Cape Town - One of the most intriguing aspects of motorsport is how suddenly the balance of power can tip - and the Mike Hopkins Regional motorcycle series is a case in point.
This year has seen international Superstock 1000 rider David ‘McFlash’ McFadden and defending Regional title-holder Ronald ‘The Red Baron’ Slamet face off on ostensibly identical Kawasaki ZX-10R superbikes at the top of Class A.
But whereas the champion’s Mike Hopkins-backed machine is a 2014 model, tuned to Evo-Class specifications by Francois Breedt of RaceBase, McFadden’s Stunt SA ZX-10R is several years older, and a generation out of date.
Nevertheless, McFadden knows every nut and bolt of the fully-developed bike and can get the best out of it under almost any circumstances. On practically every occasion the two have met, he has simply outridden the talented young Namibian.
But now McFadden is riding the brand new Suzuki South GSX-R1000 L5, for which there is no developmental data whatsoever; other than a less restrictive exhaust and adjustable footpegs; the Gixer is practically as it came off the showroom floor.
McFadden says he enjoys the challenge of developing the bike for the track, and of course everything he learns here can be put to good use when he rides the almost identical Team Suzuki Europe machine in World Superstock 1000 competition, but that doesn’t disguise the fact that it is now McFlash who is playing catch-up.
CURVE BALL
The Western Province Motor Club has also thrown another curve ball at competitors with the announcement that Round 8 of the series will be run anti-clockwise - i.e the “wrong way round”. As exciting as this is for fans, it means learning what is effectively a new circuit - and there McFadden’s international experience, where learning new circuits in just a handful of practice sessions is part of the deal, will be to his advantage.
Nobody in the Killarney paddock is willing to predict how this grudge match will turn out except the protagonists, and each says he has it in him to beat the other. Anything could happen and probably will.
Putting further pressure on McFadden and Slamet will be the Young Guns - Gerrit Visser, Trevor Westman and Brandon Haupt, each on a current ZX-10R, and each getting closer to the leaders’ pace with every outing. They’ll be joined by Slovakian hotshot Sandra Stammova on the 511 Racing S1000 RR, who has already shown that she is capable of running with them. The reversed circuit will negate home-track advantage so the battle for third could well be the dice of the day.
Karl Schultz (ASAP World ZX-6R) will be back from his mountain-bike adventures to challenge for Class B honours, which will put the two Jacques - Ackerman on the Jotim R1 and Brits, aboard the Lize Signs S1000 RR - on their mettle, while Class C will be decided between Wayne Arendse (Honda CBR600RR) and the Kawasaki ZX-10Rs of Gavin Louw and Nick van Zyl.
POWERSPORT / CLASSICS
Calberg team-mates Warren Guantario and JP Friederich will resume their ongoing battle for Powersport honours - and the pressure is on Guantario now. With a Mad Mac’s ZX-6R already lined up for the Superbike Class and 600 Challenge in 2016, he’ll be determined to leave the Powersport arena as champion - but on Friederich’s current form that will be a big ask.
These two have provided some of the closest racing of the year, and will do so again on Saturday.
In the absence of an entry from John Kosterman, expect Tony Jones (Suzuki GSX-R750 Pre-Sling) to set the pace in the Classic Class - but with 14 entries the Clubman Class, which is where aspiring Superbike Racers earn their chops, is as big as it’s ever been.
It’s also the most unpredictable, as both bikes and riders improve from one meeting to the next. Abdul-Kader Dalwai (Field GSX-R600) Dale Field (Field GSX-R750) and Willem Louw (Yamaha R1) made the running last time out - but write off class stalwart Raiel le Roux at your peril.
IOL