The Nine Hours of Kyalami is an endurance sports car race contested at Kyalami, Midrand, South Africa. The first races were held from 1958 to 1960 at a circuit at the Grand Central Airport near Midrand before moving to Kyalami in 1961. The event was a mainstay until the late 1980s; however, it was only held three times between 1989 and 2018. The 1974 event was a round of the World Championship of Makes and the 1983 and 1984 races were rounds of the World Endurance Championship. The event was revived in 2019 as part of the 2019 Intercontinental GT Challenge.
 | |
| Intercontinental GT Challenge | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Kyalami |
| First race | 1958 |
| First IGTC race | 2019 |
| Duration | 9 Hours |
| Previous names | South African Nine Hour Endurance Race Kyalami 6 Hours 1000km Kyalami Southern Sun 500 |
History
editFrom 1965 to 1973, the race was the centerpiece of the South African Springbok Trophy Series. In 1974, the event was part of the World Championship of Makes, switching to a 6 hour/1000 kilometre format. From 1975 until 1979, the race was held for touring cars. The race returned to sports cars and its 9-hour duration in 1981 and 1982, before being shortened to 1000 km and becoming part of the World Endurance Championship in 1983 and 1984. After not being held in 1985 due to circuit construction, a 500 km event was contested from 1986 to 1988. After a ten-year hiatus, it was revived as a 2-hour, 30 minute, race as part of the SportsRacing World Cup from 1998 to 2000.
On 27 July 2018, circuit officials announced the nine-hour distance event would return to the calendar starting in 2019 as part of a revamped Intercontinental GT Challenge series from the Stéphane Ratel Organisation. The event will be the final event of a global series of GT3-focused events alongside the Bathurst 12 Hour, California 8 Hours, Spa 24 Hours and Suzuka 10 Hours. The race was originally scheduled for 3 November, but moved to 23 November to avoid a date clash with the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Grand Central
edit| Year | Drivers | Entrant | Car | Distance/Duration | Race Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Championship | |||||
| 15 November 1958 |  Ian Frazer-Jones Tony Fergusson |
Porsche 356 | 9 hours 902.468 km (560.768 mi) |
South African Nine Hour Endurance Race | |
| 6 October 1959 | Chris Fergusson Hugh Carrington |
H. M. Carrington |
Dart – Climax | 9 hours 922.959 km (573.500 mi) |
South African Nine Hour Endurance Race |
| 29 October 1960 |  Dawie Gous John Love |
A. H. Pillman & Son (Pty.) Ltd. |
Porsche 550 RS | 9 hours 989.816 km (615.043 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail South African Nine Hour Endurance Race |
Kyalami
edit| Year | Winning Driver(s) | Entrant | Car | Distance/Duration | Race Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Championship | |||||
| 4 November 1961 | Dawie Gous John Love |
A. H. Pillman & Son (pty.) Ltd. |
Porsche 550 Spyder | 9 hours 1,082.509 km (672.640 mi) |
South African Nine Hour Endurance Race |
| 3 November 1962 |  David Piper Bruce Johnstone |
David Piper |
Ferrari 250 GTO | 9 hours 1,113.022 km (691.600 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail Nine Hour Endurance Race |
| 2 November 1963 | David Piper Tony Maggs |
David Piper |
Ferrari 250 GTO | 9 hours 1,198.000 km (744.403 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail Nine Hour Endurance Race |
| 21 October 1964 | David Piper Tony Maggs |
David Piper Auto Racing Ltd. Maranello Concessionaires |
Ferrari 250 LM | 9 hours 1,222.240 km (759.465 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail Nine Hour Endurance Race |
| South African Springbok Trophy Series | |||||
| 6 November 1965 | David Piper Richard Attwood |
David Piper Auto Racing Ltd. |
Ferrari 365 P2 | 9 hours 1,240.729 km (770.953 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail Nine Hour Endurance Race |
| 5 November 1966 | David Piper Richard Attwood |
David Piper Auto Racing Ltd. |
Ferrari 365 P2/3 | 9 hours 1,191.590 km (740.420 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail Nine Hour Endurance Race |
| 4 November 1967 |  Jacky Ickx Brian Redman |
J.W. Automotive |
Mirage M1-Ford | 9 hours 1,403.509 km (872.100 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail Nine Hour Endurance Race |
| 9 November 1968 | Jacky Ickx David Hobbs |
J.W. Automotive |
Mirage M1-Ford | 9 hours 1,288.602 km (800.700 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail 9 hours |
| 8 November 1969 | David Piper Richard Attwood |
David Piper Auto Racing Ltd. |
Porsche 917 | 9 hours 1,337.848 km (831.300 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail 9 hours |
| 7 November 1970 | Jacky Ickx Ignazio Giunti |
SpA Ferrari SEFAC |
Ferrari 512 M | 9 hours 1,518.400 km (943.490 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail 9 hours |
| 6 November 1971 |  Clay Regazzoni Brian Redman |
SpA Ferrari SEFAC |
Ferrari 312PB | 9 hours 1,455.000 km (904.095 mi) |
Rand Daily Mail 9 hours |
| 4 November 1972 | Clay Regazzoni Arturo Merzario |
SpA Ferrari SEFAC |
Ferrari 312PB | 9 hours 1,497.196 km (930.314 mi) |
Kyalami 9 Hours |
| 3 November 1973 |  Reinhold Joest Herbert Müller |
Joest Racing |
Porsche 908/3 | 9 hours 1,475.490 km (916.827 mi) |
Kyalami 9 Hours |
| World Championship of Makes | |||||
| 9 November 1974 |  Gérard Larrousse Henri Pescarolo |
Equipe Gitanes |
Matra-Simca MS670C | 6 hours 964.440 km (599.275 mi) |
Kyalami 6 Hours |
| Non-Championship | |||||
| 1 November 1975 | Hans Heyer Peter Hennige Jochen Mass |
Ford Köln |
Ford Escort II RS | 1,000 km (620 mi) | Wynn's 1000 km Kyalami |
| 6 November 1976 | Jody Scheckter Gunnar Nilsson |
BMW Motorsport/Faltz-Alpina |
BMW 3.0 CSL | 1,000 km (620 mi) | |
| 6 November 1977 | Hans Heyer Jody Scheckter |
Zakspeed |
Ford Escort RS Mk II Gr.5 | 1,000 km (620 mi) | Wynn's 1000 km Kyalami |
| 4 November 1978 | Brian Cook Phil Adams |
Datsun 140Z | 1,000 km (620 mi) | Wynn's 1000 km Kyalami | |
| 30 November 1979 | Helmut Kelleners Eddie Keizan |
Eggenberger Racing |
BMW M1 | 1,000 km (620 mi) | Wynn's 1000 km Kyalami |
| 1980 | Not held | ||||
| 7 November 1981 | Jochen Mass Reinhold Joest |
Joest Racing |
Porsche 936 | 9 hours 365 laps |
|
| 6 November 1982 | Jacky Ickx Jochen Mass |
Rothmans Porsche |
Porsche 956 | 9 hours 963.939 km (598.964 mi) |
|
| World Endurance Championship | |||||
| 10 December 1983 | Stefan Bellof Derek Bell |
Rothmans Porsche |
Porsche 956 | 1,000 km (620 mi) | Castrol 1000 km Kyalami |
| 3 November 1984 | Riccardo Patrese Alessandro Nannini |
Martini Racing |
Lancia LC2-84 | 1,000 km (620 mi) | Kyalami 1000 km |
| 1985 | Not held | ||||
| Non-Championship | |||||
| 23 November 1986 | Piercarlo Ghinzani |
Joest Racing |
Porsche 956B | 500 km (310 mi) | Southern Sun 500 |
| 28 November 1987 | Jochen Mass |
Richard Lloyd Racing |
Porsche 962C | 500 km (310 mi) | |
| 26 November 1988 | Bob Wollek |
Joest Racing |
Porsche 962C | 500 km (310 mi) | |
| 1989–1997 | Not held | ||||
| ISRS / SportsRacing World Cup | |||||
| 6 December 1998 | Jérôme Policand Gary Formato |
Solution F |
Riley & Scott Mk III-Ford | 2 hours, 30 minutes 383.13 km (238.07 mi) |
Vodacom ISRS |
| 28 November 1999 | Jean-Marc Gounon Éric Bernard |
DAMS |
Lola B98/10-Judd | 1 hour, 30 minutes 196.28 km (121.96 mi) |
Vodacom Festival of Motor Racing |
| 26 November 2000 | Gary Formato Ralf Kelleners |
Kremer Racing |
Kremer Lola B98/K2000-Ford | 2 hours, 30 minutes 375.14 km (233.10 mi) |
Vodacom Festival of Motor Racing |
| 2001–2018 | Not held | ||||
| Intercontinental GT Challenge | |||||
| 23 November 2019 | Mathieu Jaminet Dennis Olsen Nick Tandy |
Frikadelli Racing Team |
Porsche 911 GT3 R | 9:00:06 1,171.198 km (727.749 mi) |
Kyalami 9 Hour |
| 12 December 2020 |  Augusto Farfus Nicky Catsburg Sheldon van der Linde |
Walkenhorst Motorsport |
BMW M6 GT3 | 9:00:30 1,254.533 km (779.531 mi) |
Joburg Kyalami 9 Hour |
| 2021 | Not held | ||||
| 6 February 2022 |  Timur Boguslavskiy Jules Gounon Raffaele Marciello |
AKKA ASP Team |
Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | 9:01:17 1,390.403 km (863.956 mi) |
Joburg Kyalami 9 Hour |
| 25 February 2023 | Sheldon van der Linde Dries Vanthoor Charles Weerts |
Team WRT |
BMW M4 GT3 | 9:00.56 1,383.730 km (859.810 mi) |
Joburg Kyalami 9 Hour |
| South African Endurance Series | |||||
| 16 December 2023 | Nick Adcock Michael Jensen Leyton Fourie Jonothan Thomas |
Leyton Fourie Racing |
Nova Proto | 9:01:22 1,195.656 km (742.946 mi) |
SAES Nine Hours of Kyalami |
External links
edit- Racing Sports Cars: South Africa archive
- World Sports Racing Prototypes: Non-championship archive, Springbok archive
- South African Touring Car Races