Few South Africans can claim a motorsport heritage as remarkable as Westbrook’s Dave McGregor.

Affectionately known nationwide as Mr Motorsport, the 74-year-old has shaped the country’s racing landscape, from managing world-class venues and reviving international events, to negotiating television rights, securing sponsorships and even climbing behind the wheel of a Formula One car.

McGregor’s story began humbly at age 17, selling programmes at the historic Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. By 35, he had risen to managing director, a position he held for 20 years while steering the iconic track through some of its most transformative years.

Today, McGregor works as sales and marketing manager at Zimbali Lakes, but motorsport remains the golden thread running through every chapter of his life.

He recalls that his love affair with racing began unexpectedly during petrol restrictions in the 1960s.

“I became a marshal because we were given petrol coupons to work the rallies,” he said.

“Standing alone on dusty rally stages, the bug bit. I realised I had petrol in my veins. Since then, motorsport has always been my passion.”

McGregor navigated for some of South Africa’s top rally drivers, including the late Gugu Zulu, and celebrated his greatest competitive success when he and driver Hannes Grobler won the 1998 SA Production Rally Championship.

His career brought him close to statesmen and motorsport royalty. He met President Nelson Mandela several times and one of his fondest memories is a dinner with Ayrton Senna, who shared how he learned to drive at age seven on his father’s farm, shifting from first to second gear without using the clutch.

On another occasion, the Benetton F1 team offered McGregor a lap in their car.

“It’s the scariest thing I have ever done,” he laughed.

“I couldn’t pull off because the cars still had a clutch back then. I fluffed it and had to get a push start.”

Among his proudest achievements was saving Kyalami from closure by redesigning the track and securing the return of the Formula One Grand Prix to South Africa in 1992 and 1993, after extensive discussions with Bernie Ecclestone.

To prove the country was ready, McGregor launched his iconic “K Plan”, staging three major events: the DTM Championships, F1 winter testing and the Yellow Pages 500.

“When Mandela was released, I faxed Bernie: ‘Mandela out, Formula One Grand Prix in South Africa in!’”

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