Three-time national superbike drag racing champ Zafar Hoosen reflects on challenging year
Lakefield resident Zafar Hoosen is seriously fast.
There’s no doubt that Lakefield resident and superbike drag racer Zafar Hoosen (27) is quick.
In fact, he is so quick that he has become a national champion for the third time in succession.
The former Benoni Primary School, Liverpool Secondary School, and Kathstan College learner reclaimed his national Supersport Shootout (SS) champion status for the third year running after the fifth and sixth rounds of Motorsport South Africa’s national championships at Dezzi Raceway in Port Shepstone in November last year.
It wasn’t the easiest of runs to the 2017 championship title for Hoosen after a year of ups and downs in the sport.
His first high began at the first and second rounds of the national championship at the Aldo Scribante Circuit in Port Elizabeth where he obliterated the record time at the PE raceway with a personal best time of 8.821 seconds, reaching a top speed of 254.2km/h on the quarter mile.
The joy of that great ride was soon a memory after a bad experience at the Cape Town leg of nationals in rounds three and four.
“I blew my engine in a qualifying round and was disqualified without any points gained,” said Hoosen.
“There was nothing I could do about it, which meant that the next two rounds in KwaZulu-Natal would become do or die.
“I had to win in Natal to win the national championship.”
It was his first time riding at Dezzi Raceway and he faced some of the stiffest competition he had raced against in the SS class.
“It was hectic, but I pulled through and again ran a time of 8.8 seconds to break the course record.”
His victories there meant Hoosen had earned enough points to, again, become a national title-holder.
He was buoyed by the fact that his family from Durban came out in droves to support him, while other friends and family came down from Johannesburg to back him.
“Their support gave me that extra boost.”
Reflecting on 2017, Hoosen said, “It was the most intense national championship that I have experienced.
“There was drama and solid competition.
“I really had to give it my all.”
The drag racer is well aware that he will need to be even better in 2018 if he is to retain his champion status.
“The sport is gaining popularity and the competition is increasing.
“Technology is also catching up to me as some competitors are riding newer models of bikes that are stronger and faster than my 2005 and 2006 models.
“It’s an expensive sport, so I will need to acquire a sponsor for a newer bike.”
He is now turning his attention to the 2018 national championship and is withdrawing from smaller, regional competitions in order to preserve and extend his bikes’ longevity.
He also has a potential overseas challenge on the cards.
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