Most people think of Ladysmith as three-quarters of the way to their annual beach holiday at the foot of the Drakensburg van Reenen’s pass.

But did you know that the buzzing little metropolis is the home to industries including Dunlop, which celebrated fifty years of making tyres in the KwaZulu Natal town over the weekend?

To celebrate that golden anniversary, Dunlop put on a 50th anniversary motorsport extravaganza that the town will not forget on Saturday 30 September. NKR residents were treated to thrilling action. Dunlop and its Sumitomo co-brand Falken Tyres showed off just how much torture their products can take with… um …gripping stunt sequences and tyre burning displays as smoky and powerful as the approaching cold front!

Among the men and women to display their driving skill on Dunlop’s premium tyre ranges, Stacey May Lamese and Austin Kruger’s spinning Dolphin Beemers, potent gyrating drift Chevys and Nissans, stunt drivers on two wheels and daredevil motorcycle stuntmen kept the crowd rapt. Winners of prize rides from competitions in the build-up to the big day, and special ticket holders were treated to the rides of their lives as Sumitomo employees celebrated and thanked the community of Ladysmith for its continuous support over the past five decades.

“We are so proud to celebrate 50 years of manufacturing excellence this year,” Sumitomo Rubber South Africa CEO Lubin Ozoux confirmed. “This would never have been possible without the ongoing support from our friends and family here in Ladysmith. This is why we chose not to just celebrate internally with our people, but to also extend the festivities to our neighbours to say thank you.

“Our birthday motorsport extravaganza celebrated the best in motorsport, excited the audience, and showcased the quality tyres we produce inside the factory. We were delighted to thrill the community of Ladysmith with something quite different on Saturday 30 September that it was as fun and entertaining for them, as it was for us. Thank you, Ladysmith!”