Roy Hesketh Circuit

Roy Hesketh Circuit

Pietermaritzburg , KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa
Route type:	permanent race track
Opening:	December 26, 1953
Decommissioned:	1981
Time zone:	UTC + 2 ( SAST )
original route
(gray variant)
Route data
Route length:	2.902  km (1.8  mi )
remaining route
(black variant)
Route data
Route length:	2.19  km (1.36  mi )

Coordinates: 29 ° 37 ′ 22.6 ″  S , 30 ° 25 ′ 31.6 ″  E

The Roy Hesketh Circuit was a permanent race track in Pietermaritzburg , in what is now the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal . The track was opened on traditional Boxing Day , December 26th, in 1953 and named after the South African racing driver Roy Hesketh .

The Roy Hesketh Circuit was home to the South African Formula 1 Championship , the South African National Drivers Championship , the Sports Car Series Springbok Series and the national Formula Atlantic Series during the period . The highlight was always the Easter races, a three-day racing event. In November 1981 the line was closed and had to give way to the expansion of the suburbs of Pietermaritzburg.

From 2004, isolated races were held here again, but operations were discontinued after public protests in June 2010.

Route today

The southern loop with the Angel's Angle and Sweep sections was converted into a residential and commercial area after 1981 .

2002 was for obtaining the track citizens' initiative Roy Hesketh Motor Racing Foundation founded. The citizens' initiative is committed to the reconstruction of a 2.5-kilometer route with true-to-the-original pit systems, a start and finish tower and a museum. In 2008 the Roy Hesketh Foundation had 185 members. The organization bought in June 2005, the race track for 3,250,000 Edge , and did some motor sport event. On July 12, 2008, after complaints from residents, a motorcycle race was stopped and racing was finally banned in July 2010.

Today test drives are carried out here at irregular intervals.

Web links

• Homepage with historical and current photos

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Quarry Curve and Henry's Knee (PDF; 8.9 MB), Natal Witness, November 26, 1997, accessed May 16, 2013.
2. ^ Motor Racing Program Cover , private homepage, accessed July 26, 2011.
3. ^ Roy Hesketh falls silent , The Natal Witness, June 17, 2010, accessed May 6, 2013.
4. ^ Roy Hesketh Motor Racing Circuit To Be Restored  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ), engl. CarMagazine article of March 8, 2002, accessed July 26, 2011.
5. ↑ Hesketh circuit ready for action. (Motoring) ( Memento November 16, 2018 in the Internet Archive ), Daily News August 21, 2008, accessed July 26, 2011.
6. ^ Hesketh bike event halted , The Natal Witness, July 13, 2008, accessed May 6, 2013.
7. ^ Roy Hesketh falls silent , The Natal Witness, June 17, 2010, accessed May 6, 2013.
8. ↑ Track days Roy Hesketh Circuit , YouTube, accessed May 15, 2013.