Amanzimtoti racer is ready to burn rubber
I also enjoy motocross and enduro riding.
It’s been an agonisingly long wait for Amanzimtoti’s two-wheel woman speedster, Anja Conci, 27, to get some news of when she can go racing again. To date Motorsport South Africa has been mum on when motorcyle racing when get the go-ahead. Talk around tha paddock is round two of the cars and bikes championships will take place at Dezzi Raceway in Port Shepstone on 15 August, but no confirmation has been forthcoming from the KZN Road Racing Club and its website had not been updated at the time of going to print.
Anja has been racing road bikes for four years and last year diced in the SAMRA Ladies 250cc Cup. “I have raced the Ladies Cup for two years on either a Honda CBR250 or Kawasaki Ninja 300.” Last year she landed a very close second place in the championship. She podiumed almost every race and won three, so the 2020 season was looking like hers for the taking until Covid-19 destroyed the racing calender. “I didn’t win (any other individual races or championships last year), but did come close. I did an occasional wild card race in the KZN series and usually placed second or third.”
The championship is raced across South Africa, with four different circuits in Johannesburg and two in KZN. Last year’s championship finished at the big Red Star Raceway in Johannesburg. “I enjoy the local races in KZN, Dezzi Raceway and Idube Raceway in Pietermaritzburg, but nationally my favourite is Red Star. We usually do 10 laps in a race, but that can vary depending on the size of the track.
“Riding has always been a family affair. We raced off-road and enduro for many years when I was younger, and slowly shifted onto road. The road racing environment was very attractive and the support that I receive as a woman in the motor racing industry has always been great. I enjoy every moment, whether I win or lose.
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“I think the best part is the thrill of going around the corners with the feeling of your knees scraping the tarmac and competing with your closest friends, and in my case, sometimes family to be the better rider in the end. I have also made some amazing friends and met incredible people. I even had the chance to meet MotoGP rider Brad Binder.
“The most difficult part for me is mentally. You have to trust that your tyres won’t give up on you when you’re leaning into those corners, you have to calculate your speed, lean angle and body position, and all of this has to be perfect every time. Physically you have to be strong, so that you have the strength to handle your bike and keep your peak fitness throughout the entire race.
“I also enjoy motocross and enduro riding. I have been doing this a lot more since the road tracks have been closed. I also enjoy obstacle course running, like Jump City or Waterra.” Off the bike, she loves playing guitar and bass, and has fun playing Xbox on the cold days. “Fortunately for me, the company I work for never really closed (during lockdown), so I have been grateful to work. Also I been working on my road bikes and building up my bikes.”
Like many motorbike racing fans, she is a long time fan of MotoGP rider Marc Marques. “I absolutely love how he practically defies the laws of physics on a regular basis. I’d love to be able to ride like him.
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“I am ultra-keen to get back to racing, massively keen, jump-at-the-first-shot keen. I think it’s unlikely we will still have a championship this year, as racing has been thrown off-course completely and there are still no confirmations of any racing to happen yet. There is still a lot of uncertainty and we all want to remain as safe as possible at this time.”
Anja thanks her sponsors, Helluvafast Motorcycles, SAMRA, Dew Cast, Superbike Mag, Dunlop and MVC Marketing, and hopes she will soon be back to winning ways for them.
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