The Nelsville Drag Race Crew has distanced themselves from the illegal racing event which was set to take place on the R40 near the Westend Shopping Centre on March 30.

According to the poster, the race was organised by the Mpumalanga Exotics Crew and was to be held at the Mbombela Stadium, but was moved to the R40.

The Nelspruit police stopped the racing before it started as some residents complained it would put the lives of other motorists in danger.

The Nelsville Drag Crew’s founder, Tertia McDonald, condemned the Mpumalanga Exotics Crew for organising the illegal race.

“We have been made aware of a misleading advertisement circulated by Mpumalanga Exotics, falsely associating our organisation, Nelsville Drags, with their event. Contrary to their claims, our crew was not involved in organising or hosting this event. We hereby inform the public that the Nelsville Drags did not host the planned drag-racing event on that day. We urge everyone to be cautious of such false advertisements and to verify information through official channels,” she said.

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After seeing the poster, McDonald claims they reached out to the Mpumalanga Exotics Crew to stop the race and to remove Nelsville Drag Race Crew’s name from the advertisement. She said their response was that “we [Nelsville Drag Crew] don’t own the road and we will not tell them anything”.
She also said none of the Nelsville members were going to be part in the planned illegal race on Sunday. She admitted they used to race on the R40, but they stopped long ago. Now they only take part in charity drives and work with schools. “We cannot participate in anything illegal as we work with children and aim to teach them to stay away from such activities. We are not going to tolerate anyone who uses our name in illegal matters,” she said.

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The organiser of the Mpumalanga Exotic Crew, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “Initially, we had an agreement with the Nelsville Drag Crew to host the event at Mataffin. However, due to a conflicting event at Mbombela Stadium, we decided to explore alternative venues to avoid clashes. We attempted to secure the old N4 route, but our request was denied. As a result, we opted for the R40, which is generally quiet on Sundays. The Nelsville Drag Crew was duly notified that they would be featured on the event poster. It’s worth noting that racing is not permitted on public roads.”

While residents were relieved the police managed to stop the race before anyone was harmed, community members continue to call on law enforcement to stop any illegal racing.
The Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison’s spokesperson, Moeti Mmusi, condemned any illegal car racing on public roads.
He called on the law enforcement to arrest anyone who attempts to do so. “These races put the participants and even other motorists in danger. We commend the police for their interventions to stop the race.”