Note: Event dates for the year 2012 will be advised in due course.
A Historic Event at Red Star Raceway.
The 24 Hour was a social race which took place at Red Star Raceway on Saturday 10 December. It was an endurance race, meaning that the race started at 1pm on the Saturday and between four and six riders on each team rode one motorcycle in half hour shifts until 1pm on Sunday when the race ended. The team which completed the most laps in the 24 hours won. Of course, as with all events organised by Bike SA, it wasn't all about professional sportsmen and seriousness, and anyone, including casual track day riders, enterred the race. For spectators there was a big rally-type tent with a disco and drinks and entertainment throughout the event, with much socialising and happiness that took place.
A TRIUMPH Daytona 67SR Triple won the Bike SA 24 hour endurance race last weekend at Red Star Raceway, with Team Illiterate in the saddle. This was the first official 24 hour in the history of African bike racing and was a huge success, with 116 riders on 20 motorcycles racing from I pm on Saturday to I pm on Sunday, and every one enjoyed
it all and said they were entering again next year. And, with congratulations extended muchly to organisers and happiness posted on all sorts of sites, the next one would seem to be even bigger. At the end there were only three retirements, two because of irreparably damaged bikes after fall offs and only one through engine problems. And one of the finishers was Team RSR Underdogs's old CBRIOOO Honda with 80000km on the clock that they had bought for R40000 for the race.
AI Venter, a South African racing successfully overseas, took the initial lead on the Team RSR Stars SIOOORR BMW, but a prematurely shredding front tyre replacement, and needing fuel with every half hour stop, dropped the team back. Then a big accident sidelined them when the electronics needed replacing, and, as everyone now knows after last season's Championship debacle, these things cannot be swopped between bikes, and they retired.
Thereafter Team Honda Wing Pinetown (Honda CBRIOOO) was chased by the winning Team Illiterate for most of the race until Pinetown suffered fueling problems and the illiterates gained several laps whlch they held to the end. That name was given because the riders are all journalists, and included Citibike's Donovan Fourie as rider and father Simon as sponsor.
Team Moto Rentals passed Honda Wing Pinetown, who finished third. The rest finished as follows:
Team Bike Addict (Honda CBR600R)
Team Ekerold (Yamaha FZ6R)
Team RSR Underdogs (Honda CBRIOOO)
Team Continental BMW Umhlanga Racing
(BMW SIOOORR)
Team Bad Toro Shock Watch (Suzuki
GSXRIOOO)
Team RSR Lightning (BMW SIOOORR)
Team Industrial Netting Honda Sandton (Honda
CBE600RR)
Team RSR Sparks (Kawasaki ZXIO)
Team Old Dog Racing (Yamaha FZ6)
Team M-Cubed Racing (BMW F800S)
Team Tarmac Terror-Wrists (BMW RllOOS)
Team RSR Bridgestone (BMW SIOOORR)
Team G'n Banggatte 200 (Honda CBRIOOO)
Team Good Time Rollers (Yamaha R6)