Phakisa Freeway, Racing Circuit

Phakisa Freeway is a motorsport complex at Welkom in South Africa's Free State province, near Bloemfontein, its name meaning 'hurry up' in Sotho. It was built on the site of the former Goldfields Raceway, which had operated from 1970 and hosted the Springbok sports car series and South African touring car racing before closing in 1997. Construction of the new facility began in September 1998 and was completed remarkably quickly, with the first national event held by late April 1999. The complex pairs an infield Grand Prix road course with a D-shaped oval superspeedway modelled on Las Vegas Motor Speedway, featuring banked turns. The road circuit rose to prominence by hosting the South African motorcycle Grand Prix between 1999 and 2004, with Valentino Rossi taking a landmark first win for Yamaha in the final 2004 event. After MotoGP departed, the venue struggled to attract international racing amid difficult local economic conditions, and a mooted World Superbike return for 2014 never materialised. The largely flat layout has a reputation for a dusty, slippery surface that often produces unpredictable results. The oval proved largely a white elephant, used in anger only once for the 2010 Free State 500 stock car race, and the facility today is mainly used for testing and track days.

Operated by: Phakisa Major Sport Events and Development Corporation