A top-secret location, under cover of darkness, yet witnessed by global online audience.
This was the mysterious and exciting setting for the second annual Red Bull Shay’iMoto gathering of the country’s top spinners.
You’ve got to hand it to the Red Bull crew, they know how to stage a thriller of note.
With Cape Town having three of the 10 spinners chosen, Yaseen Damon, Eddie Rasta and Tina Russouw, we were seriously in the runnings, but it was King Katra of Polokwane, Limpopo, who returned home victorious with first position after a tyre-screeching battle with Eddie, punctuated by hair-raising aerial stunts.
Nicely done Katra.
Eddie Rasta took second place and Yaseen third, so Cape Town can be proud with their performance and the way they handled themselves.
Bobby Nitro spoke to Katra after the event, wanting to know what ace he had to beat the experienced Eddie Rasta. He says, rather diplomatically: “Well for me it was my focus, and the will to do my best. The track was challenging, and completely different to what I’m used to.”
Driving an E30 with a V8 powerplant, Katra’s display of tight driving and impressive jump stunts put him in the limelight. Katra adds: “Yoh, it’s the best feeling ever to win, and to know I have the support of the people back home, where there is lots of talent in the spin scene.”
Vic Pardal, the connecting man between the Spin scene and Red Bull, and the MC at the event, says: “Obviously, it was difficult not having spectators, which is different for an entertainer like me, but what we lost out there we definitely gained in new overseas spectators who had not seen spinning before.
“We’ve built a digital bridge to showcase African motorsport talent.”
Shahiem Bell, one of the judges at the event, says: “This year, the competition was tighter than ever, with drivers having a better idea of what to expect from a layout point of view, as well as the judging criteria. Everyone was blown away by Red Bull Shay’iMoto being staged at an indoor arena and the layout was cleverly placed for drivers to have the time of their lives.”
This year, no spectators were allowed due to the obvious restrictions, but people could livestream the event in the comfort of their homes.
From qualifying, contested via an online system, the top eight were selected to go into the next round, which was broadcast live on Red Bull TV. Katra made his way to the final by impressing the judges against defending champion Veejaro Hendricks in the quarter finals. For the semi-final and final rounds, the panel was bolstered by the competitors who’d been knocked out in the earlier rounds of competition.
The online audience also got to witness a grandmaster of spinning, Magesh Ndaba, showing off his classic skills in the new BMW M2. The legend – who was also a judge at the event – gave South Africans his top tier donuts in the BMW M-Town obstacle course that was part of the competition.
For those who missed the show, catch it on SABC1 on 10 October at 1.30pm.