Despite the threat of cold, possibly wet weather, Round 4 of the Mike Hopkins Regional motorcycle series has attracted close to 40 entries in eight classes and racing is likely to be a lot hotter than the weather.
With Trevor Westman’s Holmes Racing S1000RR still waiting for gearbox parts from Germany, Class A is likely to come down to a straight fight between the high-profile dealer-supported Mike Hopkins ZX-10R of Ronald Slamet, and the no less professional Stunt SA/DMR entry of Aran van Niekerk on a similar litre-class Kawasaki.
Also in the mix will be Gerrit Visser, who has grown in stature with every outing on the Competition Bikes CBR1000RR and who will be ready to capitalise on any error by the Kawasaki riders.
Sadly, it was he and Van Niekerk who were unlucky at the previous meeting, as both fell in the second race and gifted Slamet a monumental win, nearly 10 seconds clear of former champion Malcolm Rapson, now also Kawasaki-mounted.
A QUESTION OF FINESSE
However, a cold, damp track will negate the power advantage enjoyed by the Kawasakis, which will benefit Visser. Saturday’s racing could well come down to a question of finesse, which will also play into the hands of the vastly experienced Rapson.
Shrek Smith’s Entity CBR1000RR, Donkey, is now running as well as it has ever done after a major rebuild but Smith is woefully short on track time since his huge crash early in the season and Class B is more likely to be debated by Shaun de Jager and Leroy Malan, each on a Honda CBR1000RR, with the similar machine of up and coming rider Kashief Mohamed chasing them all the way.
The usual Class C bunfight between Wayne Arendse (Honda) CBR600RR and the Omega R1 of Vossie Vosloo (unmissable in its new orange livery!) is likely to be enlivened by the return of Ian Willis’ Triumph Daytona 675, although Willis may also be a little rusty.
POWERSPORT/CLASSICS
Carl Liebenberg will back on the Calberg Hydraulics ER6 which, unfortunately, will leave arch-rival Warren ‘Wozza’ Guantario without a ride after his Suzuki SV650 suffered a terminal mechanical infarction at the April meeting.
But don’t think the Durbanville veteran will have it all his own way, as he’ll have to deal with the Suzuki SV650s of Graeme Green – who so nearly beat Guantario (standing in for Liebenberg on the Calberg machine) at the May 18 meeting – and teenager Hayden Jonas, whose crew have been burning the midnight since Jonas’ Suzuki broke a piston last time out and have promised him the bike will be ready in time.
With Tony ‘The Biscuit’ Sparg having defected to the Powersport ranks, the Classic honours will be fought out between two very different twins – the booming Ducati Paul Smart replica of Tony Jones and Kevin Spratley’s crackling Yamaha RZ350R two-stroke.
Expect Wessel Kruger (Honda CBR600F3) to lay down the gauntlet in the Clubman Class, although he’ll face stiff opposition from Jannie Stander (Galvatech ZX-10R) and Norman McFadden, father of Cape Town’s World Supersport racer David ‘McFlash’ McFadden, back after a long absence from competition.