Summarize

Racing was quiet in a Toyota Gazoo Racing Week 10 where most major international series closed off their pre season testing. Among them, world champion Max Verstappen’s Red Bull was quickest in Bahrain F1 testing from Charles Leclerc's Ferrari and Fernando Alonso in the Alpine, with George Russell the fastest Mercedes in fifth. Elsewhere, Former F1 driver Robert Kubica topped the second Sebring WEC pre season test in an LMP2 car after Toyota Gazoo Racing led the first session. And TOM'S Toyota topped the All Japan GT pre season test too.

There was a little racing. On two wheels, Brandon Paasch drafted past South African duo Cameron Petersen and Sheridan Morais to steal the 80th Daytona 200 in Florida, USA. Paasch hung around at the back of a four-rider pack before powering his Triumph out of the final chicane in fourth place, went down low on the banking, and pulled a double-draft pass on Petersen and Morais to steal his second successive Daytona 200 win by just 0.007 seconds. Also in the US, Chase Briscoe won his first NASCAR Cup Series in a three-lap shootout finish at Phoenix.

Closer to home, the first round of the SA Motorcycle Racing Series went down at Red Star, where Clinton Seller’s Honda took Ultimate Superbike honours from Allan Jon Venter’s Suzuki and Michael White on an Aprilia. AD van Dalen’s BMW took Unlimited Superbikes from Luca Bertolini’s Suzuki and Armand Veldman’s Yamaha. Jaco Gous’ Suzuki won Classics from Paul Jacobs’ Honda and Lionel Black on another Suzuki and Mark van den Berg’s Suzuki won Masers. Nicole Fourie’s Kawasaki won Sub-500s and George Hadji took the Battle of the Twins on an Aprilia.

Michael Pentecost’s Kawasaki romped to the Rustenburg Gauteng Cross Country win over OR1 open class rivals Gareth Cole’s Honda and Tyron Beverly’s Kawasaki. Scott Heygate’s KTM beat Devan Smith in 350cc OR2 Matthew Wilson’s KTM took 250cc OR3 from Taki Bogiages Kawasaki. Honda rider Wade Blaauw took the Senior win from Kenny Gilbert’s Kawasaki and Kobus Jonck’s KTM beat Wayne Farmer’s Husqvarna in Masters. Wian Wentzel’s Husqvarna won High School, Bruno Niebuhr’s KTM 85cc Juniors, Mackenzie Bam won 65cc and Declan Richards 50cc.

There were two Rotax Max karting regionals too. At Killarney, where Joseph Oelz benefited double race winner Sebastian Boyd’s demise to take DD2 in a star studded Cape Championship second round as Conor Hughes trotted to the DD2 Masers triple. Charl Visser beat Andrew Rackstraw in Senior Max, and Reese Koorzen took Junior Max. There were also three triple wins in the primary school classes, where Jordon Wadeley stormed to Mini Max victory, Aiden Beaumont won Micro Max and Liam Wharton took the baby Bambino spoils.

And at Formula K in Benoni, brothers Jamie and Brandon Smith cantered to a triple 1-2 on a splendid 18-kart DD2 grid. Eugene Brittz dominated Masters, where Bjorn Roos kept him honest and Frikkie Cornelius took DD2 vets win. Karabo Malemela Senior Max made his own and KC Ensor-Smith was unbeaten in Junior Max. Caleb Odendaal was denied a triple win when he hit trouble early in the second Mini Max race, but took the day after tying with Amani Kinyua. Taylin Patel did the Micro triple and Brodi Dowling’s won two Bambino wins to Noah Cronje’s one.