The Northern Cape Government has put the brakes on this year’s Kalahari Desert Speedweek on Hakskeen Pan.
The popular speed-chasing event, modelled on the famous Bonneville Speedweek in the USA, was to have taken place in September but organisers weren’t able to get the necessary authorisation from the province’s Department of Environment and Nature Conservation, which is conducting an environmental impact study. This is the second consecutive year the event will not take place, after being cancelled last year due to the clay surface not being suitable for driving following heavy rains.
Kalahari Desert Speedweek was hosted three times from 2012 to 2014 and drew car and motorcycle competitors from all over the country who came to see how fast they could go on the flat but slippery pan.
Organiser Jan Els says the cancellation of this year’s event is a blow but he is confident it will be back on the calendar next year.
The world land-speed record attempt by the British-built Bloodhound team will also go ahead, he says. The jet- and rocket-powered car to be driven by air force pilot Andy Green aims to reach 1000 miles per hour (1600km/h) at Hakskeen Pan in 2018.
The all-tar Speedweek due to have taken place this weekend at Upington airport has also been rescheduled, says Els, and will probably take place at Mafikeng airport at the end of September.
Star Motoring