Automobiles and Motorsports

In the early years in South Africa, motorcycles and motocross were a big part of our recreation and competition up until 1982 when I would take an extended break while sailing. Then in the early 90’s in the USA, I would fulfill a childhood dream of owning a Mazda RX7, and as the saying goes, the rest is history after purchasing my first 1987 Mazda TX7 Turbo II streetcar and being introduced to drag racing on Friday nights at our local drag strip.

Owning three rotary powered Mazda’s, I competed on a National Level in the NHRA’s Import Drag Racing Series, finishing 3rd in 2001 in my streetcar. In 2002, the series changed to the Sport Compact Drag Racing Series where in 2003, finished 2nd by a mere 8 points in the normally aspirated All-Motor Class. In 2205 I built a new Mazda RX8 to compete in the Modified class with the turbo charged 3/4 chassis vehicles. Then in 2007, I finished 2nd again in the Modified Class Championship that went down to the wire of the last race, in the last event of the season in Pomona, California.

As a privateer, competing at the highest level in our series of drag racing, earning several top qualifiers, podiums, victories, and even a world record as the fastest 13B rotary for a brief period in 2007, these years were fun. The highs and lows of victory and defeat, the willingness to experiment with new technology and take advantage of it were instrumental in my success. My final drag racing event in 2009, I captured my final victory by winning the World Street National in Orlando, Florida.

I could not have succeeded without the support and dedication of my dear wife, my friends and sponsors.

Following Drag Racing, I tried my hand at Road Racing. An entirely new discipline that would again force me to learn how to set up a car and modify it into a winning vehicle.