The first MRSSA Sub 500 race for the 2024 season was in full swing at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend, in which racing champ Jhandre Fourie went toe-to-toe with the best in the fraternity.
Fourie, who shares his birthday with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, was set on bagging valuable points and reigning supreme.
The Hoërskool Marais Viljoen High School learner finished well, paving the way for more feats.
Before the race, Fourie said they battled a bit with practice because he was nervous with the SBK 600 class that was again riding with them, “And they run a very fast pace”.
“But I stayed focused and ended the day feeling good and ready for race day. On the day, I was ready, and we arrived at the track fresh and early. I was fortunate to meet one of my MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 heroes, Darren Binder; this gave me a huge boost,” he explained.
He said their qualifying session went well as he started second in his class due to another rider’s misfortune with technical issues on his bike.
WATCH: Jhandre Fourie prepares for the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
Jhandre Fourie prepares for the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit pic.twitter.com/vVZj3leOA1
— Alberton Record (@RecordAlberton) February 8, 2024
“In race one, we belted off the start line and gave it horns. After six laps, there was an incident with one of the SBK 600 riders who had an unfortunate crash, and the race was red-flagged. Luckily, the rider and the bike were okay. They restarted the race for a six-lap sprint race. We belted off again, all of us heading for the first turn,” Fourie said.
Fourie reiterated that the race went well. However, there was another SBK 600 crash, and the race again ended with a red flag.
“I got another second place for race one. In race two, again, we belted off the start. Before the lap ended, we again had another SBK 600 red flag. We restarted again. This time, I finished the race in third place and did my personal best time of the weekend on my last lap,” he said.
He finished the day with an overall second place and valuable points for round two, which takes place in March at Red Star Raceway.
Fourie now looks forward to club races at the Red Star Raceway, Zwartkops Raceway and Midvaal Budget Racing.
“Thank you to all my supporters, all and any help is appreciated. Should you wish to sponsor me towards my bike racing journey, kindly email my father, Martin Fourie, at martin@stws.co.za,” he said.
