With the clock ticking down to the close of entries for the African Endurance Killarney 9-hour on 12 December, there is already a most impressive list of cars and drivers headed to the Cape for the epic race, while organisers are expecting several further exciting teams to enter before the 12 November cut-off.

Originally slated for Kyalami, the 9-hour’s spiritual home currently in the process of a massive rebuild will not be ready in time, necessitating the title deciding African Endurance Series finale to be run at Killarney as an alternative, but that change has done nothing to quench the enthusiasm from across the country.

Among the confirmed top-class entries are African Endurance regulars Duncan and Graham Vos in the Ecurie Zoo Juno-Jaguar SSV6 alongside Andre Bezuidenhout and Peter Van der Spuy in a similar Weltevreden Estate Juno. Another favourite for victory has to be the most capable Campos family entry of dad Rui and sons Jason and Keegan in their newly V8 powered Hollard/Campos Transport Shelby Can Am.

Fantastic racing has meanwhile entered a most impressively crewed trio of Shelby Can Ams for newly-crowned SA Production Car champion Hennie Groenewald, Neil Lobb and endurance title contender Mark Lauth; Donovan Roscoe Ferdi Van Niekerk and Michael Jensen, and Darryn Lobb, Mike Verrier and Brian Algar.

Two other interesting Sportscar entries are Craig Harper sharing his eponymous Harper Type 5 with Dillon Jeary and Jon Williams and Jeff Gable, James Forbes  and David Jerm lined up to drive a Taylon Birkin Seven.

There are however a few notably absentees on the early entry list, least of all African Endurance frontrunners Harp Motorsport and their Junos, while a newly-imported Ligier LMP2 racer winning on its debut at Killarney’s Sports and GT races last weekend may well be a good 9-hour omen and the Scribantes are expected to bring one of their sports racers to Cape Town the 9-hour.

Talking big names, the GT entries look like the who’s who of SA motorsport with the legend himself, Sarel Van der Merwe, Greg Mills and Gunter Drotschie sharing another freshly imported car, the Africa Le Mans Ginetta G55. Among their principal rivals will be van der Merwe’s former Kreepy Krauly March-Porsche Daytona 24-hour winning teammate Tony Martin teamed up with Mike McLoughlin and JP Bredenhann aboard the works Backdraft BDR4000.

Other mouthwatering GT entries include Charl and Harry Arangies’ Stradale Motorsport Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, Dave Alhadeff and Chris Carolin in a Panoz Esperante Martin Wright, Colin Butcher and Paul de Klerk in a sister Backdraft BER4000.

They will face a horde of Porsches including Sun Moodley’s Big Foot GT3 Cup, Rajen Naidoo, Tania and Graham Du Toit’s Dream Advisory GT3 Cup, Stefan Puschavez and Peter Jenkins in a 911 RS and Mike Altona, Pieter Zeelie and Steve Pickering in a Classic Motorsport Porsche 910. There have been whispers of Ferrari and Viper entries too, but let’s wait and see what the final entry list reveals soon…

Of course a classic South African endurance race simply would not be a classic South African Endurance Race without production cars and there should be lots of variety there. Leading early tin-top entries include title contenders Theo Van Vuuren, Bradley Scorer and Martin Botha in the Alfa Romeo South Africa GT, endurance stalwarts Mike Schmidt and Bruce Avern-Taplin’s Frankies Toyota Corolla.

A fleet of VW Golfs including Dewald Brummer and Bevan Williams’ MAD Anglo Truck entry; Steve, Dillon and Matthew Miller’s Garagista Beer car and another Golf for Ronald Janse Van Rensburg and Deon Crous rounded off the list at the time of writing.

Starting at midday on 12 December and running into the dark to a 9pm finish, the African Endurance Killarney 9-hour promises to bring the South African motorsport season to a thrilling climax. Already boasting a star-studded entry the race will form part of a festival Killarney weekend – what better way to start your holiday…?