Killarney National Race Day (2nd October 2010)
Smoke, rubber and the smell of burnt fuel are never amiss at Killarney Race Course in Cape Town, South Africa.
On the 2nd of October 2010 Killarney hosted the National Wesbank Racing Series. Amongst the scent of boerewors rolls, burgers and slap chips was an overwhelming sense of excitement and euphoria at Killarney as the first V8 Wesbanks roared onto the track leaving only flames and the sound of 10 trains colliding in their wake.
An avid car enthusiast I found myself surrounded by everything from the smallest Daihatsu to the fastest of Porsche's. I was in absolute heaven whilst trying to contain myself and my desire to kiss every car in sight. There was however one car that I simply could not ignore.
My MINI Clubman S.
Having collected the vehicle on Friday from Auto Atlantic I became completely overwhelmed by the pure drivability of this fantastic car. Sitting in the latest Ferrari I couldn’t help but be drawn back to the utter nuttiness of the Clubman S. With its club doors, 1.6 litre turbocharged engine and controversial looks I found the Clubman S to be a much unappreciated car given its tough battle in the world of hot hatch mayhem.
Even more surprising was the reaction of the spectators at Killarney whilst our ladies handed out posters, stickers and booklets while many came over to marvel at the Clubman and praise it. I found it refreshing to see that although not considered by many as a “real MINI” the Clubman S was able to easily draw a crowd and further shock the crowds with ludicrous performance figures and quirky styling cues.
Nothing however could distract the 4000 odd people in the crowd from the racing on track. The boys in the Polo Cup gave us a thrilling race with a couple of Polo's ending up bricked into a wall or visiting Hi Q on the first corner. This trend continued further with the Liqui Moly Corvettes who swiftly took the lead in the first V8 Wesbank Race after expelling a few Mustangs’ shortly after the back straight.
Further lunacy was administered by the “Rasta” in his Ford Cortina educating the crowd on the art of losing traction in the drift series. This was followed shortly by even more drifting, smoke and engines on the brink of their limits. Our two fabulous “Promo Girls” thoroughly enjoyed the racing, hunting down MINI's at the track, taking photos as well as making themselves seen in their MINI shirts and caps.
The superbikes gave us a show full of adrenaline, speed and amazing technique with some riders losing against gravity. Amongst the cars on the track was a selection of exotic’s ranging from the new Mercedes Benz SLS, a remake of the legendary Gullwing. Classic Dart’s as well as even older kit cars all joined in on the madness on course while even more dreams were made in the Pit Lane where youngsters enjoyed being up close to the fastest BMW’s, Ford’s and even faster drivers.
Further jaws were dropped as the Clubman S visited the various club stands entertaining the members of the Audi, GTI, Porsche and even the Jaguar stands shortly before roaring off in a whirl of dust and pride.
The fantastic thing about the Clubman S is that anyone can drive it. This car inspires you with confidence to push your driving skills safely to the limit whilst also transporting a small bed, dog and fish tank in the boot. The Clubman S is a well-balanced thoroughbred that is worthy of being called a MINI. Further enjoyment was found at Auto Atlantic where the sales team is more than willing to go the extra mile to make your MINI experience one that you will keep you coming back with their unsurpassed product knowledge, service and exquisite showroom.
Thank you to Auto Atlantic for providing the MINI Clubman S and for making a brilliant day at Killarney even more sensational for me. For those who missed out – Make sure you are there next year!
For more information on the MINI Clubman S please contact Auto Atlantic on 021 402 7700.
