Painting it pink: Zwartkops Raceway ready to celebrate women in motorsport

News24

2 days ago

Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria will be on a mission to 'paint the place pink' to celebrate women in South African motorsport this Saturday (9 August).
Coinciding with the National Women's Day holiday, the day will combine action-packed races with a pink-themed event. All in attendance, from competitors to spectators, have been asked to dress up in pink or showcase as much pink as possible. To encourage all in attendance to take up this challenge, a variety of lucky draw and spot prizes have been made available from, among others, AMG Experience, Volkswagen Driving Academy, Dunlop Tyres South Africa, ATS Motorsport, and 1St Race.
One of the highlights of the packed programme will be the PABAR Monoposto Ladies Race. This five-lap race will see an all-female grid of 19 competitors competing in various single-seaters. This field will also feature two current national championship competitors: Tyler Robinson, competing in the Astron Energy Polo Cup, and Simphiwe Mohlahlo, a young lady who competes in the Investchem MSA4 Championship and has recently made her tintop debut in the BMW//M Performance Parts Race Series.
Supplied by Zwartkops International World Of Motoring
The involvement of women on the day does not end with competitors. Some prominent officials involved in the event, including those running the high-pressure environment of the Race Control office, are female and have become some of the most respected personnel in South Africa. The Zwartkops World Of Motoring facility, owned by Pieter du Toit, also sees the day-to-day operations entirely managed by a quartet of dynamic women under Chief Executive Officer, Tanya Human.
The facility will also host the annual Motorsport South Africa Media Training Workshop on the weekend, which will be attended by women entering the competitive industry of motorsport media work.
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The pink-themed campaign has already drawn interest and support from various competitors, including Bianca Bustamante, an international driver currently competing in the GB3 championship after rising to fame through the F1 Academy and subsequent Netflix docuseries, and Chloe Grant, who competes in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Iberica.
'Female participation at top levels of South African motorsport is one of the key objectives for Zwartkops Raceway, and all stakeholders in the industry,' says Human.
'In various facets of the motorsport landscape, we are seeing women making a name for themselves. With our event coinciding with the national holiday, a day on which we celebrate the contributions made by South African women in building the country we can all be proud of, we want to take it a step further by celebrating their achievements in the sport.
'We want the motorsport public to share in festivities, which is why, along with our event partners, we are adding some extra motivations for the fans to join the celebrations through various unique prizes that are up for grabs. This is what the Touch Of Pink Challenge is all about. Whether through your choice of attire, hair colour, or car colour, we want everyone to celebrate women in motorsport with us.'
Merchandise stalls, car displays, and entertainment for the kids will complement the packed motorsport programme. Tickets at the entrance gate are priced at R110 per adult, R90 per student, and children under 12 enter for free.
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