SA Motorsport Fans React to History Making All Black Racing Team at Kyalami 9 Hour
- Tschops Sipuka, Philip Kekana and Xolile Letlaka made motorsport history as the first all-black African team to compete at the Kyalami 9 Hour endurance race and in an Intercontinental GT Challenge event
- The trio drove their Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo to ninth position, completing 262 laps with the fastest lap time of 1:49.407
- Motorsport fans showered the trio with admiration, stating that 'this is heartwarming black excellence' and that 'the representation mattered more than a podium finish'
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South African motorsport fans took to social media to heap praise on racing drivers Tschops Sipuka, Philip Kekana and Xolile Letlaka who made history as the first all-black African racing team to compete at the Kyalami 9 Hour.
The trio finished ninth after veteran racing driver Sipuka crashed during the pre-qualifying session on Friday after Sipuka crashed into the barriers, mercifully the driver walked away from the incident unscathed. The team rushed to check the car's damage and make sure it was ready for qualifying, however, the Gauteng weather had other ideas as heavy rainfall forced the race director to cancel qualifying.
Their ability to finish the arduous race is a testament to the resolve and skill shown by the drivers, and they can be proud of their achievement.
Source: UGC
The overall race was won by AKKA ASP Team Mercedes-AMG while Audi Sport and Ferrari’s Come Ledogar and Alessandro Pier Guidi wrapped up the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ titles, respectively.
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@Hayden_101_ said:
"Immense"
@Kokie_moloto said:
"This is heartwarming, black excellence"
@Zion_GRACE said:
"My 8 year old cousin was only interested in tracking their vehicle throughout the race. It meant so much to him that they were there"
@AlutaMaq0ko said:
"The representation mattered more than a podium finish."
Watch highlights of the race in the video below.
"We lift as we rise": 1st ever all-black team to make SA motorsport history in Kyalami 9 Hour
Briefly News reported that the trio would make history as the first all-black team to compete in the iconic Kyalami 9 Hour endurance race and in the Intercontinental GT Championship.
Kekana made his debut in GT3 racing over the weekend while Sipuka and Letlaka are no strangers to one another in the sport. The pair scored two victories in the 2021 South African Endurance Championship in the Huracan GT3 Evo.
Kekana hopes the team will inspire young black children to take a bigger interest in motorsport, especially from an engineering perspective.
Source: Briefly News
