Phakisa Freeway - Odendaalsrus, Welkom, Free State

Phakisa Freeway, which is also known as Phakisa Raceway is an international standard, multi-purpose motorsport facility situated in Odendaalsrus near Welkom in the heart of the Goldfields region of the Free State province, 3 hours drive south of Johannesburg along the N1. The venue, which can accommodate over 60 000 spectators, has hosted the South African MotoGP several times. Previous winners include Max Biaggi, Gary McCoy and Valentino Rossi. The usual weekend round up includes fast cars, superbikes and glamorous pit girls at this 4,24km course, which has been operating since 1999. The Phakisa Raceway regularly hosts racing events such as the Wesbank Super Series, which features supercars, motorbikes, production cars and Formula Volkswagen racing. Phakisa, which means hurry up in the Sotho language, is also a popular hangout for those regular folk whose hearts pump racing fuel instead of blood. It's a place where the average man on the street can test his driving skills, cars or motorcycles on the track for a minimal fee.

The circuit is 1 350m above sea level and the altitude adds to the challenges faced by competitors. It boasts a 4.24km road course, a 1.5 mile banked oval track similar to the highly acclaimed Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Nevada, and a 2.4 kilometre short track which comprises of part of the flat track and part of the Super Speedway Oval. The Formula One 4.24 kilometre track has a maximum width of 12 metres, 5 left hand corners and 9 right hand corners. Its longest straight, the back straight, is just over 412 metres. The Super Speedway Oval is 2.5 kilometres in circumference and is one of only five such tracks in the world outside of the USA. The Short track is a 2.42 km track, with a maximum width of 12 m and 3 right-hand corners.

Contact details for Phakisa Freeway in Welkom, Free State:
Phone Number: +27 (0)57 391 8000
Email: phakisa@motorsport.co.za
Address: Phakisa Freeway, Jan Hofmeyr Road, Welkom, 9459, Free State, South Africa