Spectacular season finale

The venue has long been known for its spectacular end-of-season fireworks displays, carols by candlelight, huge private-car race and general festive atmosphere, which makes a visit to Pretoria West an absolute must.

Starting at 7pm, the programme will be headed up by the season’s biggest private-car race.

The organisers will put up R10 000 in prize money and try to double that through contributions from the crowd, after which some 30 private-car owners will take to the tarmac. To level the playing field, no regular oval track racers will be allowed to compete.

The real race programme will be topped by events for V8 sprint cars, pinto saloons, stock rods, rookie rods, 1660cc saloon cars, the open class and ninja midget karts.

Meanwhile, hundreds of balloons will be let loose over the crowd, with 100 of them containing prizes or money. Clowns will ride quadbikes around, while Father Christmas will arrive in some sort of wild vehicle, still to be decided.

As always, the season finale will be a huge banger race, with some 25 old cars crashing into one another until just one can still be driven, to be crowned as the season’s final survivor.

The Mahem Gates will open at noon, with all classes practising during the course of the afternoon.

Racing will commence at 7pm and prospective spectators are advised to get there by 5pm to find a seat.

Admission will cost R60 per adult and R40 for children between seven and 12 years old.