Cape Town – With the Mike Hopkins Regional Motorcycle series back to full strength, Round 8 of the championship – this Saturday at the Killarney circuit – has attracted no less than 24 entries for the headline superbike races, with another 14 lined up in the Powersport/Clubman categories.
Topping the tables is defending champion Ronald Slamet on the Mike Hopkins ZX-10R, but the talented Namibian has had a difficult season in both the regionals and the national SuperGP series, not least because SuperGP riders are restricted to Evo-spec machines and control tyres, making the bikes more difficult to ride.
That leaves Slamet open to attack from Regional riders on theoretically faster Superbike-spec machines, such as former champion Malcolm Rapson, finding the form of his career this season on a well-sorted Kawasaki ZX-10R, never-say-die Trevor Westman on the ‘vintage’ 2007 Ocean Sizzler R1, and born-again racer Hilton Redelinghuys’ Thruxton ZX-10R.
And they will be looking over their collective shoulder for veteran David Bolding on the PJ One ZX-10R, Quintin Ebden’s BMW S1000RR and Killarney’s two fastest 600 Challenge contenders – Andre Calvert on the KC Transport ZX-6R and hot-shot teenager Hayden Jonas, back after surgery to a broken hand.
STEELY DETERMINATION
But this weekend’s dark horse is former National and Boxer Cup star John Oliver, coming out of a five-year ‘retirement’ on the Glass It R6. Oliver was recognised throughout a career of more than a decade for steely determination and superb racecraft on often uncompetitive machinery, and he could just rattle a few 600cc cages.
Class B is likely to come down to a straight fight between father Mark (Wicked Tuning CBR1000RR) and son Alex van den Berg (Wicked Tuning CBR600), on-form but erratic Jacques Brits (Lize Signs S1000RR) and the indomitable Mike Wilhelmi on the Stunt SA ZX-10R.
Class C, meanwhile, is an open (betting) book in the absence an entry from form man Xander du Plessis. Riders to watch include Jannie Stander on the Galvatech ZX-10R, Jacques Ackermann (Yamaha R1) and Australian Bronte Heinrich on his classic Ducati 996 SPS Superbike.
Get ready for another ding-dong Powersport battle between Graeme Green’s Thruxton ER6F and the similar Calberg ER6 of Warren ‘Starfish’ Guantario, who are so evenly matched that nobody will venture a prediction as to who will be in front when it counts.
Last time out Chris Williams (DEA ER650), Mike van Rensburg (Pragma ER650), Paul Medell (Cape Bike Travel SV650) and Andrew Liebenberg on the second Calberg ER6 all finished within a second of each other after a race-long four-way dice; don’t blink – you’ll probably miss an overtaking manoeuvre if you do.