Anton Wannenburg

How do you know Anton Wannenburg’s in the vicinity? You’ll hear him. Not him, personally. More the distinctive thrum of the flat-4 boxer engine of his beloved Subaru gymkhana racer, blipping through the gears.

Wannenburg’s not your average petrolhead. The brain behind the newly launched King Price xtreme Track Attack series, he started racing at the age of 11, inspired by a mother who competed in and organised motorsport events. He raced his first gymkhana competition at 14, and has dabbled in rallying and track racing in a lifelong love affair with cars.

It’s a love he wants to share with as many people as possible. And so, the idea for the King Price xtreme Track Attack series was born.

‘Racing’s an expensive business, there’s no 2 ways about that. I wanted to create a format where everyone has the same opportunity to win, no matter the equipment. You can bring mom’s taxi to the track, if you want to, because you’re basically racing against yourself. It’s not wheel-to-wheel racing,’ says Wannenburg.

The format’s a blend of gymkhana and rallying: 1 car at a time, a minute apart, across tracks that people have never driven before, with a few obstacles thrown in for good measure. You’re scored on your consistency across several timed runs. At the end of the season, the winner takes home R100,000.

Gymkhana runs deep in Wannenburg’s blood. He won the Suzuki Acceleration Series in 2008, and has featured strongly in numerous driver and navigating championships. The highlight of his career, though, was racing against his idol, multiple World Rally Champion, Petter Solberg, in the Gymkhana GRID World Finals in 2019.

Gymkhana’s the thinking man’s racing. Normal race drivers go fast in 1 direction. Gymkhana combines speed with driving skill by taking a typical 1-way track and throwing in obstacles like cones, barriers, puddles and sandy sections. The track’s twisted back on itself so drivers have to crisscross the course at some points, drift in the corners, and use an array of grip driving and hand-brake manoeuvres. You emerge grinning like a maniac.

‘I just want to race for fun and get maximum exposure. Winning is nice, but it’s not everything. Giving people something to remember is what I’m after now,’ says Wannenburg.

When he’s not behind the wheel, you’ll typically find him behind the lens, shooting everything from cars to wildlife. ‘I love photography, and I’m fortunate enough to live my passion. My hobby turned out to become my job: I make images and then I print them… Large!’ says Wannenburg.

For more info on the Track Attack series, click here.