Veejaro smokes all competition in first-ever Red Bull Shay’ iMoto

Over the weekend, 16 of the country’s top spinners went head-to-head for top honours and street cred in the first-ever one of a kind spinning competition, Red Bull Shay’ iMoto.

The inaugural event took place at Wheelz ‘n Smoke Arena in front of an enthralled 4000-strong crowd. The venue is a well-known hotspot for spinning action and saw Nigel’s Vernon “Veejaro” Hendricks drift away with the title after a smoking-hot final against Kimberly’s Kayla Oliphant.

“It’s such a privilege to have won the first Red Bull Shay’ iMoto, I’m so emotional and cannot believe it,” Hendricks said.

The contestants all had three minutes to wow spectators and judges with their best tyre-slaying skills. They used the stage to earn the respect of the masses and establish themselves as true street spinning royalty.

The competition consisted of four rounds, the first, a seeding round where the judges scored each spinner on driving skills and showmanship. In the subsequent rounds, the judges were joined by the voice of the crowd in deciding the spinning champion.

The road to the final was an exciting one for the two spinners, Oliphant topped the first round, while Hendricks had the crowd screaming for more until he ultimately came on top following the event filled with the smell of burning rubber in the air, screeching tyres, and car-spinning manoeuvres.

“I’ve had an absolutely amazing day with amazing people, from the crowd to the pit crew to the organisers and it’s all thanks to God for making it possible,” Hendricks said.

Judges included respected industry spinners and opinion leaders Magesh Ndaba, Jeff James, Shahiem Bell and Sparky Hendricks.

“I’m really proud to have been part of such a ground-breaking competition that will pave the way for youth who have a passion for spinning. When I started, I never thought we’d eventually have international brands such as Red Bull creating opportunities for spinning to be further recognised as a sport,” said Ndaba.

The evening was a thrilling experience for attendees, MC Vic kept the crowd revved up, while Ready D and DJ Bokkie gave smoking performances. The event sponsor PUMA also hosted a PUMA Pitstop where spectators had a chance to get exclusive deals on motorsport products.

“I’m usually nervous ahead of spinning competitions because there aren’t a lot of female spinners, but today I came in full of confidence and just enjoyed myself behind the wheel, and it paid off. I won the first round and made it into the finals. Thank you, Red Bull, for giving us such an epic experience,” Oliphant said.