Ballito racer Trevor Graham and his Red Rooster

He thrives on the adrenaline rush of racing against the clock and pushing man and machine to the limit.

Ballito family man, mechanical engineer and major car enthusiast Trevor Graham has always had a weak spot for fast cars.

“When I was a kid I did Enduro racing, followed by Hillclimb challenges, but I became bored with it quite quickly,” said Graham, who is married, has two daughters and three grandchildren.

It was only when he tried out rallying that he found a new niche that kept him hooked.

“I started rallying as a navigator and then as the driver. I won two Natal Champs in 1993 and 94 and came third in the SA Champs in 95.”

He took a break for 20 years to dedicate his free time to his family and lessen the burden of the staggering costs of car sport on his budget (a set of tyres cost about R25 000 and only last one race!).

In 2014, however, the rally bug bit again and he bought an old Nissan Skyline “just for fun”.

“I won a couple of sprints and local comps. I eventually sold the Nissan and bought a BMW rally car about four years ago.

“Last year, I had a big accident at Blythedale – the steering broke and the car went off the road and into a ravine.

“I was OK, sort of, but the car was quite smashed. We are fixing it though.”

He said it is important to have the right partner, as the driver relies on the information given by the navigator.

“Kevin Cunningham is my navigator and tells me how sharp the corners are, how fast to take it and if there are any obstacles.You get a feel for them telling you the right thing.

“On the straights we can go up to 180 kilometres fast and the corners are usually between 80 to 100 kilometres,” said Graham, who also has a passion for motorbikes and owns two – a 1981 Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica and a dirt bike.

He bought his newest little love last year – a Cobra V8 aptly called The Red Rooster. Together, they have been racing in the SA Endurance Series. Graham came fifth overall and won the GT5 category last year.

“I do the Endurance Series with Brian Martin. You have to have a driver and co-driver. We take turns driving.

“This year, we broke the engine twice in three races.”

Besides the time on the track, Graham also enjoys the mechanical side of cars and the thrill of making it go faster.

“I enjoy working on cars. The team work and the camaraderie is great.

“The travelling to the different events is also good. I think I have driven on everything in South African except Kyalami.

“It would be amazing to go to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium once – it is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix.”