Currently Classic Superbike Racing is the only fully International form of Motorcycle Racing in South Africa. TG of Tornado Developments, might not be riding these days, but he continues to play a major part in gaining championships wins for South Africa.
The 2021 season continued to be affected by COVID 19 restrictions and budget restraints for Paul Jacobs. Following 1st in 2019 and 2nd in 2020 Championship, Paul kicked off the season as a front runner with back-to-back wins at the first meeting. Work commitments kept him away from practice resulting in finishing 2nd at the next meeting. This meant he had to win both heats at the 3rd and 4th meetings to have any hope of gaining equal points with Jaco Gouws.
A disastrous cam chain failure looked like it would put Paul out of the Red Star heats and out of the running altogether. The awesome camaraderie amongst the racing fraternity saw fellow competitor Mike McSkimming graciously give Paul his F2 bike to ride. Another fellow competitor, Steve Ingram, also came forward with his GXSR resulting in Paul clawing his way back to 4th place in both heats from a back row start. Sadly, not enough to match his rival Jaco’s points.
Back on his own bike for the last meeting at Phakisa Freeway Paul went on to win both heats. The overall, outcome was a triumphant 2nd place in the championship. Pleased with the final result and congratulations to Jaco, Paul sees 2022 as another year and another opportunity to take 1st place back. He’s not ready to stop by a long chalk. We are sure both Paul and Jaco will be at it hammer and tongs again. TG and his team will be there to see Paul and his bike is race ready.
Congratulations to Jaco Gouws on his second CSRA Championship win 2020 and 2021.
Congratulations to Paul Jacobs 2nd place CSRA Championship 2021
Congratulations to Jared Miller 3rd place CSRA Championship 2021
1st Jaco Gouws, 2nd Paul Jacobs, 3rd Jared Miller, CSRA Classic Superbike Championship
Jared Miller 3rd place CSRA Championship 2021.
Jared Miller bought and rode his father’s bike that Tornado had built in 2020. This was the bikes second season and Jared’s first. He rode to best of his ability scoring points at every meeting with no accidents. It was great to see a rookie finish third in the championship.
Previous CSRA Championships 2016 to 2020
Sadly, the start of the 2020 season was affected by the world COVID 19 pandemic and Classic Superbike Racing lost its international competitors. Not deterred, Paul Jacobs, the previous year’s winner, encouraged by TG, prepared himself and his bike to make the best of the disrupted season. The best laid plans, unfortunately, don’t always pan out. Paul experienced some reliability issues and a limited budget due to COVID restrictions in place throughout the year. He was fortunate and pleased to end the season 2nd in the Championship.
Paul Jacobs triumphantly picked up his well-earned 2019 Classic Superbike trophy on Saturday 30 November. This was Paul’s year; the timing was right for him to prove his skill and dedication to the sport. He was greatly encouraged by TG and Noel Haaroff, winner of 2018. Noel reluctantly had to bow out this year due to work pressure and knee problems, that severely hampered his riding. but his bike saw Paul through to his first win this year. Now that’s real team work.
Les Van Breda and his son Graham Van Breda in 2016/17 got Tornado involved in this class of racing by asking TG for a loan of a bike built and tested by Bike SA back in 1997. This Tornado bike, was and still would be on display at the Motorcycle Museum in Deneysville, if it hadn’t been lost in a fire at Tornado. This happened just a couple of months after Graham’s won the International Classic Superbike race at Killarney in Cape Town that year.
Not quite the end of that Tornado though. Noel Haarhoff’s championship win in 2018 riding his GSXR750 Slingshot 88 model chassis with a bored-out oil cooled GSXR1100 motor had the original 1340 engine from 1997 in the chassis. Yes, the one that Graham van Breda had won on the year before.
Noel was now riding a GSXR750 Slingshot 88 model chassis with a bored-out oil cooled GSXR1100 motor. The engine was the original 1340 that had been tested in Bike SA magazine in 1997 in the chassis that Graham v Breda had won on the year before.
Noel came out fighting in 2018 together we had developed a nickasil barreled GSXR engine that used 83mm Kawasaki ZX12 PISTONS CNC machined to fit the smaller 750 head combustion chamber with the same stage 2 Yoshimura cams , Noel did some unbelievable fabricating that you can’t see under the bodywork and he rode this jewel of a motorcycle to victory in the championship winning virtually every race entered , he beat the overseas opposition in the International to be crowned champion of the international series
Noel Haarhoff first approached Tornado in 2017 . We were proud to help towards his effort. He was a major competitor who won basically all the 2017 superbike classic races against the International opposition. He sadly got taken out in heat one of the final events in Cape Town, ending second for the series.
CSRA and Classic Superbike Champion Paul Jacobs at speed on the Tornado GSXR, CSRA Championship 2020
Paul the Champion, with pit crew Tristen from Tornado, Craig (Paul’s best friend and his daughter Jade) pose with the winning Tornado GSXR
Not quite the end of that Tornado. Noel Haarhoff’s championship win in 2018 riding his GSXR750 Slingshot 88 model chassis with a bored-out oil cooled GSXR1100 motor had the original 1340 engine from 1997 in the chassis.
Graham winning on the Tornado at Killarney against a full field of Internationals including World Champion and TT winner Simpson riding a state of the art XR69
