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Brad Binder

Binder tops busy SA race weekend

It was another busy weekend for South African motorsportsmen home and away as Brad Binder set the headlines with a splendid Moto 2 Grand Prix race to come from 16th on the grid to second for the second race in a row to rekindle his title hopes in Germany. Steven Odendaal was 23rd in Moto2 while Darryn Binder crashed out on the final lap of the Moto3 race. Dino Iozzo meanwhile rode his Kawasaki to sixth at Donnington’s World Supersport 300 race in England, while Dorren Loureiro retired.

Not too far away also in Germany, Tasmin Pepper overcame a difficult qualifying and drove a smart race to eighth in her fourth W Series Women's World Championship top ten finish out of four at the unforgiving Norisring street race on Saturday. Also at Norisring, Jonathan Aberdein (Audi) ended 13th and 14th in two tough DTM German Touring Car races, while Sheldon van der Linde (BMW) finished 14th and 17th.

The weekend’s national race action saw the TRP SA MX Championship thrill in Krugersdorp, where Maddy Malan (Q4 Husqvarna) took the opening win to open up his MX1 Open title lead as David Goosen’s Monster Yamaha took race 2. Anthony Raynard (Tinswalo Yamaha) and Kerim Fitz-Gerald (Red Bull KTM) shared MX2 honours, Over-30 rider Tyson Engelbrecht (KTM) and Over-40 man Ian Topliss (Monster Yamaha) took a Moto 3 win apiece and Kayla Raaff (Husqvarna) dominated the Ladies.

In schoolboy action, Dalton Venter (CIT Husqvarna) took both 125 High School races, Blake Young (KTM) and Leonard du Toit took shared 85cc Pro Mini wins and James Thompson (Yamaha) and Zimbabwean Emmanuel Bako (KTM) each won a 85cc Junior race, Neil van der Vyver (Q4 Husqvarna) dominated in 65cc and Christian Berrington-Smith (KTM) took both 50cc wins.

Other national action saw seven SA kart racers take wildcard Rotax Max African Open winner-take-all prizes in Vereeniging on Sunday. Brad Liebenberg (DD2), Eugene Brittz (DD2 Masters), Wayland Wyman (Senior Max), Aqil Alibhai (Junior Max) and Muhammad Wally (Mini Max) now join the SA team set to race the Rotax Max World Finals in Italy in October, while Reza Levy (Micro Max) and Caleb Odendaal (Bambino) won tickets too.

In regional action, a chilly, dark winter’s day greeted Killarney’s faithful, where the Burly Pro GTi Challenge saw Class A and B leaders Nian du Toit and Eden Thompson roll off double wins, but Class C and overall title leader Giordano Lupini was denied a first race win to a yellow flag penalty before beating the Class B pack home to win race 2 from race 1 winner Brett Roach.

Fabio Tafani worked for both his V8 Masters wins over Richard Schreuder and Paolo Cavalieri and then Schreuder and Sean Moore in a slick second race. Harry Taylor took both Silver V8 wins while Glen Phillips and Ryan McCarthy shared Makita Supercar wins. Clint Rennard (Golf) beat Cody Alberts and Michael le Sueur (Golf) to a destructive opening Mikes Place Clubmans win before Jesse Huggett (Jetta) overcame Rennard and Kosie Swanepoel (Lexus) in race 2, while Franco Donadio (Escort) beat Trevor Momberg (Capri) to both Shatterfix Millstock Classic wins.

Former SA champion Julian van der Watt sneaked two Formula Libre wins in preparation for a F1600 return and Dawie Joubert (Lotus) and Craig Jarvis (Ginetta) shared Sports & GT wins. On two wheels, Yamaha duo Hayden Jonas led Ronald Slamet to both Suzuki South Superbike wins with Trevor Westman (Kawasaki) and Malcom Rapson (Suzuki) sharing the thirds, while Connor Hagan (KTM) and Jason Linaker (Kawasaki) shared Trac Mac Powesport wins and Lubabalo Ntisana (Kawasaki) took both Club bike wins.

Over in Port Elizabeth, Aldo Scribante hosted an East London visiting party adding to the mix, where Quinsley Sale’s Class B Nissan 350Z took Modified Saloon honours over Gordon Nolan's Polo after the favourites faded. BMW men, Johan Nel won Class C, Fanie Aucamp held off EL visitor Richard Clark’s Honda in D and Wickus Basson won E, while biker Zante Otto took a sensational Class F win on her car debut. Ivor Vermaak (Yamaha R6) took the bikes and Gordon Nicholson (GT-R) the Sports & GT car wins, Darryn Vice (Anglia) beat Shaun Rudolph (Escort) to win historics and Corne Botes (Ballade) won Fine Cars.