Lume Agency and Race Car Events recently invited me to a turbo-charged, fuel-injection, high-octane morning that I’ll never forget. Wait, let me check if there’s any other petrolhead jargon I can throw in here. Nope, all good for now 🤭🏎️

Race Day Events gives you the rare chance to take the driver’s seat in some of the world’s most prestigious supercars for an unforgettable experience. With guidance from professional instructors, every drive is designed to be safe, smooth, and adrenaline-filled, letting you immerse yourself in the unmatched power and performance of these remarkable vehicles.
Driving packages include:
Ferrari 360 Spider
Lamborghini Gallardo
Audi R8 V10
Porsche 911 Turbo
You can also book an adrenaline-fuelled passenger ride in the ultra-lightweight Ariel Atom with a professional driver at the wheel.

When I received the invite, I didn’t know what to choose. So, of course, the first thing I did was forward the email to Grant, who, I may have mentioned before, is a former race driver who received his Protea colours in 2000 and even tested for the late Eddie Jordan’s Formula One team. He told me that hands down, I have to go for the Atom. Have you ever driven it? I asked him. Yes, he said. He was once given the chance to take it around Kyalami, giving it full beans, and set a time of 1:54.000 (give or take). For context, the F1 Kyalami track record (and I think the track layout has changed since) was set by Nigel Mansell in 1992 in a Williams FW14B at 1:17.578.

So on a cold and misty Saturday morning, I gathered with several excited influencers at Race Day Events in Modderfontein. I don’t think any of us knew what to expect, but I was hoping for a lot of fun and definitely some adrenaline. And the day did not disappoint.

Checking things out

First, a couple of us were bundled into a BMW M Series, taken on a reconnaissance lap, and even this car didn’t snooze on power. We were shown areas to be cautious of when driving, and where we could really put the pedal to the metal. Immediately, getting back from that lap, I felt pretty hot. I was layering. It was August in Jo’burg; you don’t know what to expect. I resisted my initial impulse to take off my jacket and jumper because the Atom is an open car, and I didn’t want the experience to be even slightly impeded by being cold. During the reconnaissance lap, we were alerted to a sewage pipe leak from one of the business parks, which was flowing freely across the road.

Skittish and superb

Kenny took me out on a lap of a lifetime. For about 15 minutes, I was grinning wider than my facial muscles can accommodate. It’s a vehicle that attracts a lot of attention because of its unusual looks, and also, it’s a very unique sound once the turbo kicks in. Created for enthusiasts who admire the beauty of precision engineering, the Ariel Atom brings you up close with exceptional automotive design. Featuring a stripped-back style and an open cockpit, it delivers an unmatched connection to the road, offering raw driving excitement when placed in the hands of a skilled professional.
Fitted with semi-slick racing tyres on a cold morning, the Atom wanted to go, go, go, go, but Kenny masterfully contained it as much as it can be contained. When we approached the river of 💩, Kenny took it really slowly. However, we still got showered. Kenny was devastated, as was Jarred, the owner of Race Day Events. I could not stop laughing, and told them to stop apologising, because despite the unfortunate end of the ride, it was incredible and an absolute joy. I would’ve happily done another trip through that for the experience of the power propelling the car the rest of the drive. Fortunately, I could strip off the offending outer layers while I waited for an opportunity to drive the Porsche 911 Turbo.

It’s a classic for a reason

Now, I wasn’t sure what my second option would have been if the Atom wasn’t available, I did think the Lamborghini because it looked fantastic, orange and exotic. But when the opportunity came up to drive the Porsche, of course, I was not gonna pass that by. Unlike the other models, the Porsche is a manual, and being a manual girly every day, I was quite excited about this. Still, I had some reservations. My driving instructor, Shaun, asked if I was going to give it a go. I said, we’ll see when we get to the changeover point, and when we got there, I was ready. Oh my goodness, I would do that several times again. The Porsche is an understated turbo supercar. Unlike the other flashy ones, this classic is just a gorgeous city car. You don’t have to drive it at 120 kilometres an hour to make the most of it. I mean, it’s fun to drive it at mumbles kilometres an hour, but it’s a beautiful car you can drive every day, anywhere.

Every day is a reason to go driving with Race Day Events

If you want to know what you can get me for my birthday, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Women’s Day, and any other day for the rest of my life, it’s a Race Day Events experience. Because I’ll never get tired of that. I would even go as far as to say that I would drive there every weekend and sit there on a Saturday morning absorbing the brake dust and petrol fumes through my pores, just to hear those incredible cars and experience the joy they bring vicariously.

So, if you ever go, drag me along for the thrill, okay?