South African motorsport is mourning the death of 62-year-old racing driver Marcel Angel following a serious crash at Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town.
Angel died on Saturday, 19 September, while competing in Race One of the Extreme SuperCars category at the National Extreme Festival. Motorsport South Africa confirmed his death, saying he had succumbed to his injuries following the incident.
Reports indicate that Angel’s Ferrari crashed at the end of the circuit’s back straight and went through a wall near the entrance to a landfill site. The impact reportedly caused the vehicle to catch fire. Medical personnel and race officials responded to the scene, but Angel could not be saved.
Two workers at the landfill site were also injured in the incident and were taken to a medical facility for treatment. Table View police are investigating a case of culpable homicide as authorities work to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The remainder of the National Extreme Festival programme was cancelled following the incident. The event was the sixth round of the 2026 championship and had been scheduled to feature a full programme of racing at Killarney.
Extreme Festival organisers described Angel as a valued member of the motorsport community and said his loss would be deeply felt by those who knew and raced alongside him. Motorsport South Africa also extended its condolences to his family, friends and fellow competitors.
His death comes just weeks after he claimed an overall victory at Killarney. On 22 August, Angel drove his number 51 Autohaus Angel Ferrari 488 GT3 to victory in the Sport and GT category, finishing ahead of Wayne Hoffman and Divan Wentzel.
The Extreme Festival organisers have asked that Angel’s family be given privacy as the motorsport community remembers a driver whose career spanned decades. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Saturday’s crash is continuing.
