Rider sweepers

It was with anticipation that every South African motor racing enthusiasts watched the first ever South Africa A1 Grand Prix race which took place between 27 - 29 January 2006 in Durban, Kwazulu Natal South Africa.

Little does any motor racing enthusiast realize the logistics involved behind an event like this. The A1 GP, being a worldwide event, issued a safety and security standards manual with strict rules and regulations, which have to be adhered to. These rules and regulations apply to the electricians, medical evacuation team and even the stand-by plumber - all having to be available on-site within 5 minutes of notice.

All A1 Grand Prix events are held in cities such as Monaco, California and Durban just to name a few. A clean racetrack is one of the factors included in the manual. Just imagine the disaster that will take place should any of the A1 racecars obtain a puncture at a speed of 300 km per hour.

Tennant South Africa cleaning equipment was approached by the A1 GP organizers to sweep the racetrack prior to the training, qualifying and final events. As usual, the Tennant SA team was at their post at 5 AM in the mornings, sweeping the 3.2 km (2 miles) track.

Two Tennant SA 800D rider sweepers were used to clean the racetrack. I must say that it does look quite funny watching these units sweeping away after witnessing the A1 cars speeding down the track the previous day. The Tennant Model 800D large rider sweeper is designed for maximum performance even in extreme conditions such as the rain encountered on 27 January 2006.