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The testosterone flavor of aftershave and burnt tires floats on an asphalt track outside of Johannesburg, where hundreds of people gather to watch cars spin in circles at breakneck speed, stuntmen hanging dangerously from the windows.
Plumes of white smoke rise in the air as drivers take turns circling.
The more daring let go of the steering wheel or hang upside down from the open doors as the vehicle continues to drive.
Now recognized as a motorsport, “spinning” originated in South African townships in the late 1980s, when gangsters spun stolen cars to show off their loot.
‘Spinning’ originated in South African townships during the apartheid era, often as a ritual to honor fallen gangsters. By Michèle Spatari (AFP) “They would also shoot at the funerals of their fallen heroes,” said Stacey-Lee May, one of South Africa’s few spinners.
25 years old, May turned professional and competed in England, New York and Pakistan.
In the industrial town of Alberton, southeast of Johannesburg, 34-year-old spinner Ibrahim Toffie carefully checked his tires before hitting the track.
The “Spinners” spend hours in the garages embellishing their cars. Most of them are old BMW carcasses with pimped engines, suspensions and exhausts.
“Why am I doing this? For the nervousness you feel every time. We’re all after this adrenaline rush,” Toffie told AFP.
‘No weapons’
Although spinning has been banned on the streets, events still legally take place in closed urban arenas. There are often no prices, but the drivers take turns to be applauded.
Tickets for the Alberton event sold for 50 rand ($ 3.4) each. “No weapons” are allowed, the poster noted.
Enthusiastic fans gathered around the tarmac, drinking beer and smoking weed as kwaito – a South African style of music similar to hip-hop – blasted through loudspeakers.
“Spinning is a means of free expression,” said one viewer who declined to be named.
Stacey-Lee May, who has gained international fame for her stunts, poses on her car. By Michèle Spatari (AFP) “In our communities, there is so much violence, so much drugs and crime … What could words do?” he asked, wrapping cannabis in a hookah.
Suddenly, sparks shooting from the rims of a passing car caught up on an oil leak and ignited.
Spectators rush to the smoking vehicle and sprinkle bottled water on it.
Most are recovered except for the boot, which comes out blackened and charred.
The unwavering driver takes a quick glance under the hood and takes the wheel again.
Risky business: the spinner’s car ‘Katra’ catches fire during a spinning event in Alberton. By Michèle Spatari (AFP) “It’s part of the game,” shrugs Issac Molefe, a 50-year-old regular.
Rooted in black communities, spinning has attracted a more diverse set of participants in recent years.
“I’m here to show what a white man can do,” said Paul Breckle, 23, the only white driver to perform that night with his hands on the wheel of a black BMW.
The organizer of the Spin parties, Ayanda Mbele, noted that the demographics had widened.
“Everyone comes here now,” she told AFP, delighted to finally resume tournaments after a break of more than two years linked to the coronavirus.
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