MZANSI SPEEDWAY ROARS TO LIFE AS SOUTHSIDE CREW KICKS THINGS OFF WITH ¼ MILE NATION
After years of whispers, rumours, and straight-up hustle, Johannesburg’s east side finally has its very own drag strip - and it’s not messing around. Over the first weekend in June, SouthSide Crew fired the first official shots at the all-new Mzansi Speedway, a purpose-built quarter-mile facility that’s already being hailed as the spiritual resurrection of the legendary WesBank Raceway that shut down way back in 2007. Located just a burnout away from the iconic Formula K karting circuit and flanked by mine dumps that act as natural sound barriers, the venue is like a motorsport oasis. The strip stretches a full 402 metres - regulation quarter-mile - complete with grandstands, a decent staging area, and safety infrastructure built from the tarmac up. It’s also 18 m wide, which means in time, the big cars could potentially go play there.
The driving force behind Mzansi Speedway is Ismael Peck, a man who’s forgotten more about cars and motorsport than many still need to learn. It’s been a long and pretty damn dangerous 3-year road to get the raceway to the point it’s at now, which still isn’t 100% complete. Where there are old mines, there are zama-zamas, but with some military involvement, the threat was handled. Maaan, SA is unlike any other place. The venue is massive, the tarred area can easily accommodate 500 cars, and there’s still some property left to develop. At the end of the drag strip and to the right, there’s a 900 m drift track with some mad off-camber sections that will make for serious action. After a meeting with Dawood Hussein and the SouthSide Crew chaps, Peck gave the go-ahead to host the venue’s first event, a test run of sorts. To say it was a success is an understatement; the place was packed with curious spectators and nearly 100 racers in fast street cars. Things ran smoothly, especially for the first event, and the word has spread, which means Mzansi Speedway will get ever more popular in record time. The venue is easy to get to, there’s decent space.
Before the track delivers the times, it will need a few events like this to get some rubber laid down to aid in traction, but on the day, the fastest car still topped the field with a 10.100-second pass at 241.6 km/h. Bongani ‘BossTTRS’ Ntila in his Fast-Flow Racing Audi TTRS is now the man to beat. And if the things we’ve seen posted on the various drag racing-related groups are anything to go by, there are legions of BMWs and VAG cars ready to take on the challenge. For a “slippery” new track, to be just 0.5 seconds off a personal best run is pretty damn impressive. The track’s safety was also tested when a BMW M3 lost traction and kissed the barrier. No serious injuries, just a heavy reminder that this is motorsport, and motorsport is inherently dangerous - and safety is non-negotiable. On-site medics and marshals responded immediately, showing that the foundations here go beyond concrete. After the car was recovered, the race, as they say, went on.
The smell of race fuel and melting rubber hangs in the air, and Joburg’s petrolheads have a new home. The vibe is raw, the energy electric, and the mission clear: Mzansi Speedway is here to put South African grassroots motorsport back on the map. We won’t be surprised if SouthSide Crew organises a weekly event at the track in the near future. We cannot wait to get to more events at Mzansi Speedway! Thanks for allowing us all to be part of your dream, Mr Peck.
Take a look at the YouTube video from our mate Ettiene at CCD Video, who's at every decent drag racing event there is to document things for local race fans: Mzansi Speedway - GAUTENG's NEW DRAG STRIP!!! | CCD VIDEO
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