The Story of the Monocle Motor Racing Series

HOW IT ALL STARTED

The Monocle Motorcycle Racing Series was founded in 2018 by a core group of riders from Rehab Racing, who form part of the overall Battle of The Twins (BOTTS) category, and who found themselves somewhat under-catered for in the South African racing landscape. Wishing to avoid sharing the track on race days with various car racing series and the inevitable oil spills that result, this small group of passionate BOTTS riders decided to start their own motorcycle-only racing series.

FORGING A NEW PATH

The decision to forge a new path forward was motivated by the feeling that there existed a needless overcomplication and negativity in competitive racing in South Africa, detracting from the true spirit of racing. Furthermore, the administrative and financial burden of competing in these races was substantial, especially for non-elite riders who simply wanted to get out there and have some fun on the track, to improve their skills and to race in a competitive environment.

A FORTUITOUS MEETING

The initial idea for the creation of the Monocle Motorcycle Racing Series was borne out of what David Buckham, CEO of Monocle, describes as a “fortuitous meeting” at the Ducati Owners Club (DOC) between himself and the co-founder of the racing series, Mick Landi, who is himself a passionate rider and leader in the BOTTS South Africa community.

From that fortuitous meeting, David and Mick imagined how they could revive the spirit of motorcycle racing in South Africa and built and funded, from the ground up, what today is the ever-growing Monocle Motorcycle Racing Series. At present, the non-profit company (Motorcycle Racing Series NPC) that facilitates the Series is managed by David and Mick, together with Paul Carstensen.

THE FIRST YEAR

The 2019 season was the Monocle Motorcycle Racing Series’ first full calendar year of racing, commencing with the very first race of the series being held in February of 2019 at Red Star Raceway. The success of the first event sparked a flame that continued to grow throughout the year and the racing series quickly began to attract more participants, as riders of all classes enjoyed the simplicity, affordability and quality of racing provided by the new motorcycle-only racing series. The Monocle Racing Series, which began with 61 participants at its first event in February, attracted over 100 participants for each of the six subsequent events in 2019, with over 170 riders attending the June event at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit.

LOOKING AHEAD

After a successful inaugural racing season in 2019, the Monocle Motorcycle Racing Series is aiming even higher for the 2020 season. This year, the Series will host two races at Red Star Raceway, two races at Phakisa Freeway (Welkom), two races at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, one open race at the Aldo Scribante track in Port Elizabeth and one open round at the East London Grand Prix Circuit, as well as an invitational round that will take place in East London.