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Icy Red Star endurance race hot success

DELMAS, Mpumalanga - The Highveld cold at Delmas in Mpumalanga might have scared off a few teams but those who braved the cold had warm results with only one of the competing teams not making it all the way on June 20 2015.

The second of the new 2015 Suzuki 4:8:12 Endurance Series was held at Red Star Raceway near Delmas with nine motorcycling teams, with three or more riders each, braving frigid conditions. And one brave guy who did the whole ting solo.

RIDING FOR CHARITY

Greg Moloney completed 135 laps, 73 more than any other rider in the event. He said afterwards: “That was 540km of riding in 6hrs45min, 15min more than the 2014 eight-hour at the same track.”

Greg raises money for charity based on the number of laps and time spent in the saddle. On June 20 he collected R35 000 for an electric wheelchair for Fred van Deventer.

ENDURANCE RACE

The event was won by team Uncle Andy Racing (Greg Gildenhuys, Clinton Sellers, Kyle Robinson) with 218 laps on a BMW HP4.

The eight-hour overall event was won by BMW but Suzukis took the honours in all other classes. Suzuki finished second in the Pro Class and won the Club and Rookie Classes, too.

Second overall and second in the Pro Class were Darryn Upton, Darien Keyser, Clinton Pienaar and AJ Venter, racing a Suzuki GSX 750R (209 laps). The Club Class was won by team RSR Stars (Suzuki GSXR) 1000, completing 205 laps.

ROOKIE CLASS

The Rookie Class was won by Team Bike Show using a Suzuki GSR 750, completing 180 laps around the 4km circuit. They finished fifth overall, eight laps behind fourth-placed Fourways Flyers (Kawasaki Z1000).

Suzuki GSX 600 riders were runners-up in the Rookie Class after completing 161 laps, four ahead of last-placed Honda CBR riders (157 laps).

The only non-finishing team were Ducati riders, who managed to complete 74 laps due to technical issues.

Suzuki SA motorcycle sales manager, Stuart Baker, said: “As opposed to the first endurance of only four hours, the teams had to manage tyre and brake pad changes in their pit stops as well.

“Crew chiefs had to make crucial calls on pit tactics, and for all but one team things played out extremely well.”

ENDURANCE SERIES

The 2015 Suzuki 4:8:12 Endurance series started in February with a four-hour event. The series will finish in October 2015 with its longest event - the 12-hour Suzuki Endurance.

According to Suzuki: “The series is open to all riders from all walks of life, giving novices the opportunity to break into the exciting world of motorcycle circuit racing to test and develop their ability and talent to race a bike in a safe environment as opposed to blasting down the street, and is based on the principle of legendary races such as the Suzuki 8-hour in Japan and the Bol d’Or 24-hour endurance race in France.”

Teams can be comprised of a minimum of three and a maximum of four riders and can enter any bike of their choice.

Competitors are divided into three categories:

Pro Class - experienced motorsport riders
Club Class - for riders familiar with circuit racing
Rookie Class - for novice riders

The eight-hour event was run in an anti-clockwise direction, and the circuit will now be switched to a clockwise direction for the third and final series event, the 12-hour on the 10th of October 2015.

SUZUKI UP FOR GRABS

Suzuki will sponsor the main prize at the end of the series - a race-prepared GSXR 750.

In addition to the main prize, teams will have the opportunity to win class prizes as well as contingency prizes from participating vendors.

Catch all the action on DSTV Channel 189’s “The Bike Show” with presenters Matt, Harry and Donovan piloting the Suzuki GSR 750 in the 2015 series.

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