In recent years, it has been easy for many to be scornful about the state of motorcycle racing in South Africa: wherever the finger has been pointed, justifying the criticism hasn’t been a problem for those doing the pointing. That they also fail to come up with any solutions is sadly just as predictable.
However, as with any complicated situation, a simple investigation behind the scenes reveals the actual reality and the efforts many people are making to grow the sport and foster new talent.
For twenty years, Clint Seller has been at the forefront of SA racing, as well as making waves on the U.S. scene. Not that he’d thank me for saying it, but he’s now one of the elder statesmen of racing, although the competitive fire still burns brightly: nine SA titles have done nothing to dampen that. Today, however, he is working hard to give back to the sport, with the full backing of King Price Insurance and co-sponsors Honda SA, Liqui Moly, NGK Spark Plugs, Dragon Energy Drink, Super Signs and Portable Shade.
If there is one thing Clint has learned, it is that involving the press is almost as important as what happens on the track, because there is an important message to get out there: that SA motorcycle racing is alive and well. That is why we found ourselves at Bike Shop Rivonia as guests of the King Price Extreme Racing team, with not only Clint, but also the junior members of the team, Leungo Gaorekwe, 19, and Cayden and Blake Robert, 15 and 10 respectively and their father, Craig, who acts as team manager and mentor to the youngsters who are all thriving under his care and attention.
It is not only the King Price Extreme team that is benefitting from Clint’s leadership. Clint has run the team since 2019 and has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get the National Superbike Series back on its feet and show that it can be, once again, a serious hotbed of talent and good racing. Not even Covid could derail his and everyone else’s efforts and, at the start of the 2023 season, the series is in rude good health, especially in the junior classes, 50 cc and 150 cc, as well as the 600 cc class.
From painful experience, Clint knows that it’s not enough to simply give a youngster a bike and send them out on track. Today’s racer has to be an expert in many different disciplines away from the track. Data logged from onboard sensors is just as important a weapon in the racer’s armoury as natural skill or a good set of spanners is to the mechanic. If any of these youngsters are to succeed in overseas’ championships, they need to understand how to decipher the information being fed to them to improve lap times: it’s no longer enough to simply try harder when on the bike.
Then there is mental strength, not something that comes naturally to kids of 10 or 15. As Clint pointed out, the main way of achieving it is through adversity and we all know that adversity can knock the stuffing out of you harder than any crash. This is where Clint’s hard-won experience, alongside Craig’s calming but firm influence, comes into play. The King Price Extreme team is not a vanity project for Clint and Craig: they care about developing these kids to help them realise the potential they ‘obviously’ possess. If Clint manages to bag a tenth title for himself along the way, well what better inspiration for the boys?
Sacrifice is a constant companion. Every member of the team, no matter how old, told us that their friends, no matter how supportive and encouraging of their efforts, would more often than not, simply not call to invite them out on a weekend as they already knew what the answer would be. It’s not anything to be sad about: this is the commitment that is needed and all the boys know this. The compensation, of course, is that they are doing something that many of us would give our back teeth to do.
That not all of them might succeed has no part in their vision of the future and it is a testament to the organisation that Clint and Craig have built that will give Leungo, Cayden and Blake the best chance possible. This year, Leungo will head to Spain as a wild-card entry in a few races in the Spanish CEV Series, with a view, to taking part in a full season in 2024. That in itself is a massive move for him and it’s not going to be easy, but the grounding he has received will stand him in excellent stead.
So, the next time you feel like bemoaning the state of motorcycle racing in South Africa, maybe take the time to attend one of the rounds of the national championship and witness the racing, talk to the teams, riders and sponsors and show support. My bet is you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
