Drag racing ready to kick off at Tarlton this Sunday

The venue will host the opening round of the year’s Tarlton Motorsport Club Drag Racing Championship, with many top National racers using the occasion to test their vehicles for the coming season.

The Top Eliminator category will see the A-Class Rail Cars of Dalmain Hattingh and Deon Swanepoel, plus the Alcohol Funny Cars of Werner Conradie and Nico van Rensburg in action.

Reigning SA champion Gavin Wilkins (SpeednSound Shelby Mustang) will head up the Senior Elimination category, challenged by people like Nico van Rensburg (Adrenalize Thunderbird), Pieter Lombard (Turbo Rotary Mazda Rustler), Johan van Zyl (8.5-litre Corvette), Louwtjie van den Berg (Chevy 2), Dennis van Loggenberg (Can Am), Michelle Taylor (Celica) AND Marco Gounder (Opel).

The Street Eliminator brackets will be headed by competitors like Henk Bannink (APR Audi RS4) Bokkie Maartins (VW Golf), Ugan Naidoo (Golf 5) and Chris Foley (Toyota).

Bike fans will be spoilt with most of the country’s quickest and fastest two-wheelers on the line.

Top riders will include Jerry Lombard (Suzuki), Zafar Hoosen (Suzuki), Charles Barnard (Kawasaki), Peter de la Rey (BMW S1000RR), Jesaja Lombard (Suzuki), Peet Viviers (Suzuki) and Leonard Roberts (Suzuki).

Topping off the day will be exhibition runs by Nico van Rensburg and Shaun Watson in Tarlton’s J34 Westinghouse Jet Dragsters, Marius Coetzee in the Leyland Matador, 12-litre Twin Turbo V8 Drag Truck, plus Shaun Watson in his Ford Cargo V8 Drag Truck.

Tickets will be on sale at Tarlton’s main gate at a cost of R80 per adult and R40 for kids between the ages of 6-12.

The gates will be open from 7am, with runs starting at about 8am. Food and drink will be on sale both sides of the strip or you can take your own, parking will be free and plentiful, and spectators may visit the pits on foot at any time.