Southern African Endurance Series launches online ticketing and E-Race Programme
South Africa’s first Black motorsport promoter has raised the bar with another first for the sport; Southern African Endurance Series (SAES) has become the first promoter to launch their own in-house developed, online ticket booking system, which is live from 14th April.
As the promoters and organizers of the SA GT National Championship and Southern African Endurance Championship, SAES is utilizing technology to enhance motorsport fans’ experience at their events while taking further steps towards a paperless organization.
Spectators can seamlessly book their tickets on the secure Payfast platform on the SAES website and receive their e-tickets immediately via email. Tickets include a QR code which is scanned from a cell phone or tablet in a dedicated ticket-holder only entrance at the circuit, beating the queue at the gate.
Motorsport fans have enhanced personal security by carrying less cash, which also benefits everyone at the venue.
Round three and four of the SA GT National Championship, and round two of the SA Endurance Championship takes place in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) on 13th and 14th May, where five lucky ticketholders will win a GT passenger car ride around the Aldo Scribante Racetrack at lunch time.
Another SAES innovation is a magazine-style electronic race programme which will be launched at Aldo Scribante. Instead of just a bland list of competitors entered for the races, the E-Programme will feature background articles of interest on teams, photography tips for spectators penned by SAES’ award-winning photographers, a pictorial postcard look back at the opening round held at Red Star Raceway and a number of other features still under development, all lavishly illustrated with eye-catching imagery.
The E-Programme will be available for download from the SAES website, allowing motorsport fans across the country to download and collect all the editions of the magazine, even if they cannot attend the event in person.
SAES CEO Wayne Riddell said:
“Our shareholders are constantly inspiring us to create new innovations and enhance fan engagement. Our in-house team embraces each challenge with enthusiasm and energy and delivers our mandate in record time. Our paperless initiative not only lends itself to a Covid friendly environment, it also leverages the power of mobile technology for our spectators who are also able to follow the race on the live stream, making it easier to follow how the race unfolds as pit stops come into play.
Although other race promoters utilize third-party online systems, ours is unique in that it has been purposely created for the motorsport space. This puts SAES out in the lead when it comes to race day experiences for our valued spectators. As the new promoters of the Southern African Endurance Series, we are constantly seeking new opportunities to introduce greater fan engagement at each round,”
Riddell concluded.
