Kyalami 9H Qualifying Canceled Due to Torrential Rain

The three-part qualifying session for the Joburg Kyalami 9 Hour has been canceled due to torrential rain from a thunderstorm over the South African circuit.

The first of three planned 15-minute qualifying sessions went ahead for only three minutes before race director Joel Do Vale called a halt to proceedings.

Cars were seen tip-toeing around the 2.8-mile lap through areas of standing water, while thunder and lightning could be heard and seen in the skies.

During the limited running, AF Corse Ferrari driver Come Ledogar had a spin going through the Jukskei Sweep but kept out of the barriers.

The session, which started 15 minutes later than planned, was red-flagged at 3:48 p.m. prompting all drivers to return to their pit garages, while the official cancelation message came through at 3:56 p.m.

An update on the status of the 25-minute Superpole session, which is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m., will be made at 5 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET).

The three-part qualifying session was set to determine the eight Superpole runners, however the eight Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli entries present were effectively guaranteed participation in the pole-deciding session.

Regulations for the event state that after the cancelation of qualifying, the results from Pre-Qualifying practice will determine the order in which drivers tackle Superpole, with the fastest starting last.

Speaking to SRO pit lane reporter Amanda Busick, Audi Sport Team Sainteloc driver Patric Niederhauser said of his qualifying run: “It was just about surviving. On modern GT3 cars the tires are so big and wide, so aquaplaning is a real issue.”