Professor Ian W S Kilbride – Founder & Owner
Professor Ian W S Kilbride is the Founder and Owner of Racing Spirit. With a career spanning more than 40 years, Ian has built and led successful businesses across finance, technology, web development and sports development, establishing himself as an internationally respected businessman with strong ties to South Africa.
Born into a humble family in the north of England, Ian spent more than three decades building The Spirit Organisation from the ground up. He is an Honorary Professor at the Stellenbosch Business School and a proud father of five children who live across South Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom.
A lifelong motorsport enthusiast, Ian founded Racing Spirit to create opportunities for talented drivers while building a professional racing team founded on excellence, integrity and driver development. His vision extends beyond race wins—he is passionate about investing in people, creating pathways for emerging talent and helping grow South African motorsport for future generations.
Today, Ian continues to guide Racing Spirit's long-term strategy and growth, ensuring the team remains focused on developing talent, embracing innovation and expanding its presence across multiple disciplines of motorsport.
Our Vision
Founded by the Kilbride family (Ian and Connor Kilbride), Racing Spirit was established to build a professional motorsport organisation that develops drivers, supports emerging talent and competes with passion, professionalism and integrity.
At its core, Racing Spirit strives to compete at the highest levels of South African motorsport while using its platform to promote motorsport development throughout the country. The team is passionate about creating awareness of the opportunities within the sport and equipping future generations with the skills, knowledge and experience needed to build successful careers in motorsport—whether as drivers, engineers, mechanics, media professionals or team personnel.
Today, Racing Spirit competes across several of South Africa's premier motorsport events and categories, including the WPMC Sports & GT Championship, Simola Hillclimb, Speed Classic Cape Town and Killarney Time Attack events, with ambitions of expanding into South African endurance racing in the near future.
Beyond the circuit, Racing Spirit is committed to developing the next generation of racing talent. Through its partnership with Race Driver South Africa (RDSA), the team continues to support young drivers in karting while providing pathways into higher levels of motorsport.
In 2026, Racing Spirit expanded its driver development programme with the launch of the Racing Spirit Sim Championship. Created and managed by Tristan de Nobrega, the championship has quickly established itself as one of South Africa's leading sim racing competitions. Built around professional race management, stewarding and media coverage, it provides drivers with an environment that reflects the standards of real-world motorsport while creating opportunities for future progression.
As Racing Spirit continues to grow, its vision remains clear: to compete at the highest level, develop exceptional talent and strengthen the future of South African motorsport—both on the circuit and in the virtual world.
Leadership
Racing Spirit is led by a passionate team with extensive experience across motorsport, engineering, business and driver development.
Connor Kilbride serves as Team Manager and Lead Driver, overseeing the team's racing programme while continuing to compete behind the wheel.
Claudio Piazza Musso, founder of Race Driver South Africa, serves as Operations Manager and Technical Advisor, providing technical direction, operational leadership and driver development support across the organisation.
Tristan de Nobrega is the team's Brand Manager and Championship Manager of the Racing Spirit Sim Championship, overseeing Racing Spirit's marketing, media and commercial partnerships while leading the continued growth of its sim racing programme.
Together, the leadership team combines decades of experience with a shared commitment to professionalism, innovation and developing the next generation of racing talent.
The Racing Spirit Family
Racing Spirit is more than a race team—it is a community united by a passion for motorsport.
From our drivers, engineers and technical partners to our sponsors and supporters, every member of the Racing Spirit family plays an important role in our success.
As Racing Spirit continues to evolve, our commitment remains unchanged: to compete, create opportunities, develop talent and grow Motorsport in South Africa.
Schedule:
17 OCTOBER 2026
Power Series Round 8
14 NOVEMBER 2026
Power Series Round 9