Pietermaritzburg
Circuit info:
- Circuit length:
- 1.803 miles/3.340 km
- Circuit type:
- Permanent road course
Circuit history:
A former mainstay of the South African racing scene, the Roy Hesketh Circuit at Pietermaritzburg opened in 1953 and was operational until 1981. The circuit was named after a successful local motorcycle racer of the 1930's. Hesketh won the Durban - Johannesburg intercity race in 1935 and was second in 1936. He turned his hand to cars, competing in MGs in the South African races in the late 30s. He was killed during WW2 in an aircraft accident while acting as a flying instructor.
Pietermaritzburg holds a small slice of history: the circuit was the host of the first-ever three-litre F1 race in 1961, when Bruce Johnstone triumphed in a Cooper-Alfa Romeo in the Pat Fairfield Trophy.
