Motorbike racer, Nikolai Conci, 26, believes that this year’s break may make for closer racing next season. “Next year is very unpredictable, as the competition coming in is running very high. A lot of us were running very similar lap times in 2019, but now with taking a break in 2020, we are not sure how the field has changed. My goal, however, will be to win the championship.”
He has been racing road bikes for four years and next year will line up for the 600cc Formula Extreme championship. “I plan on racing a couple of national races as well as the Monocle Racing Series. The dates have not yet been released, but the first race will definitely be at Dezzi Raceway and we will be sure to let everyone know once we know. Usually there are between eight and 10 races throughout the year for the championship and they will more than likely all be at Dezzi Raceway, but there has been talk of a club hosting us in Port Elizabeth for a race.”
Nikolai raced the 600cc Formula Extreme in 2018, then took a break from the big bikes in 2019 to move down to the 300cc cup and he also opened his throttle for the super motard class. A normal race day consists of two heats and one heat has 10 laps. The total points of both heats determine your overall position for the day.
Next season he will race a Yamaha R6. “Last year I was on board a Yamaha R3 and a Yamaha Super Motard YZF450F. My best result is winning the 600cc Formula Extreme in 2018.” He has won three championships altogether as well as individual races over the years. He also entered national races, where he claimed podiums.
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Asked what is his favourite circuit and why, he replied: “It depends on what bike I am riding. I really enjoy Dezzi as it’s my home track for the 600cc, but if I am on a small capacity bike, I prefer Idube.” The speedster is sponsored by Helluvafast Motorcycles, Dunlop Express Kingsburgh, Bandit and Actum.
“I started a motorcycle repair company many years ago and over the years it opened up the opportunities (for me to start racing). I had many racers coming to me to help set up their bikes and naturally I was introduced to the sport and have been dedicated to it ever since. I was raised around motorsport ever since I was young, so this world is pretty much second nature to me. I don’t think I ever see my life without racing.
“There are many challenges, but I definitely think the most challenging part for me is not taking your equipment further than its capability. You have to know your bike, your tyres and everything that is happening on your bike 100% of the time. Track conditions can also be inconsistent throughout the day as it changes with the weather and temperature. It is a constant strategy game and you have to pay attention to what is happening when other classes are racing.”
Nikolai also enjoys taking part in obstacle course racing, and riding off-road and enduro from time to time. “I raced enduro and motocross when I was in high school. I even won a good few races and claimed a championship too. I enjoy going for walks with my wife and dogs, and if I’m not working on my bike, I spend a lot of time training with my family at the gym. I also have a couple of project cars that I am fixing and building up.” On screen, he supports Johan Zarco, MotoGP’s bad boy.
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“I didn’t get to attend any practice days during lockdown, as there were restrictions and I prefer to keep things safe and wait for everything to open up again. I am very keen to get back into racing. We may have had a break in 2020, but I did not stop training and testing on my bike to be ultra ready for 2021.”
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