Johannesburg's Gosforth Park raceway and computer giant Hewlett Packard are giving South African youngsters an opportunity to join mainstream motorsport through a jointly run development programme based.
"We are very excited by this initiative," said the facility's CEO Peter Lindenberg, "and HP's support in this project is a great win for the sport and for the kids.
"The goal of this programme is three-fold: to increase the number of black participants in motorsport, to engender a love of the sport among previously disadvantaged communities and to build self-esteem and confidence amongst the participants, who are aged from eight to 14."
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The youngsters will come from local areas, including Katlehong, Thembisa and Thokoza.
The kids will come from areas near the Raceway, which includes Katlehong, Thembisa and Thokoza A number of motorcycle companies have also committed to developing the sport: Kawasaki SA's Chris Speight has donated six 65cc motorbikes while Steve Swanepoel of Suzuki SA has come up with five JR50 kiddie-crossers (see photo).
The bikes will be stabled at Gosforth Park and maintained by KCR Suzuki, which will also provide Lynx helmets for the racers.
Top motocross rider and all-round biker Ian Topliss will train the youngsters, helped by drag-racing engineer Pierre Labuschagne. They'll start the rookies on bicycles before moving on to quads so that the kids can learn how gears and brakes work without falling over.
When they graduate to the race bikes they'll be competing over a specially marked-out 200m track instead of the usual 403m (a quarter-mile in English).
In future these junior dragsters will also have the opportunity to race "mini rails", genuine drag cars powered by 6.5kW Briggs & Stratton motors. These cars are being built by Hi-Tech Automotive in Port Elizabeth and should be ready by March 2004.
Drag racing is fast becoming a culture, with its own heroes and language Drag racing is fast becoming a culture, with its own heroes and language; the initiative taken by all of the players in the development of the sport will help secure its future - every time one of these kids blasts off down the strip another potential street racer is getting hooked on the real thing.
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