Vinni’s ignition is powered by passion

WHEN Somerset Park resident, Vinni Naicker, began riding motorbikes, he had no idea it would lead into three very distinct motorsports. The 19-year-old has competed in Motocross, world superbike (WSB) racing and off-road quad bike racing. The local youngster has been competing in the off-road series of the KZN Sprint Series in the last few months.

Naicker who has broke 16 bones in his body said the sport is not for the faint hearted.

“You have to trust yourself when your riding. You need to clear your head of any negativity. At the moment I’m recovering from a shoulder dislocation and I decided in the interim to be part of the off-road quad bikes. It’s been an eye-opener being part of the sprint series, I’m used to racing around the track so this has taken a lot of getting used to. You have to plot your route and have a clear mental picture of the layout when you are doing a time trial,” he said.

The teenager who is part of the KZN quad rally team added his love for bikes started when he was four years old.

“My dad bought be a motocross dirt bike and I instantly fell in love with riding. It was a 50cc bike and I had to use a stool just to get up on the bike. I never had a coach so I either had my dad to help me or I just tried out certain things. A family friend who competes in the sport, introduced me to superbikes and that’s when I found my niche in life. I’m an advocate of responsible speeding, in other words, there’s a place for speed, and that’s the racetrack.

“My dream is to get into the superbike pro division. Brad Binder’s success is a real inspiration to up and coming riders like myself. I’m hoping to race in India in January, I just have to get over this injury first. I’m looking forward to it, right now, I’m focusing on getting some off-road experience under my belt and getting my strength back up,” he said.