There can be little doubt that the national Superbike Championship will be the jewel in this year’s South African circuit racing crown. That became clear at AA Kyalami on Saturday (February 22), during round one of this year’s Vodacom Power Tour. –
– Electing to tackle two races, eight laps in the morning and 15 laps in the afternoon – the two-wheeler brigade undisputedly provided the day’s top spectacle. –
– In the end, defending South African Champion Russell Wood scored both of the day’s victories, but the result only came about after a weekend of no-holds- barred, white-knuckle competition. –
– Following Saturday morning’s Official Qualifying session, Noel Haarhoff (Cell C Suzuki) held pole position on the grid, ahead of Wood (Autopage Cellular Yamaha), First Technology Yamaha riders Shaun Whyte and Arushen Moodley, plus Trevor Crookes (Cell C Suzuki). –
– Meanwhile, Greg Dreyer crashed his Autopage Cellular Yamaha in the Goodyear Sweep, breaking his left foot and spraining several back muscles. Moodley snatched the lead at the start of the opening race, closely pursued by Haarhoff, Wood, Whyte, Crookes and Stewart MacLeod (Cell C Suzuki). Haarhoff fell in Nashua Corner on Lap Five, Crookes slowed with engine bothers and Dreyer, who elected to start the race, retired when he lost all feeling in his left leg. –
– That left Russell Wood to take a narrow victory over Arushen Moodley, ahead of Stewart MacLeod, Shaun Whyte, Alex Lenearts (First Technology Yamaha), Hudson Kennaugh (Cell C Suzuki) plus Kawasaki riders Greame van Breda, Gavin Ramsay and Garth Norris. –
– The second race saw Shaun Whyte leading from the start, ahead of Kennaugh, Moodley, MacLeod, Lenearts and Wood. Wood methodically worked his way to the front, taking the lead from Whyte on the eighth tour. It then became a matter of endurance and tyre preservation, with the final five laps of the 15 testing riders and motorcycles to the full. –
– Wood eventually won for Autopage Cellular Yamaha, marginally ahead of first Technology Yamaha’s Arushen Moodley, Shaun Whyte and Alex Lenearts. Huson Kennaugh took his Cell C Suzuki to fifth place, leading home the works Inala Kawasaki of Garth Norris and Stewart MacLeod’s Cell C Suzuki. –
– Capetonian Robert Cragg (Suzuki) was the top Privateer, while Arushen Moodley was awarded the Sasol Top Gun of the Day award for his efforts.
