Daytona 675R Wins Inaugural South African 24 Hour Motorcycle Endurance Race

The weekend of 10 and 11 December 2011, saw the first 24 hour motorcycle endurance race, organised and sponsored by BIKE SA, being held at Redstar Raceway near Delmas.  

Action started at 13h00 with a Le Mans style start for the 20 teams. The fastest rider in each team would compete together, with the second fastest in the next session and so on. Some teams had the minimum of 4 riders whilst others had 5 riders. Riders had to swop every 30 minutes during a 5 minute window period, and if a rider was unable to take part in a session, the bike stayed in the pits.

Team Illiterate, sponsored by BIKE SA and riding a new Daytona 675R, comprised of the following riders: Robert Portman – Editor of MCSA and National Supersports rider campaigning on a Daytona for the past two years  and racing for many years. Clinton Pienaar – Editor of SUPERBIKE SA, multiple BOTTS Champion and former National Superbike Rider and all kinds of other things. Donovan Fourie – works for BIKE SA (title unknown) 2010 BOTTS champion and former National Superbike rider Craig Watson – Engineering student, former club racer and Superbike School instructor and sometimes BIKE SA correspondent. NOTE: Team Illiterate’s very apt name given the collective journalistic background.

In spite of breaking his wrist during morning qualifying, Robert started the endurance race well, lying second after the first session, after a ninth place start. From here onwards matters only improved. By daybreak on Sunday, the Triumph was leading by 7 laps. At 13h00 hours on Sunday afternoon, Craig crossed the line nine laps ahead of the nearest Honda 600, which was followed by a second Honda 600 3 laps further behind. Then came a brace of BMW S1000RR’s and other assorted machines.

20 Teams started, 17 finished. Apart from the little Triumph’s amazing achievement of running absolutely fault free for the entire race, the fact that it never rained in spite of heavily overcast skies, continues to astound all who where involved.