Phakisa Freeway

Phakisa Freeway at a glance

Location

Welkom, Free State

Type

road course & oval

Length

4.242 km (2.636 mi)

Turns

14

Direction

clockwise

Banking

12° in the oval turns, 9° tri-oval, 3° backstretch

Surface

asphalt

Opened

1999

Owner

Motorsport South Africa / Matjhabeng Local Municipality

Capacity

60,000

Address

Between Welkom and Odendaalsrus

Phone

+27 57 391 8000

Track map and layout

Phakisa Freeway combines a 4.242 km, 14-turn road course with a separate 2.414 km, four-turn oval speedway, built in 1999 on the site of the earlier Goldfields Raceway near Welkom in the Free State goldfields. The oval carries 12-degree banking in the turns, 9 degrees on the tri-oval and 3 degrees on the backstretch, while the road course threads a mix of fast and technical corners typical of a MotoGP-era Grand Prix layout. A shorter 3.199 km, 10-turn configuration is also used for some club and national events.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Phakisa Freeway hosted the FIM Motorcycle World Championship's South African Grand Prix from 1999 to 2004 before losing the round amid the sport's post-2000s economic pullback from South Africa. A planned return to the World Superbike Championship calendar for 2014 was announced but never materialised. Since around 2014 the venue has been used almost exclusively for national club racing, testing and track days rather than international competition, and its event calendar in the mid-2020s has been sparse; prospective visitors should confirm current activity directly with the circuit before travelling.

Getting there and parking

Phakisa Freeway sits between Welkom and Odendaalsrus in the Free State goldfields region, roughly 2.5-3 hours' drive south of Johannesburg on the N1/R30. There is no commercial airport at Welkom with major scheduled service; most visitors fly into Bloemfontein or Johannesburg and drive the rest of the way. Public transport to the circuit itself is effectively non-existent.

• Bram Fischer International Airport (Bloemfontein) (BFN) · about 90 min drive
• OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) (JNB) · about 170 min drive

Parking

On-site parking is available when events are held; given the low event frequency, confirm access arrangements with the circuit before visiting.

There is no public transport to the circuit — a hire car is essential, and it is worth phoning ahead (+27 57 391 8000) to confirm whether any activity is scheduled before making the drive.

Hotels and camping near Phakisa Freeway

Welkom itself has a modest range of hotels and guesthouses, the closest option to the circuit. Bloemfontein, about 90 minutes away, offers a wider choice of accommodation for those combining a visit with other Free State travel. There is no trackside camping or RV culture associated with Phakisa given its reduced activity levels.

Where to look

Welkom (closest, limited choice) or Bloemfontein (about 90 minutes away, wider range of hotels).

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

With international racing gone since 2004 and the 2014 World Superbike return never happening, Phakisa's main modern use is national club racing, manufacturer/team testing and occasional public track days. There is no standing international track-day operator based at the venue; access is arranged through Motorsport South Africa or the circuit's own contacts.

Lap records

Spectator guide

General viewing areas around the road course and oval give reasonable sightlines for the national club events that make up most of Phakisa's current calendar, though facilities are more modest than at Kyalami or Killarney given the circuit's reduced activity since the 2010s.

Seating

General banking and viewing areas rather than large permanent grandstands.

Weather

• Oct-Mar: warm, dry Free State summer, highs around 28-31°C with afternoon thunderstorm risk
• Jun-Aug: cold, dry winter, days around 16-18°C, frosty nights

History of Phakisa Freeway

From Goldfields Raceway to a MotoGP venue

Motor racing in the Welkom area dates back to the Goldfields Raceway, which opened in 1970 to serve South Africa's Free State gold-mining region. In 1999 a new, purpose-built facility, Phakisa Freeway, opened on the same site, combining a 4.242 km road course with a banked 2.414 km oval speedway, positioning the venue for both circuit racing and oval events.

MotoGP's South African years

Phakisa's opening coincided with motorcycle Grand Prix racing's search for new venues, and the circuit hosted the FIM Motorcycle World Championship's South African Grand Prix every year from 1999 to 2004, briefly putting Welkom on the global MotoGP map. Max Biaggi set the circuit's premier-class lap record during this period. Rising costs and shifting calendar priorities saw the race dropped after 2004, and MotoGP has not returned to South Africa since.

Decline and a quiet present

A planned return to the World Superbike Championship calendar for 2014 was announced but ultimately fell through, and since around that time Phakisa has been used mainly for national club racing, testing and track days rather than international competition. Some events, including a NASCAR exhibition (the 2010 Free State 500) and various national championship rounds, have kept the venue active on a smaller scale. As of the mid-2020s its public event calendar remains sparse, and visitors are advised to confirm current activity directly with the circuit before travelling to this relatively remote Free State venue.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit · 252 km · road course
• Zwartkops Raceway · 271 km · road course
• Red Star Raceway · 287 km · road course
• Durban Street Circuit · 472 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• East London Grand Prix Circuit (Prince George Circuit) · 583 km · street circuit
• Breedon Everard Raceway · 887 km · road course