National drag racing returns to Tarlton

Called the Fast Fest Drag Spectacular, the event will see more than 120 of the country’s very fastest cars and motorcycles in action.

The fastest of all should be the Westinghouse Jet Car, driven in two demonstration runs by Nico van Rensburg.

Though long in the tooth, the jet can be depended on to provide a loud, fiery startline show and runs at speeds of over 320km/h.

Equally, Van Rensburg will drive his Lethal Weapon Funny Car in the Top Eliminator category, taking on the A-Dragsters of Dalmain Hattingh and Deon Swanepoel, plus the Funny Car of Werner Conradie.

The Senior Eliminator category will accommodate people like Gavin Wilkins (SpeednSound Mustang), Charles Slater (MonteCarlo), Pieter Lombard (Turbo Rotary Mazda Rustler), Hannes Minnaar (Twin Turbo Toyota Corolla), Kobus Kruger

(Turbocharged Rotary RX8) and Nico van Rensburg ( Ford Thunderbird).

Reigning champion Johan van Zyl (Corvette) will top the Super Competition Eliminator category field along with Fanus Pieters (Opel Manta), Mark Slooten (Chev Camaro), Simon Slooten (Dodge Challenger) and Dalmein Perdichizzi (Chev Nova).

The Competition Eliminator category should see a battle between Satish Harrichand (Speed & Sound Opel Superboss), Michelle Taylor (Toyota Celica) and Quentin Boylan in his front wheel drive Honda.

The Street Car class will comprise of Super Street and Modified Street categories.

Leading the group will be Henk Bannink (Audi RS4), Ugan Naidoo (Golf V GTI), Chris Foley (Toyota) and Hussain Ismail (Golf VI R).

The two-wheeler catgory will be mostly Suzuki-dominated, with riders like Sharief Reynolds, Shaun Breedt, Jerry Lombard, Jesaja Lombard, Leonard Roberts and Edwin Gordon taking on the lone BMW of veteran Peter de la Rey.

Doing demonstration runs will be the Top Fuel dragster of 2013 European Top Fuel Champion, Stig Neergard of Denmark, the Leyland Matador, 12-litre Twin Turbo V8 Drag Truck of Marius Coetzee, and the Turbocharged Ford Cargo V8 Drag Truck of Shaun Watson.

The event will include much more than just straight-line racing.

FMX Riders will entertain spectators with a crazy aerobatic show, Team Indy Oil will do some Superbike stunts, and the Rockford Fosgate Car Sound Competition will cater for the car sound freaks.

Tickets will be on sale at Tarlton’s main gate at R120 per adult and R50 for kids between the ages of 6-12.

Tarlton offers plenty of free parking plus take-away food and refreshments, available from various food outlets at the venue. The main gate will open at 7am and racing is set to start at 8am.