Gear up for an adrenaline-fuelled showdown as the City of Cape Town presents Robot Racing at Killarney on Wednesday, 25 September 2024, where rear-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive machines will battle it out, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Also read: City of Cape Town backs local street racing at Killarney Raceway
According to Killarney, participants are advised to bring a roadworthy car, a crash helmet, long sleeves, long pants and a valid South African driver’s licence.
Sign-ups are at Gate 1 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, with safety checks closing at 8pm.
Enjoy tasty take-aways (halaal options included) and cold drinks in the spectator area – bring the family for a fun-filled evening.
Robot Racing is the purest form of motorsport: two powerful machines side by side at a red traffic light, engines roaring with anticipation.
The moment the light turns green, it’s a head-to-head sprint over 402 metres (a quarter mile), where pure speed, reaction time, and precision are all that matter.
The thrill intensifies under the night sky, where headlights pierce the darkness and the engines echo through the streets, adding a touch of drama and adrenaline. It’s as close as you can get to street racing – without crossing the line into illegality.
Robot Racing began in 2016 as a collaboration between the Western Province Motor Club at Killarney and the City of Cape Town, aimed at moving street racers off public roads and into a safe, controlled environment.
Here, they could push their cars to the limit without risking the safety of other road users.
With up to 260 participants and thousands of spectators lining the track, the atmosphere is electric.
The roar of finely-tuned engines fills the air, thick with tyre smoke – you can almost taste the adrenaline.
‘But remember, please. It’s a thrill. But the thrill must stay on the track. No thrill seeking when leaving the venue or on the way home. Our members do not enforce on the roads around Killarney,’ says Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith.
‘But we are out across the rest of the City. If we adhere to the rules of the road, everyone goes home with happy memories.’
Smith reports that the City receives about 300 complaints of illegal street racing every 100 days.
To address this, he encourages racers to use safe environments like Killarney International Raceway, where they can enjoy the thrills of racing while ensuring spectator safety and having medics on standby.
Killarney enforces a strict safety standard for vehicles. Racing is free, but entry is R70.
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Picture: Killarney
