Thousands gather at sold-out Dezzi Raceway for Supertech Torque Festival

For motorsports fans and enthusiasts from KwaZulu-Natal, facilities for safe practice were never much developed as in other provinces like Gauteng and the Western Cape.

For most people, the idea of motorsport is standing along a roadside with a couple friends at night and watching cars zoom past until the police show up. 

But over the past few years, fans and racers have been frequenting a new home of motorsport - Dezzi Raceway in Port Shepstone, on the South Coast. 

There are numerous events held at Dezzi throughout the year, including drifting, circuit racing and drag racing events.

But the Supertech Torque festival that took place this past weekend saw the biggest ever crowd gather to witness the action. 

The German car brand does have a cult-like following here in South Africa, with plenty of M badges cruising around the highways of KZN. It’s no wonder why the event was so widely received by the public. 

From slay queens, rich socialites desperate to flaunt their wealth, die hard BMW fans and the everyday mom who just wanted her children to have a fun day out and watch some burnouts - Dezzi raceway was filled with a diverse crowd during the Easter weekend. 

More than 8,000 people entered the gates for the festival over the Saturday and Sunday for the third installment of the event. 

“The charismatic Vic Pardal amped up the energy as MC across both days, with Saturday drawing a crowd of over 5500 enthusiasts and Sunday welcoming an additional 2500 festival goers, a true testament to the festivals growing popularity.

“The Supertech Torque Motoring Festival is not just an event - it’s a movement. It captures the  essence of premium, performance car culture and unites passionate drivers and fans from across KZN and the country. 

“A big thank you goes out to all our brand partners, with a special thank you to Harry [Naidoo] and the team from Gas Magazine, long-time partners to the brand who share our belief that  collaboration and the passionate pursuit of excellence in automotive within KZN fuels greatness,” said Supertech Group Managing Director Ubaid Tayob. 

As part of the fun, guests got to go around the circuit inside either an M3 or M4, which was driven by Red Bull Car Park Drift Champion Jim McFarlane and Italian stunt driver Didi Bizzarro. 

Stacy-Lee May and Kayla, world renowned South African spinning sensations also put on a show for the fans in their BMW E30’s. 

Theatrics and stunts aside, a majority of the crowd at Dezzi this past weekend were not resident Port Shepstonites, but out-of-towners who drove about an hour and a half to get there. 

Harry Naidoo, founder of Gas Magazine - who helped put the event together, said the highlight of the event was watching the plethora of young car enthusiasts have an opportunity to watch their favourite M’s come alive.

“It was one of the biggest crowds over the last decade. Was good to see people come out especially because it was family oriented. Drifting, track rides, spinning. Contributes to economic growth, job creation and motorsport development as well.

“There were a lot of children out there watching the professionals. It was an opportunity for the children and professionals who are looking to expand theory horizons. 

“For KZN itself, it's important for us to have these sorts of premium events because we are a motorsport community who love cars. The young people who are interested in either racing or even sim racing get to have an opportunity they would not necessarily have and maybe they go on from there and change their lives,” Naidoo said.

One of the spectators, who is also a drag racer from Durban who frequents Dezzi Raceway, Aadil Badat, said the track was buzzing. 

“The vibe was on point. It's been a long time since I've seen Dezzi buzz like that and filled up to maximum capacity. It was good to see the place overloaded, in fact.

“Show itself was good to see people be interactive with the hot laps. The people got to experience the thrill. 

“I'd say it's a good sign because people got to experience things they never did,” Badat said.