Kyalami Racetrack Bought By Porsche

While the Kyalami name might not ring a bell for the youngest among our readers, Formula 1 fans will remember this South-African track which was part of the modern World Grand Prix Championship from 1967 to 1993. It was home to a few important moments, like the first victory of modern time by Pedro Rodriguez in 1967, or the close finish of 1976, where Niki Lauda and James Hunt crossed the finish line just 1.3 seconds apart. Gilles Villeneuve won in 1979, and the very last race there was won by Alain Prost in 1993. We also remember Kyalami for its tragic 1977 Grand Prix, where Tom Pryce was killed when he struck Jansen Van Vuuren, a track marshal that crossed the track.

Today, the track hosts a few events, but since its modification in 1990, it went from being one of the fastest-flowing tracks on the calendar to a narrow, technical circuit. It slowly sank into oblivion, and the neighboring city of Johannesburg slowly developed around it.

The owners of the track finally decided to sell it, and a familiar automaker has bought it - Porsche just won the bidding, after offering $19.4 million.

We don’t know what Stuttgart has in mind for this renowned circuit, but they will probably have to refurbish the place before doing anything else. Some rumors are also flying around about an eventual Owner Experience Center… Stay tuned!