the last one was held there in 1993, and since then it's been known as the former home of the South African Grand Prix. These days it's only used for A1GP and some minor racing series events. So when a private track club was being set up in South Africa, wouldn't Kyalami – Zulu for "my home" – seem like the perfect venue? Well, sorta.

The new Imola Race Resort being set up in South Africa is actually being built around a replica of Kyalami, only an hour and a half away. Like the Monticello Motor Club where our man Sam tested the Cadillac CTS-V, it will allow members to run their exotic sportscars around the private facility in exclusive high-speed bliss. The track, however, won't be an exact replica: in the place of exotic-munching Armco barriers and paint-chipping gravel pits, the Imola club will offer vast grass fields as run-off areas. There'll also be a kilometer-long drag strip to allow members to attempt high-speed runs. Membership will be limited, and to keep out the riffraff, dues will undoubtedly be high... in South African rands, anyway, which are worth about as much as the paper they're printed on these days). The facility will also offer a state-of-the-art pitlane complex, an advanced high-performance driving school, a plush garage and an exotic rental service, plus an emergency medical center and entertainment facilities, combining the best of a racing circuit and a country club. Sounds like enough motoring bliss to make the wealthy still living in Jo'burg forget all about the rampant crime and soaring murder rates.

[Source: Imola Race Resort via Inside Line]

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