Graeme Van Breda, Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters, Kawasaki ZX10R

Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters:
Graeme Van Breda #41

—Kawasaki ZX10R.
—Zwartkops Raceway.

Tony Klem, Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters, Kawasaki ZX10R

Tony Klem #13

—Zwartkops Raceway turn one.

Rodney McLachlan, Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters, Kawasaki ZX10R

Rodney McLachlan #42

—Kawasaki ZX10R (Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters Cup Club).

Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters: wash, rinse, repeat

I look at myself in the mirror. In the background Gorillaz are complicating my situation with "On Melancholy Hill". I look old, as if time has finally caught up with me. My beard has turned partly white; I have to shave regularly to hide this fact. Can’t do anything for my sideburns, if you stand close enough, you’ll witness the evidence. Is time taking the golden locks away, and replacing it with wisdom? Or is it divorce, stress, lack of sleep, Rock 'n Roll (in my younger days), over worked, too short holidays? Karma? Pressing demands of society; Facebook, the Internet? I don’t know. Maybe, it is what it is.

I stand in front of the shampoo shelve, there are so many different kinds, and that excludes those you colour your hairdo with. I immediately think of JB "the real Tony Soprano" Schoeman (#23). (For those who are unfamiliar with his name, his is one of many Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters.) He has it easy in some sense, if you catch my drift. I grab a bottle of Palmolive Apple; it looks like anti-freeze, but smells great though. I don’t think it will un-grey my hair, but it will do for now. I read in a British Newspaper that Brylcreem might just do the thing; it is not advisable if you are a true scoot jockey.

Wash, rinse, repeat, and the grey sticks. Maybe, I must just accept the fact that I have also reached the halfway mark in my life.

Approximately a month ago, Stewart MacLeod (#46) dropped me a WhatsApp message, he is retiring from motorcycle racing. For a long time I have contemplated this poignant message: How he must have started his racing career, how many practice days, race days, laps, rain, heat, crashes, podiums, avid fans, trophies, tears, hardship ... And now he has moved this part of his life to the sunset of his motorcycling racing career ... end of the road. Only the memories will remain, cemented into the ribbon of black. 'We will miss you Stewart.' But, something tells me, that you will still be around. ... / You can check-out any time you like/ But you can never leave!/ ... (?)

In the Northern hemisphere, they have a thing called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). It starts in the fall and lasts almost the whole winter. Lack of sunshine, or the fact that you don’t see the thing, winter blues, something like that.
In the Southern hemisphere, especially if you live in a geographical area that hosts racetracks, like Zwartkops Raceway, Kyalami International Raceway, then most Vaalies suffer from LOTARS, pronounced: Loh-turs: "Lack of Thunder and Red Square". It normally sets in a few days after the last race meeting of every year. I suffer even more than most avid motorsport spectators, due to the fact that I’m an accredited MSA Motorsport Photographer (and columnist). So, to partly curb my demise, I regularly buy a case or two for the office and reminisce about race days gone by ...

Middle November of last year, Johan Fourie, Manager and Stevedore, of the Kawasaki ZX10R Master Cup, clinched a new full sponsorship term with Halewood International (the good people that makes Red Square Reload, and other exciting spirit coolers—click here.)
With twenty-two names on the books, the Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters Cup Club, also known as the "Red Army", are the biggest and best managed motorcycle fraternity in South Africa. It houses some of the best front runners in the country: Graeme van Breda #41, Brian Bontekoning #16, Tony Klem(?) #13, Johan Le Roux #44, Stewie Christie #65 ...
Their race-garage is ALWAYS open, so come show you ugly mug.

Their season goes full throttle with TEN exciting motorcycle racing events beautifying the racing calendar: Starting off at Zwartkops Raceway on 20 & 21 February, racing their way through to Red Star (Delmas), Phakisa (Free State), Port Elizabeth, East London, and, then again to Zwartkops. They also make several thunderous appearances at the internationally acclaimed Kyalami Raceway (by now you are well aware that the Grand Wizard, Toby Venter, owns the place). From Kyalami, it is off to Cape Town, then back to Zwartkops. The Red Army bows for the last grand curtain (of the season) at the amazing Kyalami Raceway.

YOU! ... YES! YOU! Definitely have nothing to do this upcoming weekend. Except thumbing the damn remote, and that is bad for you, REMEMBER! So? Scoot over to the illustrious Zwartkops Raceway, for the Extreme Festival: Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters, Production Cars, Silverton Bolt and Nut Brunch Run Challenge, Thunderbikes, Speed and Sound 111 Sports and Saloons, Leisure Grass Superhatch and the Engen Volkswagen Cup.
If the in-laws are visiting you have even MORE reason to be part of THIS thunderous sound-cloud.
Come Friday, for a foretaste, it’s FREE (entry), with a full PRACTICE programme (South Africa can do with more Friday Slackers).

Wash, rinse, repeat. The grey will stay. Life will move forward rapidly, like it is supposed to ... Repeat! I don’t want to repeat myself—Get in tune with the Extreme Festival and the thunderous motorcycle-racing journey, of the Red Square Kawasaki ZX10R Masters. —Godspeed! •