Latest news with #SamkelisoThubane
News24
a day ago
- Automotive
- News24
Drift culture takes centre stage as Red Bull Shay' iMoto heads to Durban
The popular Red Bull Shay' iMoto event returns but this year makes its debut in Durban. 2024 winner Chadwin 'Boksie' Hadjie will defend his title in this year's round. There are 16 drivers competing for the 2025 title. The sound of tyres shredding will be amplified at the Suncoast Casino on 10 August, when the popular Red Bull Shay' iMoto event makes its debut on the golden coast of Durban. South Africa's top spinners will not just be put to the test but have the opportunity to place their name in the spinning hall of fame. This growing culture of Spinning in South Africa has been a passion for many car enthusiasts as the unique sport has taken off and become recognised as a motorsport genre. Very recently, SA RedBull spinning athlete Samkeliso 'Samsam' Thubane wowed the crowd, and the likes of F1 driver Max Verstappen, with his skills in Austria. Spinning creates a car culture where you can express yourself freely, turning your everyday vehicle into a fine-tuned weapon performing in an open space. It's a different art form, and this event is like performing at Madison Square Garden. This will be the first time Red Bull Shay' iMoto will be held in KwaZulu-Natal. Last year, Cape Town local Chadwin 'Boksie' Hadjie took the title before a roaring home crowd. The 16 drivers will compete head-to-head, with a combination of returning champions with a lot riding on their shoulders and hungry new up-and-coming drivers ready to dethrone the champions. Drivers from various backgrounds participated in this event, from generational spinners performing since birth to newcomers inspired by the previous Shay' iMoto events. Shay' iMoto is not about who can make the most smoke or who can hold the longest drift. The judges are looking for control, style, drama, and crowd reaction. Spinning has evolved from just a few cars doing burnouts to an artistic performance. Sunset Casino is not just a different location but will bring a local aura to the event with coastal views. High expectations will be expected from this event with old age rivalries, high stakes, and the sound of screaming fans. Tickets are available via Computicket. The 2025 Red Bull Shay' iMoto Champion will start a new era of South African motorsport in KwaZulu-Natal. The Drivers for 2025 Bradleigh McGregor (Skopas) Chadwin Hadjie (Boksie) Dylan Brough (Vaatjie) Jade Sheomangal (Jabu) Jean Panjaro (Panjaro) Kaylin Oliphant (Kaylin) Mphiti Samuel Kgwahla (Makgasa Fire) Nevelan Naidoo (Nevelan) Prince Ndaba (Prince) Raees Weir (Raees) Robin Fortuin Sadhil Parag (Sadz) Sphesihle Ndlovu (Sphesihle) Yusuf Fakir Zameer Cassim (Lockdiff) Swikhodo Nembambula (Ziko)
IOL News
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
How spinning is becoming South Africa's fastest growing motorsport
ALTHOUGH not mainstream but spinning is becoming the fastest growing sports in South African. | Supplied Image: Supplied Words could never really describe the feeling you get when you see a BMW E30 in a roll back burnout which ends up clouding the area around it with smoke. You can hear the car's engine limiting like it's going to break, and then all of a sudden…it disappears in a cloud of white smoke. It's not so much a sport but a stirrer of emotions, mainly adrenaline, which permeates throughout the drivers, stuntmen and the spectators alike. There's no real point structure like the Super Drift series, but rather, spinning is mainly judged by the crowd's applause - which makes it the most interactive motorsport to date. South Africa can be looked at as a pioneer of the sport, which is now entertaining crowds in Austria (shout out to Samkeliso Thubane). The amount of raw, young talent bubbling to the surface right now in the world of spinning is a breath of fresh air. In many aspects, spinning has also given the youth something to strive toward, given that is achievable to participate in financially. Aspiring for greatness Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Sam Sam has reached the pinnacle of the sport, according to McKeenan 'Troubles' du Plessis, 33, a Johannesburg spinner from team Japan Auto - who would one day follow in similar footsteps. Troubles got into the sport at 13-years-old as a stuntman and knew since then that he was destined to be a driver. A decade later, the colourful spinner drives his own Nissan VQ25 swapped BMW E30. His 'boxshape' has been fitted with a 5-speed BMW gearbox to go with the V6 Nissan power plant and runs on a Spitronics engine management system. The diff's also been welded locked. 'I think immediately after getting into the sport as a youngster, I wanted to drive one day. But I was small and didn't have the money so I became a stuntman just to stay close to the sport and grow as well. 'I used to be a stuntman for a guy named Rogan from Reiger Park Spinners. We competed mainly in Vosloorus, Soweto and Soshanguve. Since then, I think the crowds have really grown, mainly because of social media. There's a lot more attention on the sport now, especially after Sam Sam became a star and went all over the world. 'I think as a spinner, he reached the pinnacle of the sport and we all would like to be like that and go around the world spinning. Things are moving here in South Africa though and I'm sure it will grow the sport,' du Plessis said. Troubles even got himself a stuntman now - Dillon 'Toppie' Holster. Holster is often holding on to the side of the E30 for the past two years. "I enjoy hanging out of the car and showing that I fear nothing. The best part about spinning is showing off our skills. Since I started with McKeenan the sport has really grown and I hope one day people can watch it on TV like a real sport," Holster said. McKeenan du Plessis spinning the Japan Auto BMW E30 at the Gas Motorshow in Durban. McKeenan du Plessis spinning the Japan Auto BMW E30 at the Gas Motorshow in Durban. Image: Auto Rush Why so popular? Unlike drag racing and circuit or drifting, spinning doesn't require a private vault filled with cash to be successful. Do not misunderstand that, however, you do need money to get started but it is possible to develop in the sport with a 'beginner' level car. More experienced drivers tend to spruce their cars up with more power but that must be accommodated by other modifications to support the power - which is when it starts getting very expensive. Hence, most spinners try keep it as simple possible. What separates spinning from other motorsports though, is the fact that you do not need too many specialized parts in your vehicle when it comes to the gearbox, suspension or engine. A drag racing vehicle for instance, needs a custom gearbox, suspension and fuel system or else you are swatting flies with a chopstick. In short, a drag racing vehicle has to be completely rebuilt with aftermarket parts for it to be "win". Spinning on the other hand, is more about style than about speed. Its about expressing yourself and standing out from your competitors through different tricks, stunts and your stuntman. Engines on a spin car also undergo a serious amount of pressure but it's the differential that takes the most beating because of the constant locking and unlocking motion. Most spinners have opted to weld the differential at a locked position to keep the wheels spinning more easily. The cars in the sport are not necessarily the prettiest and that's because they often take a bump or two every now and again. Drivers do not care so much about the aesthetic appeal of their cars but mainly the engine, gearbox and suspension. The gearbox is not much of a deciding factor when building a spin car and it is possible to "get away" on a budget option although not advised.
