Race fans will have the opportunity to race a kart on raceday. This is to be made possible by the Kyalami Kart Circuit with rides being sold to adults at R100 for eight laps and kids R50 for four laps. They will also qualify for four and two laps respectively (at no charge) when they return to race at the circuit again.

Along with the excitement of the Vodacom Power Tours ?motortainment? concept where a good deal of glamour is thrown into the race-day mix, to include track parades, stunning brolly babes, kids? entertainment and the sale of race paraphernalia, some of the Vodacom Power Tour fundamental ingredients have changed.

These changes come in the form of changes to the formula in terms of the technical regulations as well as a greater than usual change in drivers and riders jumping from team to team and even from formula to formula.

In the premier tin-top formula in South Africa, the WesBank V8 Championship, the man to beat will still be twice consecutive champion Johan Fourie, this year piloting his MD Transport Opel Omega in the fuel injected 550 Horsepower GT Class. But Fourie will have fierce competition from the likes of archrival Grant van Schalkwyk in the all-new Hi-Q sponsored Ford Mustang. Returning to the fray will be former Engen VW Cup driver Hennie Groenewald, in the Caltex Havoline livered Jaguar XKR and hot on their heels will be former V8 Champion and International Sports Car Driver Gary Formato in a Sasol sponsored Ford Mustang. Veteran Larry Wilford, youngsters Mackie Adlem and Melvill Priest and newcomer Frans Bakker also in a new Sasol backed Mustang, will also compete in the GT Class.

The GTC Class, utilizing carbureted engines, are a number of old V8 contenders who have masses of top-level racing experience, including former champion Roelf Du Plessis in a Devco Africa Gardener Ross sponsored Corvette, Martin Van Zummerin (Border Towing Camaro), Ian Young (Independent Projects Astra) and Jaco Correira (Omega Spares Chev Corvette) as well as Franco Di Matteo (PF Hydraulic Jaguar). With around twenty one cars expected to line up on the grid on Saturday, AA Kyalami is expected to once again rumble to the WesBank V8 thunder.

The Leopard Rock.com Superbike Championship is sure to be another hot favourite this year, with the competition levels never being higher as many riders will be eager to prove their worth on 1000cc machines.

Leading the way will be 14 times South African Champion Russell Wood and team-mate Greg Dreyer on their Autopage Cellular Yamaha R1?s. But they certainly won?t have it all their own way. Switching to Ducati on the all-new 999S will be former Suzuki rider Stewart Macleod and joining him will be former World Superbike rider Lance Issacs and third rider Robert Portman.

Returning to the Leopard Rock.com Superbike madness will be Honda with their one-litre Fireblade steeds. The First Technology clad team, will enter Zimbabwean Shaun Whyte, Port Elizabeth based Arushen Moodley and the diminutive seventeen-year-old 2003 Privateer Champion Sheridan Morias.

Suzuki will enter their GSX R1000 bikes, backed by Cell C. The team will be led by veteran Trevor Crookes and the exceptionally talented youngster Hudson Kennaugh. Flying the Kreepy Krauly flag will be Gavin Ramsay and Greame van Breda on further Yamaha R1 entries. What is quite amazing is that each one of the riders mentioned above can and probably will win a race this season.

As if that was not enough, Aprilia will also make their track debut in the Leopard Rock.com Superbike Championship. The two Aprilia Arleness Mille Superbikes will be in the capable hands of Clinton Pienaar and Garth Norris.

The Auto Trader Production Car Championship will also be a crowd favourite this season. That is because the category has been restructured into only three classes, with all three showcasing some of the most exciting news cars and top level drivers in South African motor racing.

Class A has no less than thirteen competitors lined-up including seven BMW 330i?s, piloted by the likes of current Class A champion, Ettienne van der Linde and team-mate Anthony Taylo. Kaye-Eddie Estates will field another two cars this year in the hands of Reghard Roets and Briton Stephen Morris who will compete in South Africa again this year.

The Alfa Romeo Squadra Corse team will enter no less than three cars this year, in the form of the 156GTA in the hands of Marco da Cunha and the awesome looking 147GTA?s with Martin Steyn and reigning Formula Ford Champion Morne Jurgens. The spectacular racing this Class puts on will be rounded out by circuit stalwart Steve Wyndham in his Ford Falcon XR8 and Karting Champion Leeroy Poulter in a Mercedes Benz C320.

The 145kW Class B competitors will be in for probably the most bumper-bashing and paint swapping as former Class A and overall Production Car Champion Shaun van der Linde and Craig Nicholson get to grips with their MINI Cooper S?s, one of the most spectacular entries in this class for 2004.

Wanting to be ahead of the Cooper?s will be Clint Weston who has received a 2.0 litre Furman Glass backed Ford Focus ST170 from the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, and former BMW pilot Mark Allison and fearsome lawyer Hector North with both behind the wheel of a Mercedes Benz C270 Cdi.. Two Toyota RunX?s will also compete in this class in the hands of the Caltex Havoline backed, Brian Martin and Phillip ?Tornado? Kekana in Sasol livery.

Class C will see a gaggle of 1600cc cars doing battle at the back of the field. Toyota Tazzes, Ford Ikons and Fiestas, VW Citi Golfs, Daihatsu, Fiat Sienas, Opel Corsas and even a turbodiesel VW Polo will take part and will be driven by the likes of Fanie de Bruin, Cor Kraamwinkel, Mike O?Sullivan, Angus Thompson and Brad Anassis.

The Honda Cup contenders, all six of them, will be running as a class within a class, in the final year that these cars car run in the championship. While they cannot score championship points, there will still be an all-out battle for honours within their challenge.

Sporting an up rated performance of around 30-50 horsepower and two-piece body work, the VSP Sports Cars, will again lead open top sports car racing in the Vodacom Power Tour. Reigning champion Niel Lobb may find out that being champion is more difficult that becoming champion as he tries to fend off challenges from Francois Gerber, Alan Eve and Dave Beattie. Don?t be surprised if newcomer Garth Waberski puts in his claim in crossing the finish line first. The youngster arrives from various seasons in Formula GTi and Formula Ford, both here and internationally, which puts him in an enviable position.

The 3.5 litre Nissan engined sports cars will also power former VSP winner Clive Kennerley, Donovan Roscoe, Richard Wood, Colin Frost, Richard Benningfield, Daan Nortje, Harry Roscoe, Gary Green and Trevor Frost around the circuits of South Africa, with father and son team Frans and Ruan Pretorius also entering the fray.

The Formula Ford Association will introduce two foreign drivers to the South African arm of this international racing proving ground. With champion Morne Jurgens moving up to a bigger formula, the title will be up for grabs from the first second of racing. Ian Parsons and Craig Allen driving Van Diemen?s and both from the UK will compete in the full season of the Vodacom Power Tour. Don?t be surprised if one of these Britons claim the title as they come to our shores with bags of talent and a hunger to win races. But they will be mixing it with some seriously experienced South African youngsters in the form of Armani Jamronzinski, recently crowned World Max Challenge Karting Champion, Christiano Morgado, reigning Formula Vee Champion David Veringa (SABAT Mygale), Martin Robinson (Mygale) and Paulo da Cunha (Van Diemen) who could also spring a surprise this year.

In the Engen VW Cup challenge, the action will again be bumper to bumper all season long. Reigning champion Tschops Sipuka will be in an all out effort to make it as difficult as possible for the likes of team-mate and Karting champion Micheal Stephen and Kaye-Eddie Estates driver Greame Nathan. Don?t discount veteran racers Iain Pepper, Derek Irving and Robert Briggs, all who have tons of experience in this one make formula. A dark horse in the series this year could be Scott Bricknell in his Nationwide sponsored Polo.

In all, the stage is set for a season opener that has not been seen in many years. Race fans are in for a real treat on the 28th February at AA Kyalami. Racing begins at 10.30am and tickets will be sold at the gate for R40 with children under 12 free.