Summarize

Sunday is set to be a red letter day for South African motorcycle fans when Zwartkops Raceway hosts the Day of the Champion — an annual international two-wheeled celebration featuring full program of overseas and local bikers riding the coolest machinery ever raced in Africa.

The weekend is headlined by a South Africa vs England classic Superbike race, where six South Africans will take on six English riders in the Day of the Champion Cup. The British team is headed up by TT legend Michael Dunlop leading a team comprising Alan Duffus, Robert Burns, Mike Alborough, Bry Bayes, Carl Tiffany, Gordon Grigor, Ian Simpson, Iain MacPherson and Howard Selby.

The South African team in this pot roast versus biltong affair includes Noel Haarhoff, Roland Alborough, Iain Pinkerton, Adrian Gibbon, Leon van der Berg, Mike McSkimming, Jonathan Pells, Fergal McAdam, Douw Coetzee, Timothy Romans, Gary Hunter and Etienne Louw all riding a variety of classic superbikes that kept fans on their feet for many a year at circuits all around South Africa.

The visiting team is run by 7-time Isle ff Man TT winner and former Superbike racing hero Mick Grant, a contemporary of Mike Hailwood, Barry Sheene and Giacomo Agostini, who also raced the SA TT at Roy Hesketh in ’73. Grant has more recently become the ringmaster of the British superbike circus that comes to South Africa every year, but this year is a special occasion for the grand master. Mick lost his closest friend in South Africa when Clive Strugnell passed away last year and he has dedicated the Day of the Champion to Clive… 

Sunday’s bike action includes a classic motorcycle demonstration, with one time SA MotoGP hero Dave Peterson riding the ex-Kenny Roberts grand prix Proton among a top field of classic racing Hondas, Suzukis and Kawasakis and a rare Seeley Triumph. Sunday will also see regular Zwartkops races for Bridgestone Challenge, Thunderbikes and Sub 10 motorcycles and a full grid of Red Square Kawasaki ZX10 Masters starting their 2018 season.

The Day of the Champion Sunday 28 January shares Zwartkops historic weekend with the 17th Passion of Speed races on Saturday the 27th in a celebration of the days of James Dean and the go, go, go generation through the highest tech racing machinery of yesteryear in a weekend-long celebration of breathtaking motorsport.

The racing will be backed by a broad selection of off track family entertainment — tickets can be bought via www.itickets.co.za or direct from the office at Zwartkops Raceway at R210 for adults or R140 for students for the full weekend, or R190 per Adult and R120 per day with kids under 12 getting in for free.