Cape Town – The Mike Hopkins Regional Superbike series is done and dusted - with Ronald ‘The Red Baron’ Slamet a worthy back-to-back champion - but the Powersport series for 650cc twins is heading for what promises to be a nail-biting final showdown.
Warren ‘Starfish’ Guantario has dominated the series throughout the season on the Calberg ER6, dicing for the lead almost every time out with friend and rival Graeme Greene. The Starfish has won 11 out of 16 races so far this season and amassed an unbeatable 221 points in the headline Powersport A category.
But all the while, Chris Williams on the DEA Technologies ER650 has been racking up points with consistent finishes in the near-stock Powersport B class, and will go into the final meeting of the season with 221 to his credit. All he needs is a win and a second in class – i.e. a sixth and a seventh (or better) overall in Saturday’s two races - and he will take the title even if Guantario wins both races outright.
While Guantario’s comments on the situation don’t bear repeating, it has certainly given the series an unusual sting in the tail for the spectators, who are more likely to focus on the midfield than the sharp end of Saturday’s outings, where Guantario’s biggest threats are likely to be the ER6 of Calberg team-mate Leroy Malan and the ‘wild card’ RST ER650 of British-based Jonny Towers, in Cape Town for the annual RST 8 Hours on Saturday 13 December.
FIVE-WAY BATTLE
There’s more spice in the battle for third overall in the Powersport series. No less than five riders are in with at least a mathematical chance of taking the silverware – starting with Derek Hendricks (Bikers Delight SV650), who has Calberg SV650 rider JP Friederich, Mike van Rensburg (Pragma ER650), Andrew Liebenberg (Calberg ER650) and veteran Paul Medell (Cape Bike Travel SV650) breathing down his neck. Expect fireworks.
Not to be outdone, Superbike contender David Bolding has hauled out his Yoshimura-kitted Suzuki Katana ‘Big Bertha’ with the specific intention of putting young gun Tim Clark – who has been doing impressive things on a Suzuki GSX-R750 that’s two years older than he is – in his place.
These vintage musclebikes can often outrun the 650 twins, especially in a straight line, and could become the X factor at the top of the timesheets on Saturday, while Raiel le Roux (Suzuki GSX-R750) remains the man to beat in the Clubman Class.