20 December 2013
The WSRC in Walkerville, Gauteng, S.Africa sends a seasonal greeting to all its members and to its website viewers far and wide.
The 2014 season starts on Sunday, January 26th when riders compete for the Summer Cup. All the fixtures for the forthcoming year can be seen on the Fixtures 2014 page.
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14.12.2013, WSRC Annual Prize Awards Evening
Presentation of awards to WSRC riders that were won during the past 2013 season was made on Saturday evening at the Canterbury Arms, Walkerville. A full list of recipients can be seen here, with shots of them receiving their trophies from Danie Fourie on the Gallery page.
Below: Regional Champion Damien Devine with Danie Fourie, plus 2nd & 3rd place riders Lyle Kotze & Boddy Devine, ...
..... and good time was had by all at the 'Grease' themed evening !
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08.12.2013, Walkerville, Gauteng:
Gio Nunes is the 2013 S.African National Champion.
22-year
old Gio Nunes rode to an unbeaten 12 point maximum in the third and
final round of the 'Dot Engineering' S.African National Championship to clinch the
title and add a new name to the Danie Fourie Trophy for 2013. Gio, grandson of former 3x S.A. Champion Arthur Bruins, is
seen, photo rt., receiving the winner's trophy from Danie Fourie.
In
the Sidecar division Edwin & Estelle Butler (below) similarly pulled off
an unbeaten performance on their Kawasaki 1100cc combination for the
husband and wife pairing to add their names to the list of National
Sidecar Champions.
Full Heat Details
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All awards and trophies won during the course of the 2013 season will be presented at the Annual Prize Giving Dinner next week, SATURDAY Dec.14th at the Canterbury Arms in Walkerville. The event starts at 18h30 and the theme of the evening is "Grease".
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24.11.2013, "Legends of the Past" meeting, Walkerville, Gauteng.
-- video: Introductory Parade of Riders, all Classes, -- (scroll down to Intro'y Parade)
The annual 'Legends of the Past' meeting started with a new event, a race for the Henry Long Trophy. This cup, inscribed with names of initial holders like Alan Hunt, Doug Davies and Henry himself from as early as 1955 at Pretoria Stadium, was competed for by way of a difference, with four riders each racing 4 laps alone, and the third lap of each man timed to determine the winner. Byron Bekker, still recuperating from a knee operation, competed against Neil Pettit, Lyle Kotze and DJ Devine. BB's winning lap time was 15.87 seconds, with Neil Pettit not far behind on 16.26s. Lyle Kotze came in third on 17.3s, and unfortunately DJ fell in corner 1 going into his 3rd lap, so he was out of the running. Though Henry Long had planned to attend and make the presentation, on the day the 86 year old had to send his apologies and former triple SA Champion of the '70s, Arthur Bruins, duly obliged. Congratulations to Byron Bekker, good to be seen back in the saddle, if only for a few laps; here's hoping the knee gets better soon.
In the main event Lyle Kotze and Brad Devine headed the qualifiers with 8 pts, both beaten by Neil Pettit, but his fall in his second ride put him back to the Dudleigh Long 'A' Final, which he took with ease in the fastest heat of the day. Gio Nunes joined Kotze and Brad D. in the main Final for the Buddy Fuller Trophy, won this year by Lyle Kotze (photo rt.).
Derrick Hilliar returned to race in the Sidecar class but with an engine failure in his first ride was forced to withdraw from the meeting. Gordon Butler was victor on the day with 2 wins to 1 over brother Edwin. - FULL RESULTS
Thanks to all riders, spectators, sponsors who came to the Legends of the Past race meeting.
Action pics, incl'g from the MX and Quad events, can be seen on the Gallery p1.
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The next race meeting will be the Dot Engineering National Final to be held on Sunday 8th Dec. with racing starting at 12noon. As this is a fund raising day for a local charity, spectator entry fee will be R30 which includes a ticket into the lucky draw for 3 gift hampers.
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The Annual Prize Giving will be held at Canterbury Arms in Walkerville on Saturday 14th Dec. at 18h30. The theme is " Grease ".
Tickets including dinner are R100 per person and everybody is welcome. Riders who are paid up members are free, as well as under 12’s.
For catering purposes, kindly e-mail or phone/sms Pat Pettit ASAP if you would like to attend in order for her to reserve your tickets, available for sale at the race meeting on the 8th December.
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7.11.2013: Good-bye to the oldest Springbok, Fred Wills, b. 24-04-1919 d. 21-10-2013.
News has been received of the passing of Fred Wills, aged 94, following complications during hip surgery. Fred was the brother-in-law of Buddy Fuller and was S.African National Champion in 1949 and again in 1950, having spent the intervening winter with Liverpool in the UK. He started riding in 1938 and was runner-up to Buddy Fuller in the 1940 Championship at the Old Barn track, Alberton. He made his international début in the '48/'49 Test Series against England, was S.A captain the following season, and continued to represent the Union in subsequent seasons, often alternating the role of skipper with Henry Long.
After taking the title from Buddy Fuller in April 1950, Fred Wills was undefeated S.African Match Race Champion for the whole of the '50/'51 season, with 7 successful Golden Helmet defences, making 2-0 clean sweeps in all but one of the challenges, that to Henry Long, but still a 2-1 win for FW. He had further Golden Helmet wins in late '52 over Roy Bester, Norwegian Basse Hveem and Henry Long before conceding his title to soon-to-be World Champion, Ronnie Moore in January 1953.
On the domestic front he captained both West Rand Dakotas and Boksburg Bees to S.A. National League championships in '49/'50 and '51/52 respectively before transferring his captaincy to the Randfontain Aces. After breaking an ankle in a meeting at the Goodwood Showground, Cape Town, Fred carried out his earlier threat and retired from speedway racing in 1956.
- Photo tribute: Gallery p.4 (scroll down.)
27.10.2013, Walkerville: Final Rd, Regional Championship.
In the second and final round of the Regional Championship at the Walkerville Raceway Lyle Kotze went through the card unbeaten, but it was Damien Devine (Lt.) who'd had a similar clean sheet in the first round back in February that took the trophy with an aggregate score of 18 points. Third on the day, uncle Bobby Devine came in third overall behind Damien and Lyle.
Gordon Butler and partner Johan Herbst were also unbeaten in the sidecar class and took their Regional trophy from last year's winner Derick Hilliar, chaired today by Gordan Raath. Lyle Kotze was also impressive in the Flat Track events, failing to take the chequered flag only when riding off a 100m handicap in Ht.22. FULL RESULTS
(Video of one of the Quad Bike races, giving a panorama of the Walkerville Raceway, can be seen on Gallery p5 .)
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29.9.2013, Walkerville: Golden Helmet & Silver Sash
Back on their own track after visits to the Cape and the North West, the WSRC racers fought it out for the annual Golden Helmet trophy and the Silver Sash, decided over qualifying heats to ‘A’ and ‘B’ Finals. Neil Pettit and Lyle Kotze headed the heat qualifiers, the current champ exacting revenge for his defeats the previous day at Rustenburg with 9pts, while brothers Brad and Damien Devine, along with Gio Nunes, each make 6 points. Damien, accompanied by 'Fish' who was making a welcome return to the track, joined the 2 top scorers in the race for the prized Helmet and it was former holder Pettit that took the trophy, Fish taking a fall trying just a little too hard. In the minor Final for the Silver Sash Gio Nunes lead Bobby Devine from veteran Hansi Kleynhans.
On the combinations Edwin Butler and Deon Kruger each took 2 wins from one another for 10pts, Edwin & Estelle claiming the Final, while in the Flat-Track class Lyle Kotze returned to the track for 4 straight wins. Full Results Action shots, all Classes, on Gallery page.
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28.9.2013 - WSRC at RUSTENBERG SHOWGROUND
A squad of WSRC solo and sidecar riders made their second visit this year to the Rustenburg Showground on Saturday. After 7 heats of solo handicap races culminating in a 6-man grand slam final heat Lyle Kotze topped the score chart, dropping his only point of the day after a fall on the second lap of his third ride. Neil Pettit also took a fall on the big 450m Showground track and had to concede defeat to Kotze in their two straight, fall-free confrontations.
The sidecar teams again excited the spectators, Gordon Butler, with the experienced Johan Herbst in the chair, took top slot with 10pts and brother Edwin next on 7 after suffering engine failure in his first ride, when Kallie & Konrad Britz took the chequered flag.
Full results Action shots, all Classes, on Gallery page.
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28.9.2013, Sidecar Speedway.
Two sidecar-related items have been added to the website: -
- i) on the History page, under 'International Matches', an article of reports on the 1993 Sidecar Test Match series, S.Africa v. Gt,Britain;
- ii) in the Gallery section, a feature showing 500cc Class sidecars as used in Europe today, making the contrast with the multi-cylinder Class. At Walkerville everyone is familiar with the big boys' 1000cc combinations but probably less so with the alternative class of 500cc lightweight chariots.
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27.9.2013, "Speedway League Racing in S.Africa, Pt.2, 1977 - 2003."
RE "A second summary article has been added to the website's History page giving further data on other small scale league projects that were initiated in the decades that followed the first league speedway era in South Africa," THIS ITEM NOW REVISED TO INCLUDE REFERENCE TO A 1982 LEAGUE PLUS AN ASSOCIATED ARTICLE OF THE DAY. A FURTHER ITEM HAS BEEN POSTED WITH FULL REPORTS AND HEAT DETAILS OF EACH OF THE 2003 LEAGUE MATCHES, courtesy of Christian Weber.
Rt: Walkerville Wizards 2003, at Rustenburg.
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25.8.2013, Walkerville Best Pairs
There was action and drama across the classes during this month's WSRC race meeting as falls and injuries took their toll, but the 'Old Ouens' pairing of veteran Bobby Devine (left,) and teenager Lyle Kotze steered clear of trouble to take the annual Best Pairs trophy with scores of 4+2 and 8 respectively to total 14pts from their 3 rides, with the 'Quickloader' team in second place.
After taking a second place in Ht.2 in his first Solo Speedway ride Derrick Hilliar fell from the sidecar chariot that he was crewing for Donovan Butler two heats later and sustained a hand injury which prevented him taking his further solo rides. But “2 Dogs” Hilliar bravely continued jockeying for Donovan, giving them 2nd place in the 3-wheel class behind Edwin & Estelle Butler.
In the next heat, a Flat Track class, as one rider fell he was hit by a following Tracker. Both Rob Whiting and Andre Mostert were taken to hospital by ambulance where it was confirmed RW has a broken collar bone and AM a broken femur/hip requiring surgery.
In the next round it was the Solo Speedway class that came unstuck. Neil Pettit came down in Ht.11 while leading but was up again to make 2nd place. Gio Nunes took a fall at the 4th corner in Ht.12 and couldn't be avoided by Damien Devine. Gio sustained minor bruising in his left shoulder, DD’s bike got bent, but 48hrs later both riders are said to be fine. FULL RESULTS
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WSRC and all at Walkerville wish both Rob and Andre a speedy recovery;
- A big 'Thank you' to all the spectators and riders who came to the race meeting.
- A special thank you to our sponsors of the Best Pairs speedway teams of the day: Ou Ouens Pub, Hay’s Printing, Dot Engineering and Quickloader Trailers.
- And as always thanks to the on-going sponsors Mibern Medi-call, Dot Engineering, Ansley Racing, Buffs Biltong, and “speedway friend, Roger”.
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The WSRC take to the road next month and race at
- the George Oval, Western Cape on Saturday 21st Sept, and a week later at
- the Rustenburg Showground, N.W.Province on Sat. 28th Sept, commencing 2pm.
The next home meeting at Walkerville will be for the GOLDEN HELMET trophy and the SILVER SASH on SUNDAY Sept 29th.
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In the Sidecar class matters were also close with 5 drivers separated again by just 2 points with all of them taking at least one win today. With 3 wins from 4 rides Edwin Butler (left) on his Kawasaki 1100cc machine and partnered by wife Estelle took top money from brother Gordon, but Gordon leads the championship scores by 24pts to Edwin's 22. The Final round of the Dot Engineering SA National is on Dec.7th. 