Cape Town - The second round of the 2015 Mike Hopkins Regional Motorcycle Series promises even more intense racing than the season opener just three weeks ago, with 62 entries in seven classes – and one important absence.
With no entry received from Asap World ZX-6R hotshot - and defending 600 Challenge champion - Hayden Jonas, his arch-rival Andre Calvert on the KC Transport ZX-6R will be looking over his shoulder for challenges from the likes of Alex van den Berg (Wicked ZX-6R), David Enticott (Motorwise Daytona 675) and John Oliver on the Glass It R6.
Look for them just behind the leading train - all riding Kawasaki ZX-10Rs - where Ronald Slamet on the Mike Hopkins machine will have to fend off a determined Trevor Westman, who is improving with every outing on the Mad Mac’s Kawasaki, privateers Malcolm Rapson and Gerrit Visser, and on-form Brandon Haupt (MX Clean ZX-10R) – all ready to take advantage of any momentary lapse of concentration by the favourites.
Calvert will be riding the only 600 in Class A, which puts Van den Berg, Enticott and Oliver at the top of Class B along with Emile van der Merwe (Kawasaki ZX-10R), whose superior acceleration out of corners could make life difficult for the 600 riders. Expect to see Karl Schultz on the second Asap World ZX-6R debating Class C line honours with Jan Nytomt’s BMW S1000 RR.
POWERSPORT
With no less than eight entries in Powersport A for modified 650cc twins, there is going to be something of a traffic jam at the front of the field, but the biggest danger to Calberg Racing team leader Warren ‘Starfish’ Guantario will come from a veteran riding a bike made before Guantario was born.
Danie Maritz and the DMR GSX-R750 Pre-Sling won the 12-lap Powersport/Classics thriller at the season opener by an emphatic nine seconds, leaving Guantario to point out that he was consistently lapping under 1m20s - a blistering pace for a Powersport bike - but that ‘Danie van Killarney’ was just getting faster as he got older.
Enjoy the next instalment of this ‘Fast v Furious’ grudge match on Saturday at Killarney; the Starfish will be out there to prove a point.