STORY AND PICS BY IAN GROAT
Stepping back into the past at Zwartkops Raceway’s 14th Passion for Speed were many racing world champions and celebrities from South Africa and abroad.
The racing was held over two full days with glorious summer temperatures at Zwartkops, near Pretoria.
The match race between Scotland and South Africa featured eight identical machines, all Suzuki GSR 1000 machines. Featured riders were Gordon Grigor, Bill Simpson, Ian Simpson, Howard Selby, Rob Burns and Stephen Maxwell (all from Scotland). They faced up against super quick Springboks like Les van Breda, his son Graeme, Peter Labuschagne and popular ace Rod Gray, in the series sponsored by GeLock Asset Management.
Saturday’s events were packed with action and thrilled enthusiastic bikers with machines dating back 60 years or so and was held before a record crowd of close to 10 000 spectators. Sunday’s races, boasted the “Day of Champions” and saw another big rider tussle on the programme.
Super stylist Jimmie Guthrie, now 80 years old, put on a superb display to win the Pre 1961 Vintage Classic Racing section with the “Team Incomplete” Manx Norton, while the Kawasaki Z900 of Etienne Louw ran off with the silverware in the Production Racing Pre 1985 Era machine class.
Despite a big fall in practice due to oil and water on the track in practice, Les van Breda scooped his rightful win in the 1984 section of the awards. But no one could catch the multiple TT winner and flying Scotsman, Ian Simpson as he romped off with the win in the TT racing series followed by TT specialist AJ?Venter on another GSXR Suzuki.
Third overall in this class was another Suzuki, that of Les van Breda’s. It’s looking like a Suzuki cup benefit as the racing circus heads down to Cape Town this coming weekend for the next “Day of the Champions” contingent who are fully intent on rolling back the nostalgic period of the 70’s and 80’s in what’s called the Golden Era of motorcycle racing.
ALL PICS TAKEN BY JAY GROAT
The Match Race Series between Scotland and South Africa features machines all of the same capacity from Suzuki. It is a popular concept and will probably grow even larger next year.
Multiple TT Winner champion Mick Grant paraded the Mike Hailwood Honda four to deliver a glorious howling sound at Killarney in early February.
With many exotic period classic racers to see and hear this years Classic TT Series has the right mix to tingle a few memories of past two wheel racing glories.
Who can catch the “Flying Scotsman” - Ian Simpsons from Scotland on his Suzuki. That was the question South Africa’s best were trying to answer in this years races.
Mick Grant is seen powering the Honda RC161 500cc grand prix Honda machine at Zwartkops Raceway.
Supreme stylist Jimmie Guthrie is a marvel at 80 years of age. He took the “Team Incomplete” Manx Norton to win the Pre 1961 Classic Racers award.
In action is Ian Scheckter in the Formula One Tyrell Ford.
