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Sparks and adrenaline fly in car spinning - 8th October 2021

The stench of burning rubber wafts over the asphalt track at this car spinning event outside Johannesburg, where hundreds have flocked to cheer drivers skidding in circles.

Three decades ago, township gangsters would show off their booty of stolen cars by spinning them. Now an official motorsport event organizer, Ayanda Mbele sheds light on its cultural significance.

Ayanda Mbele: "People would steal cars and go celebrate in the locations, so they would spin the cars. And then also during funerals as well they would spin cars, cuz it's, it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s the culture. It's what people love to see."

Spinning has been prohibited in cities, but events are held legally in bespoke areas where spectators are able to mill about and take in the atmosphere. Drivers perform daring feats like hanging precariously upside-down from open doors whilst spinning at full throttle or going completely hands-free.

Austin Kruger: "I like the adrenaline it gives me. I started on a quad bike first before I started spinning, so that’s how it happened. When I got into the spinning, I bought my first car. I started on the streets and that's how we, we built it, and now we’re doing it in an arena."

Driver Tracey-Lee May advocates women’s participation in the sport.

Tracey-Lee May: "You get stunts, you get doughnuts, you get. It's like a combination of all different motorsports tied into one and it's so much fun. And the reason why I’m spinning is to show females that you can do anything you set your mind to doing."