The return of the Intercontinental GT Challenge to Johannesburg’s Kyalami Racetrack is an event of worldwide significance to anyone who’s involved in motorsport. At the same time, it’s a celebration of all that’s best about South Africa.
With the Rainbow Nation riding a wave after the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup victory, the eyes of the world will once again be on South Africa as this legendary race takes place on African soil for the first time in almost 40 years.
“As a company with a global outlook, Motul is delighted to support four teams in the Kyalami 9 Hour 2019 Challenge – an event that the world will be watching,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “We’re no strangers to major motorsport events thanks to our involvement with the Dakar Rally, MotoGP and 24 hours of Le Mans (amongst others), but to see an event of this calibre happening right here in South Africa really is a special occasion”, she added.
Motul will be supporting two international teams at the event: Honda Team Motul and Team KCMG, through our global Nismo partnership. Both teams will compete in the Overall Class, and it will be a real treat for local enthusiasts to see the Honda Acura NSX GT3 Evo and Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 racing cars being put through their paces.
“We are very pleased to confirm our presence in the Intercontinental GT Challenge this year, which underlines our commitment to GT3 racing and provides an opportunity to showcase the performance of the car to several key new markets across the world,” said Masashi Yamamoto, General Manager Motorsport Division Honda Motor.
Ian Geekie, Team Manager of KCMG, revealed his thoughts on bringing Team KCMG to South Africa: “The whole series has been a huge challenge for the KCMG team both on and off the track and we are very proud to have shown that we can be competitive at a global level. We’re immensely excited to be racing at altitude in South Africa and to participate at this iconic venue. We’re looking forward to the challenge of the Kyalami 9 Hour and to once again take on the best in the world. Our drivers hail from Japan, Australia and Brazil, reflecting the truly international nature of our team – and of the race”.
As further evidence of their commitment to boosting motorsport here in SA, Motul will also be sponsoring two of the three South African teams in the 9 Hour of Kyalami. Both Team Perfect Circle and Stradale Motorsport will be supported by Motul as they compete on the historic Kyalami Racetrack.
2019 has particular significance for Team Perfect Circle, as it marks 50 years since their distinctive logo was first seen on racing cars. “This is the race we all grew up dreaming of,” commented driver Andre Bezuidenhout of Team Perfect Circle, “and it’s no exaggeration to say that many of us were inspired to become racing drivers by having watched this race as kids. Needless to say, I can’t wait to get out there and show the rest of the Am-Cup Class what our Porsche 997 GT3 R is capable of”.
Stradale Motorsport, the second SA team supported by Motul, will be putting their faith in their Lamborghini Huracan GT3 as they compete in the Pro-Amateur Class. “As the only all-South African team in the 9 Hour of Kyalami (from support crew to drivers), we’re thrilled that our first international-level race is taking place in SA,” commented driver Charl Arangies. “Some of our car components were even manufactured locally, making us a “Proudly South African” team, through and through,” he added.
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