CLOSE RACING: Darren Brinder, on a Suzuki, on his way to winning both Supersport heats on Saturday. Picture: Tracvksidepics.co.za
Both the 600cc Supersport and unlimited Superbike categories provided close racing around South Africa’s only purpose built motorcycle racing circuit.
The biggest news in the Supersport category was a visit by current international competitor Steven Odendaal who is competing in the Spanish championship. Odendaal made a once-off appearance on a Mitsubishi Air Suzuki and promptly won both races.
Sadly, a post-race check revealed his machine was fitted with an illegal battery and he was disqualified. Behind him the rest of the pack produced brilliant spectacle.
The opening race saw veteran Lance Isaacs (Pta North Toyota Kawsaki), youngster Darryn Binder (Suzuki), Cam Petersen (Liqui Moly MV Agusta), Dean Vos (Brother Yamaha), Anthony Shelley (Full Throttle Kawasaki) and Brent Harran (Liqui Moly MV Agusta) indulge in a no holds barred battle. Harran’s race ended after six laps when his motorcycle’s engine expired in a cloud of smoke. That left Binder to score an unexpected victory ahead of Vos, Isaacs, Shelley and Petersen with the five riders covered by less than a second over the finish line.
Race two saw the MV Agusta team’s fortunes flag again as Harran’s repaired machine again expired in the early laps. Then Petersen outbraked himself at the end of the back straight and took a wild ride through a sand trap and up on to Phakisa’s banked oval.
At the front end Binder, a club racing graduate, rode brilliantly again and beat off many efforts by his more experience rivals to wrest the front place from him. He won again followed by Isaacs, Shelley, Vos and Sharl Wasserfall (Starlight Electrical Kawasaki).
Pole sitter Clint Seller (Czank Kawasaki) fluffed the start of the opening Superbike race and dropped to sixth place. While he scythed his way back through the field Nicolas Grobler (Pta North Toyota Kawasaki) and Chris Leeson (Motorad BMW) fought for the lead with Ryan Ottens (Motorrad BMW) and Dylan White (Brother Yamaha) in close attendance. Seller was not to be denied , and took the lead on the fourth lap.
He went on to win chased over the line by Grobler, Leeson, Ottens, White and Robert Portman (Brother Yamaha). Seller made no mistakes the second time around and he led from start to finish. This time he was followed by Leeson, Grobler, Ottens, White and Portman.