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Biker brigade to provide closest Big Z spectacle

Saturday's best spectacle at Zwartkops should come from the two-wheeler brigade during rounds 13 and 14 of this year's South African motorcycle racing championships.


The Superbike category will see Clinton Seller (PS Czank Kawasaki) start as overall victory favourite. Seller has won nine of the 12 races run thus far in 2013, and seems to have the best winning package in the field.

He is not infallible, though, and his only failure to finish a race earlier this season was at the Zwartkops Raceway. Able to take him on this time will be Nicolas Grobler (Pta North Toyota Kawasaki) and Chris Leeson (Motorrad BMW) with both riders matching Seller for pace on various occasions and they could do so again.

Behind the top trio riders to watch include Ryan Ottens (Motorrad BMW), Dylon White (Brother Emtek Yamaha), Ryan van Aswegen (GEM Auto Kawasaki) and Richard Carmody (All Star Auto Kawasaki).

Returning to the fray after recovering from a massive crash at the East London Grand Prix circuit earlier this year will be Heinrich Rheeder, on his BMW. A number of the Zwartkops circuit’s regular Thunderbike competitors should also grab the opportunity to tackle a national championship meeting at home with an entry list of some 16 machines expected.

The 600 Supersport category should provide the Super Series Raceday’s top spectacle – bar none. Four talented racers will fight for the two victories with nothing to choose between them. They are championship leader Cam Petersen (Liqui Moly MV Agusta), veteran Lance Isaacs (Pta North Toyota Kawasaki), Brent Harran (Liqui Moly MV Agusta) and Dean Vos (Brother Emtek Yamaha). All four could win after providing this year’s closest local motorsport action at circuits all over the country.

Able to pounce behind them if any of the four stumble will be riders like Zwartkops regular Anthony Shelly (Full Throttle Kawasaki), Nicholas Kershaw (Racebike Rentals Kawasaki), Gareth Davidson (TK Imports Kawasaki), Sharl Wasserfall (Starlight Kawasaki) and Rhyno Stander (Adrenaline Powersport Kawasaki).

At the end of the raceday the 12 quickest riders by race lap times, and irresprective of class, will be invited to tackle a Dash for Cash race. Sponsored by Mayfair Gearbox and Golden Mile every rider in the race will get R1 000 staring money.

They will then race with the last rider black-flagged each lap. When there are only four riders left they will stop on the startline and tackle a one-lap charge for R5 000 in prize money.

All the riders at Zwartkops will race on control Pirelli tyres with the 600cc class restricted to a single pair for Saturday’s qualifying session, first race and second race.

“Zwartkops is a tricky circuit, but not overly hard on tyres,” says Pirelli racing expert Wayne Doran.

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