Ever since South Africa’s first motor race in Cape Town on 1 October 1900, the Mother City has been a major centre for motorsport. In the ensuing years, races took place in the Cape Town area at several different locations, including Rietvlei, Noordhoek Pan, Pollsmoor, Paarden Eiland, Gunner’s Circle, Sacks Circle and Eerste Rivier, before Killarney began holding sprint races and speed trials. In 1960, it was established as a permanent racing circuit, and although the pre- and post-war headline Grands Prix – including Formula 1 – were held in other parts of the country, competitors still readily visited the Cape to participate in events that quickly grew in status to rival the best the sport could offer. For the last 65 years, Killarney has been successfully run by a club; much of that time – almost four decades – headed by one man, Denis Joubert.
Named after a pub run by an Irish immigrant, which
