Varied winners, close finishes and brilliant riding displays typified rounds three and four of this year’s South African Motorcycle racing championships at the Western Cape Killarney raceway on Saturday (March 16).
The opening Unlimited Superbike race saw Clinton Seller on pole position with his Portable Shade Kawasaki. He shared the front row of the grid with Chris Leeson (Motorrad BMW), Nicholas Grobler (Pta North Toyota Kawasaki) and Ryan Ottens (Motorrad BMW).
Seller and Grobler proceeded to fight for the lead throughout the ten-lap race, often arriving at the end of the back straight side by side at over 280 km/h. In the end, Seller crossed the finish line five hundredths of a second ahead of his adversary. Leeson finished third, leading home local hero Robert Slamet (Kawasaki), Ottens and Dylan White (Emtek Yamaha).
A notable casualty was Capetonian Aran van Niekerk, who fell off his Stunt SA Kawasaki while disputing a top five placing. Race two saw Clinton Seller outbrake himself into the first corner, with the resultant trip through Killarney’s flora dropping him to stone last. He scythed through the field in demented fashion, rejoining the front group on the eighth lap.
Then Chris Leeson ran wide after the pit straight, letting Seller through into second place. He tried to catch Grobler but the youngster kept a cool head, rode without mistakes and took his first Unlimited Superbike victory. Leeson finished second, chased by a brilliant Aran van Niekerk on his Kawasaki, Ryan Ottens, Allan-Jon Venter (Emtek Yamaha) and a recovered Chris Leeson.
The first 600 Supersport race was won in brilliant fashion by Capetonian veteran Lance Isaacs, on his Pta North Toyota Kawasaki.
He finished narrowly ahead of Liqui Moly MV Agusta riders Cam Petersen and Brent Harran.
Fourth was Nicolas Kershaw (Race Bike Rentals Kawasaki), followed by Dean Vos (Emtek Yamaha) and local youngster Brandon Haupt (Suzuki). Harran’s MV developed a handling problem in race two. He first dropped out of contention and then crashed, leaving Petersen and Isaacs to fight for the race victory.
Petersen eventually won from Isaacs by less than half a second. Third was Nicolas Kershaw, ahead of Dean Vos, Jesse Boshof (Racebike Rentals Kawasaki) and Rhyno Stander (Kawasaki). The next round of the 2013 South African Motorcycle championships will take place at the eastern Cape Aldo Scribante circuit on Saturday, April 6.