For four decades, Denis Joubert was directly involved with the creation, development and ongoing success of Cape Town’s international motor sport venue, Killarney. As his 90th birthday approaches, we talk to the man whose contribution to South Africa’s motor racing heritage is priceless…
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Ever since South Africa’s first ever motor race took place in Cape Town on 1 October 1900, the Mother City has been a major centre for motorsport. In the ensuing years, races took place in the Cape Town area at several different locations including Rietvlei, Noordhoek Pan, Pollsmoor, Paarden Eiland, Gunner’s Circle, Sacks Circle and Eerste Rivier, before Killarney began holding sprint races and speed trials. In 1960 it was established as a permanent racing circuit, and although the pre- and post-war headline Grands Prix – including Formula 1 – were held in other parts of the country, competitors still readily visited the Cape to participate in events that quickly grew in status to rival the very best the sport could offer. For the last 65 years, Killarney has been successfully run by a club, much of that time – almost four decades – headed by one man, Denis Joubert.
Named after a pub run by an Irish immigrant that was located on a section alongside the original Malmesbury Road, Killarney actually began in September 1951 as a venue for speed events. The Metropolitan Motor Cycle & Car Club (‘Mets’) and the Amateur Automobile Racing Club (AARC) were Killarney’s principal promoters. Killarney began as a 1.05 km short circuit before being extended to 1.8 km about a year later, then around 1954 to 2.689 km.
After Denis qualified as an architect in 1958, he began his racing career. He was a member of the Mets and when he was appointed secretary in 1959, he quickly bought into the club’s ambition of developing Killarney into a leading motor sport operation. Soon, he joined forces with road engineer Edgar Hoal to design a new 3.268 km layout for the venue that met the Formula 1 standards of the time. In 1960, Denis took a scale model of the concept to the Cape Divisional Council, which passed the proposal. Club president Stanley Damp negotiated a lease and a £20 000 (R40 000) loan was granted to allow development to proceed.
The first event on the new layout, construction of which began on August 5 and took just four months to complete, was organised by the Mets and held on 26 November 1960, with races now run clockwise rather than anti-clockwise. The circuit boasted a four-storey control tower designed by Denis and built with a R10 000 sponsorship by Caltex, a row of pits, and a requisite Dunlop bridge. The next race was held on 17 December 1960 with the 2nd International Cape Grand Prix, which was promoted by a consortium of local clubs led by Tex Kingon Grand Prix Racing Ltd. It was won by Brit Stirling Moss from Swede Joachim Bonnier, both in Porsches, and German Baron Wolfgang ‘Taffy’ Von Trips’ Lotus-Climax, thereby rightfully earning the circuit valid international recognition from the start. But it was a financial disaster, and the club was unable to meet its loan repayments. The Divisional Council threatened to cancel the lease and loan agreement, and repossess the circuit. Something had to be done to prevent Killarney from ‘going under’…
To answer the need, a week-long Grand Cavalcade of Motoring took place from 12 August 1961 at Cape Town’s Drill Hall to raise funds for the continued development of the track and spectator amenities. It was the first such gathering to be held in the city since 1936 and would be a precursor to another show that was destined to be a critical fixture in Killarney’s history.
A committee was formed with Denis as secretary and another Killarney ‘kindred spirit’, Mets chairman Adrian Pheiffer, and a grand-scale motor show was organised for 4-12 September 1964 at the Goodwood Showgrounds. The aim was to raise much-needed funds to complete the partially-built clubhouse, build a spectator grandstand, and generally improve the circuit.
The idea proved to be a hit. Exhibitor space was sold out two weeks before opening. The displays covered most aspects of motoring and motor racing. Crowds flocked to the event and more-than-hoped-for funds were raised to meet the organiser’s aims. A profit of £30 000 was raised, some of which was given to a few local charities. The loan to the Divisional council was paid off but, rather than hand back the circuit, the council only offered new lease terms. It was a blow, but at least Killarney’s future was secured.
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Following on this success, the Mets, the AARC and three other local clubs amalgamated in 1965 to form the Western Province Motor Club (WPMC), with Denis appointed as secretary, then in 1970, chairman. The WPMC proved to be a solid base and under Denis’ control, the club’s finances – which have never received outside support – were never again been in arrears. And as further proof of Denis’ commitment, for many years, the club’s ‘office’ was contained within Denis’ business premises, both in Cape Town and at Killarney.
Further shows were to follow and as more funds became available so the circuit and its amenities steadily grew, but during the 1980s it was clear that survival required more than income from race meetings and club membership subscriptions. So Denis and a few members of the club pooled some funds into the club and designed and developed garages and workshops on the site that were hired out to drivers, race teams and small businesses. These facilities were quickly snapped up, and the concept grew bigger to the point that, today, Killarney is practically a self-contained ‘motor city’.
But Denis, never short on innovative ideas, then came up with the idea of building a second pits complex on the main straight, directly opposite the original. There were sceptics to this proposal – “no other circuit in the world has pits on both sides of the track!” – but construction went ahead, albeit not simply as a row of pits. The building could also be used for exhibitions, and the roof of the building was a spectator viewing deck, along with a Trackside Pub and Grill, small restaurant and takeaway.
Apart from running a thriving circuit, Denis was a successful racer himself, racing Formula Fords, saloons and sports cars, particularly at the wheel of GSM Darts and Chevrons, and was particularly triumphant in endurance events. In 1966 Denis struck up a friendship with one of the world’s leading motorsport racers and ambassador, David Piper. It was in that year that Denis encouraged Piper to bring his enduro racing road show to Cape Town to take part in the Cape 3-Hour at Killarney. This race effectively began the Springbok Series that was contested for many years by the top overseas and local drivers at Killarney, Kyalami, East London, Roy Hesketh, Welkom, Bulawayo and Lourenço Marques. Denis and David are friends to this day, and the latter still visits Killarney for the end-of-year endurance races.
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Among his numerous achievements, Denis was a leading light in establishing Formula Ford racing in the Cape. But perhaps his greatest racing achievement was being the driving force behind establishing local Group N racing. This series for standard production cars began with the Cape 3-Hour in 1984 – won by Sarel van der Merwe and Jochen Mass in a VW Golf Mk.1 – and became a national championship category in 1986. It lasted for 11 years and is one of the most popular racing categories ever created. In December 1999, Denis was involved with arranging what was to be Killarney’s most successful event ever when the International Continental Supertruck circus came to town; thrilling and a packed crowd of spectators.
The World Rallycross Championship (WRX) saw the potential for Cape Town joining the race calendar and the first event took place in 2017 at the newly titled Killarney International Raceway. It was a sell-out in front of a capacity crowd with TV coverage broadcast around the world. The action was spectacular, and competitors loved the venue but, sadly, the global Covid epidemic played havoc with world motorsport and the planned series of events was cut short.
Killarney stands proud as the only motorsport circuit in South Africa controlled by a club. Apart from circuit racing, it is the home of the Cape Helldrivers, and has permanent facilities for spinning, karting and a skid pan along with an adventure motorcycle and 4×4 area. It provides valuable work for people living in the area, holds weekly controlled opportunities for street drag racing, and is used for numerous cycling and duathlon events – truly a multi-functional venue. In June 2023 the Cape Town Heritage Foundation presented Killarney with a Blue Plaque in recognition of its historically significant status.
Denis, whose very unassuming demeanour belies a sincere and dedicated approach to motor racing, celebrated his 90th birthday in June. He retired as WPMC Chairman in 2006 after 36 years in charge. During this time he was a competitions board member of the RAC, AA, and MSA, where he became president of the national racing committee. In 2003 Denis received a Lifetime Motorsport Achievers Award by MSA, and he is the Honorary President of the WPMC, which currently has over 1 100 members.
Looking back, Denis would like to express his heartfelt thanks to the many, many people who backed and supported him and his ideas over the last 60 years. The Killarney International Raceway, the WPMC and SA motor sport in general owe Denis Joubert a deep debt of gratitude.
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