Young Honeydew racer crowned champ
ATS Motorsport racer Richard Leeke (21) from Honeydew is the youngest SA Rally Championship winner in the record books.
The former Trinityhouse High School learner turned professional rally racer, 21-year-old Richard Leeke (Junior) recently nailed a huge victory in his career after triumphing in the South African National Rally Championship along with his 29-year-old co-driver Henry Köhne.
The duo, better known as the ATS Motorsport Young Guns, scooped the title after out-staging their counterparts in their Ford Fiesta during the VW Rally series which ended in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape recently.
The reigning champs are looking to improve their record in three weeks in the next SA Rally Championship in Bronkhorstspruit.
The pair is also involved in other race events such as the SA Cross Country Series where they feel they need to improve after enduring mechanical setbacks in an elite event that was held in Harrismith, Free State during the past weekend.
Leeke shared his love for motor sports. “I started racing when I was four years old and when I was 10 I had to pause my career because of school,” he said.
The racer added that he again found his passion for racing at the age of 17 and enjoyed it under his father’s guidance and supervision.
“Racing has always been an easy journey because my dad was a racer,” he said.
Although he had all the support from his skilled father, he admitted that he had a few accidents before mastering the steering wheel.
“I learned the hard way when I was growing up. I had a couple of crashes which prepared me to be the best,” Leeke said.
Details: www.sarallying.co.za
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