Amanzimtoti racer targets number 1 next season

Although no dates have been released yet, the good news is that Amanzimtoti racer Jesse Conci, 19, will get to rev his bike in anger next year. This will be his first year in the 600cc championship. Last year he competed in the Supersport 300 and 150cc classes. “My goal is to win the championship (next year), but with the high level of competition, I will be extremely happy to finish in the top three. I’ve been racing road bikes for four years now.

“There are no dates released for next year yet, but all races will definitely be at Dezzi Raceway in Port Shepstone. There are nine races throughout the year, but unfortunately there is only one track in KZN big enough to accommodate the 600s, which is Dezzi.”

There are 10 laps in a race and they race two heats per class in a day. Jesse’s weapon of choice for next year is a Yamaha R6. He has previously won the 150cc cup championship and been runner-up multiple times in other classes. With about 25 race wins, he has lost count of the exact figure over the years. “I also participated in the National SuperBike Mag Short Circuit series, where I placed third in the championship last year. My favourite circuit is Dezzi, as this is my home track and where I’ve had the most memorable moments.”

He matriculated last year after being home-schooled. The young racer is sponsored by Helluvafast Motorcycles, Mike Signs, AutoRust Control, Argotek, GP Racing and Dunlop Express Kingsburgh. “Motorsport has always been a family affair. I participated in many harescrambles and enduro races while I was in primary school. I rode and raced off-road and motocross for many years, so it felt very natural to move over from dirt to the road.

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I enjoy the competitive pace in road racing and getting to race against the best in the country is always exciting. It’s a very exciting sport in every division, whether on the big bikes or small ones. There is always someone to compete against and always room to improve. Most of all it’s a great environment to bond with my family and friends. All the work and effort that comes from my pit crew encourages me to push hard and make my family and sponsors proud.

“The most difficult part is the physical and mental training before racing. What you do when you are not on track plays an important role in your overall performance on race day. It’s very important to take care of yourself every day.”
Off-track Jesse enjoys ice-skating. “I spend a lot of my free time at the Galleria Ice Rink. I also like playing Xbox and cycling, and I enjoy going to the track at Amanzimtoti Sports Centre with my friends.” Brad Binder and Marc Marquez are the two MotoGP riders he cheers on.

“I am very eager to get back to racing, as 2020 has been an extra long year without racing. Unfortunately I have not attended any practice days, as there have been restrictions due to Covid-19, but we have been doing all sorts of other training and setting up our bikes to come back to the track with a bang!”

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