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The Phakisa Freeway Circuit
The Phakisa Freeway (Phakisa means "hurry up" in Sotho!) is an international standard, multi-purpose motorsport facility situated in the heart of the Goldfields region of the Free State. Construction of the facility commenced in September 1998, on the site of the old Goldfields Raceway. By late April 1999 the circuits and paddock facilities had been completed and the first National Race event was held a mere 6 months after work had started. The entire facility was completed in time for the penultimate leg of the 1999 FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix held at the circuit on 10th October 1999. The track boasts a 4,24km road course as well as a 1,5 mile banked oval track similar to the highly acclaimed Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Nevada.
The Grand Prix road course was designed in conjunction with officials of the FIM and is rated as one of the safest circuits on the GP tour. It is 12m wide throughout and has 14 turns, 5 left and 9 right-hand. Although the straights are relatively short and the top speed is slower than on many tracks, the circuit has no chicanes which makes for a fast and flowing ride. On his first visit to the circuit in late 1999, Alex Barros rated the fast right-hander at the end of the back straight as the best in Grand Prix bike racing! After taking to 500cc crown in the 2001 South African MotoGP, Valentino Rossi said "I love this place - it is one of the most demanding racetracks in the world, and you have to be brave to win here."
The course is a riders track where skill counts for more than horsepower. In the first GP in 1999, when none of the riders knew the track, the experienced Max Biaggi prevailed on a bike that had not done too well up to then. In the 2000 MotoGP, Gary McCoy scared everyone by going round sideways and pulled off a real outsider win! The talented Valentino Rossi won the 250cc class convincingly in 1999 and set up the quickest race lap on his first outing in the 500 class in 2000, before crashing out just before the half-way mark. Starting as the pre-event favourite in 2001, Rossi had to set new lap records in the closing stages of the race to keep out fellow Italian, Loris Capirossi, treating the 35,000 spectators to the best on-track action in the Phakisa Freeway's history.
Background to Phakisa Freeway
Phakisa Major Sport Events and Development Corporation is an initiative of the Free State government.
In September 1998 construction began on the corporation’s flagship, the Phakisa Freeway. Anglogold lent significant assistance by contributing vast amounts of fill material for the construction of this super raceway on the site of the old Goldfields race track at Welkom.
Phakisa means “Get Moving” in Sotho and that’s exactly what the developers did. Construction of two magnificent tracks, a Formula I flat circuit and an Super Speedway Oval, began in September 1998 and were built In a matter of only 8 months. In May 1999 an inaugural race was held at the new world-class facility and the track met all the expectations of its designers.
Work continued on the buildings, other race facilities as well as stands and embankments and just 5 months later, on 10 October, 1999, one of the world’s great motor sport spectacles, a Grand Prix of the World Motorcycle Championships took place at Phakisa. A first for the Free State – a first for South Africa!
Phakisa has since been the venue for numerous local and national racing events. It has been the site of two more World Grand Prix’s, in 2000 and 2001 and intends to host many more in years to come. The track has also drawn international motor vehicle manufacturers who have found Phakisa to be a top-flight testing track.
MotoGP, organisers of the World Grand Prix circuit, the riders, their retinues and sponsors have pronounced Phakisa, along with its staff and facilities, to be a superb venue and rate the track as one of the best in the world.
Track Statistics
Length : 4242m
Width : 12m
Longest straight : 413m
Shortest straight : 36m
Shortest radius corner : 40m
Elevation difference : 6,3m
Elevation above sea-level : 1350m
Geographical co-ordinates : 27054' south 26043' east
Track facts and figures
The Formula 1 track:
4.2 kilometres, with a maximum width of 12 metres, 5 left hand corners and 9 right hand corners. The longest straight (the back sraight ) is 412,185 metres.
The Super Speedway Oval:
1,5 miles (2.5 kilometres ) in circumference, the Phakisa Oval is one of only five such tracks in the world outside of the USA.
The “Up and Down” circuit:
There is also a 2.4 kilometre track comprising part of the flat track and part of the Super Speedway Oval. This circuit is similar to the one that is raced on by Formula I at Indianapolis – the mecca of USA motor racing.
The “Short” track;
There is also a 2,42 km short track, with a maximum width of 12 m and 3 right-hand corners.
Phakisa has a fully integrated CCTV system with 18 trackside cameras used to monitor every inch of the circuit and provides the most up-to-date technical installations for international television.
Visitor's facilities
The track has the capacity to cater for upwards of 60,000 spectators on its grand stands and embankments. There are 20 corporate suites with excellent views of the track.
200 plus journalists from all over the world converge on the state-of-the-art media centre to report on the races to fans around the globe.
Safe fenced parking areas for more than 15,000 cars is available adjacent to the track
Camping sites and barbecue areas are available during large events. There is plenty of accommodation in and around Welkom and the town, with a population of 50,000, has many good restaurants and other amenities for visitors.
More than a Racetrack
Phakisa can also provide excellent facilities for many other kinds of events happening in the Goldfields area including:
A soccer field with a 4 000 seat grand stand suitable not only for sport
but other outdoor events as well.
An air-conditioned conference venue, which can accommodate 50 to 200 guests.
An A-la-Carte Restaurant and Take-Away catering for visitors during events
and social functions.
There are 2100 sq metres under roof, which can accommodate a large variety
of sports, games and functions.
Economic Impact of Phakisa Freeway
The Phakisa Major Sports Event and Development Corporation was established to attract sports tourism to the Free State as a means of promoting economic development in the province and the Goldfields area in particular.
The Freeway cost R90 million of which R63 million accrued to Free State based companies. Many of these then employed extra work force to meet the time constraints of the project.
Amongst the sub-contractors were 15 companies with ownership from the previously disadvantaged community. Seven of these companies were based in the immediate vicinity and shared the R8 million that was paid for bricklaying, guard railing, dismantling, steel fixing and wall construction. Women owned two of these firms.
Today Phakisa creates opportunities for various companies to take on temporary employees around all the events hosted. Not only do these persons receive training, many of them have found permanent employment with these companies.
Phakisa attracts 5 000 foreign tourists to each Grand Prix. An independent survey has shown that these visitors alone (a large proportion of which stay an extra week in the province) bring an economic injection of R117 million into the Free State economy. After only three Motorcycle Grand Prix’s, this revenue has totaled about R350 million while R49 million has been paid to the South African treasury in the form of VAT.
In addition to the direct benefit of this cash in-put, the Free State and South Africa receive immensely valuable market exposure through the international television broadcasts of the Grand Prix events. These broadcasts reach more than 350 million people in 200 countries and have amounted to a total of 183 hours airtime per Grand Prix. The commercial value of such exposure is very difficult to quantify but even if it were calculated at only half the normal RSA advertising rate it would come to approximately R500 million over the 3 years the event has been held at Phakisa.
Not only do events promoted by Phakisa attract visitors – and, in turn, income to the Goldfields - on average, + 500 people who otherwise would not have come to this area visit the track on weekends for activities which are presented by other organisations using the facilities of Phakisa Freeway.
Exciting ventures are being planned for the Super Speedway Oval and soon Phakisa will create a whole new motor racing experience for South African fans, which will also attract a different group of international visitors to the area.
Phakisa is a major asset of the Goldfields – one, which will continue to add value and prestige to the Free State and the country.
Track rental application
TRACK RENTAL APPLICATION e-mail form.doc (click to open this document in Word)
Open practice days
Good enough for the pinnacle of world motorcycle racing... Phakisa Freeway. During open practice days, you can test your car or motorcycle at Phakisa Freeway for only R100/day.
Just come, pay R100 at the gate, get a receipt and sign the required indemnities. No marshals or ambulance present. Open wheelers and saloon cars are not allowed to practice at the same time, nor cars or bikes.