Pretoria – This Sunday the 22nd of June saw 12 karts racing for a good cause at the Zwartkops International kart circuit. Twelve corporate teams came together to help raise funds for the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre. Teams from Tata Africa Holdings SA, Tata Automotives Corporation SA, Tata Accordian Investments SA (Pty) Ltd, Jaguar Land Rover, RAM Automotive, Liqui-Moly, two from Bridgestone SA and three teams from naming rights partner for the event – Kiehl’s SA. The Kiehl’s Charity Cheetah Karting Day was the most successful event held as yet: over R45,000.00 was raised for the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre!
The three Kiehl’s SA teams included a number of well-known personalities: singers Andre Venter and Kurt Darren, Masterchef finalist Leandri van der Wat, footballer Matthew Booth, Metro FM’s Angie Khumalo, Top Billing’s Simba Mhere, Business Day Motoring editor Mark Smyth, and Destiny Man editor Kojo Baffoe, amongst others. Kiehl’s brand ambassadors Clare Vale and Nokuthula Radebe joined the teams as well. Clare Vale Racing has been hosting this event for 7 years, and it has grown each year.
PlayStation SA provided PS4 consoles to entertain the spectators and prizes were donated by Kiehl’s SA, Liqui-Moly SA, Bridgestone SA, RAM Automotive, Daniella’s Deliciously Decadent, political cartoonist Jerm and SAF-FA energy drink, to be presented along with the trophies – adding to the prestige of winning and reaching podium positions in the race itself! Thank you as well to Sequill Media who donated their expertise and designed all the graphics work done for the event and Sigg Digital who donated their photography services.
The race was a 2 hour endurance race run from 10h00 to 12h00, with a pit stop every 15 minutes for a driver change. The racing was close throughout, and in the end new champions were crowned. RAM Automotive, runners up on numerous occasions, came out just ahead of the two teams from the Tata Africa Holdings SA. The team that came second was headed up by Tata Africa Holdings Executive Director for Auto and Allied, Xavier Gobille. The prize for the Best Team Spirit was won by Kiehl’s Apothecary team, the Most Spectacular Drive award was won by Kojo Baffoe, who took his kart off road through the hair pin, and the Fastest Lap prize was awarded to Dirk Vale from Vale Media & Marketing.
Yeats, one of the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre’s Ambassador Cheetahs and Clare Vale’s adopted Cheetah, came through to personally thank the competitors after the prize giving and to help promote the excellent work done for over fifty years at the Centre.
Clare Vale on the event: ”This is the racing team’s favourite event on the annual calendar, as it gives us a way to share the fun of motorsport while aiding a very good cause! It’s become an institution at the Zwartkops kart track, well supported by many teams who enter year after year, and is regularly over-subscribed. The top teams have become highly competitive, motivated by the desire to take home the bronze floating trophy, yet the novice drivers are always welcomed and there are very few on track incidents. The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre works incredibly hard to protect our endangered species and we are very grateful to the teams that support us at each event.”
Azhar Moosa – Head of Kiehl’s South Africa on the day. “We loved the opportunity to be part of a really meaningful experience by working with the Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Foundation, so we jumped at the opportunity to work with the amazing Clare Vale & being part of the 7th annual Charity Karting Day, now sponsored by Kiehl’s. It’s in our DNA to always look to make a difference, no matter how small it may seem. We look forward to future collaborations.”
For more information on the event please contact Dirk Vale on dirk@clarevale.com or 079-217-4072 and for more information please mail Rita Groenewald on education@dewildt.co.za.