Cape Town - Motorcycle racing fans can look forward to their biggest weekend of the year, with three motorcycle-only events at Killarney in five days.
The fun starts on Friday with practice for the ASAP/RST 8 Hours International Endurance race for lightweight motorcycles, followed at 3.45pm by a two-hour enduro for the youngsters of the NSF100 Cup series, a feeder scheme for riders from eight to 13 years of age.
The 32nd running of the 8 Hours will get underway on the one-kilometre ‘K’ circuit with a classic Le Mans start at 10am on Saturday and the mayhem will continue until 6pm. Expect drama, big crashes and a bit of comedy as the teams try to keep battered little bikes going after multiple tumbles and breakdowns.
The 8 Hours is open to four-stroke singles of up to 150cc with very limited modifications and two-strokes up to 80cc with almost no limitations – the bike that came second in 2013 had a 65cc KTM motocross engine bored out to 80cc in an obsolete TZR50 racing frame with cycle parts and furniture by local suspension guru Martin Paetzold.
The 2014 edition, however, will be run anticlockwise – opposite to the normal direction – which will throw in some new entry lines into the corners and help negate any ‘home track advantage’ for the locals.
It is a truly international event, with entries already confirmed from Britain, Mauritius and Kenya, but the team to beat will be the RST CBR150 of event sponsor Jonny Towers, CEO of RST bikewear brand, multiple former short-circuit champions Trevor Westman and Warren Guantario, and World Superstock rider David ‘McFlash’ McFadden, which has won this race for the past three years.
A number of national-level riders from Gauteng have entered two and three-man teams, however, and the result will be in contention until the final flag. And just in case this sounds like a ‘boys and their toys’ festival, there’s at least one confirmed entry from an all-girl team, that of Martie Bosson, Jeanette Kok-Kritzinger and Carmen Agnew.
From a spectator point of view, the best thing about the 8 Hours is that almost the entire circuit is visible from the stands on the roof of the pits, making it easy to keep track of the leaders. Expect the top teams to circulate at around 50 seconds a lap and complete about 550 laps in eight hours - that’s 550km of racing flat-out on what are essentially standard commuter machines. Anything can happen and probably will – find out more from Jimmy Pantony at 071 874 9968.
ALL BIKE RACE DAY
Tuesday 16 December will see the action move to the 3.267km main circuit for the All Bike Race Day, when the four-wheelers are banished and the knee-scrapers rule. There will be races for Unlimited Superbikes (600cc and bigger), Powersport and Classic machines, a ‘run wot ya brung’ Breakfast Run for riders who have never before held a racing licence, and a rare chance for the CBR150 Challenge machines to stretch their legs on the main circuit.
Some of these bikes will have completed the 8 Hours only four days earlier - and ridden by the same riders! The day will end with a one-hour race for motorcycles of 400cc and bigger, ridden by one or two riders in any combination of amateur or professional status.
It will include at least three compulsory pit stops and rider changes but, despite these time penalties, the top bikes will complete at least 45 laps - it’s more an hour of sprint racing than an endurance event.
There will also be an Historic Motorcycles Group parade of classic racing motorcycles from the glory days of the 1960s, ‘70s and 80s; in an attempt to keep matters civilised, no times will be taken or results published, but old rivalries are bound to re-surface and it becomes a matter of pride who finishes the parade laps in front!
Find out more from Joy Hoskins on (021) 557-1639.