Capper crowned King of the Hills at Round 4 of the Mr Price National Supermoto Championships at Idube Raceway.

June 7, 2008: Idube Raceway, Pietermartizburg, KwaZulu-Natal

Setting pole position in two classes, winning all four of his heat races, and setting a blistering new lap record, Red Bull KTM rider Brian Capper (North Riding, Gauteng) was simply unstoppable at round four of the Mr Price National Supermoto Championships at the weekend.

The multiple national Supermoto champion beat SA's best at KwaZulu-Natal's undulating Idube Raceway in both the premier S1 (450cc) class and the S2 Open class (450cc and bigger).

Capper made up valuable ground in the S1 Championship race by edging past fellow Motorex KTM teammate and current points leader Michael Kok (Northmead, Gauteng) to the finish line.

The stage was set on Saturday morning when 29 year-old Capper set the fastest qualifying times by over half a second. He went on to seal the deal in heat one, crossing the line six seconds ahead of Kok. Third to the flag was Red Yamaha's reigning national champ and home town favourite Brett Bircher (Hillcrest, KZN). Bircher held off Kok until the closing stages of the race, putting on a riveting show for his home crowd.

Heat two was not plain sailing for Capper as a jump-start by Kok gave him the lead into the first corner. The two KTM's battled tenaciously for fifteen solid minutes, and even though Kok put in a noteworthy performance, his 30 second jump-start penalty put him down into sixth place, and handed
Capper the win. Just behind the dueling pair was Rezist Energizers KTM Riaan Neveling (Nelspruit, Mpumalanga) who put in a consistent effort to finish second overall. Third place on the podium went to the experienced Brett Bircher.

Capper was ecstatic about his win: "I love this track, I guess I just feel at home down here. It's my home away from home, and I was so relaxed and confident out there."

Capper currently lies a close second in the S1 class behind Kok, while steadily breaking away from his competition in the S2 class points standings.

In the S2 class the loud and powerful bikes poured into turn one together, but it was Capper who made a break in both heat one and two, never looking back. Crossing the line in the top spot one heat after the other was sweet success for Capper, who celebrated with a fist raised high in the air. The diversely talented rider attributed his victory to a good attitude:

"I decided to change my outlook completely. Racing had become too serious for me, so today I just decided to ride for the fun of it, and it paid off. I love riding, I have the best job in the world."

Team Red Yamaha was well represented by a consistent Bircher who battled Riaan Neveling in both heats to finish second and third respectively. 24 year-old Neveling has only improved since returning from injury earlier this year, and managed to go one better with second in the final race, earning
himself second place overall for the day, one step higher than Bircher on the podium.

Despite his run of bad luck in the premier class, Kok dominated in the S3 (250cc) class, showing that misfortune can only make one hungrier for victory.

In heat one, Kok took a tumble early on, but jumped right back into the action to regain lost ground. He managed to work his way into second, where a nail-biting eight lap tustle with UTC Campbell Kawasaki Kyle Smythe (Waterfall, KZN) left the crowds on their feet.

As the last lap board went out, Kok put in one last push, and it paid off. He triumphantly claimed the chequered flag just inches ahead of Smythe. Although defeated, Smythe put on the best performance of his career, and expectations are high for the up and comer who was second in last year's
championship standings. Durban Central Panel-beaters Lebrock Logistics' Jason Munroe (Pinetwon, KZN) finished third.

Heat two was a repeat of the former battle, providing possibly the most exciting racing of the day. Once again, Smythe and Kok went head to head from start to finish, with Kok winning out in the end. Red Yamaha's Shaun Ford (Cowies Hill, KZN) rounded off the top three, also securing third
overall for the day.

"The boy's are really going out there," said a breathless but smiling Kok, "they have really stepped up their game, and I had to work extra hard to get ahead."

The Master's class brought even more action to the table. 2wheels TV Motorex KTM rider Gary Petersen (Rosettenville, Gauteng) came from nowhere to lead heat one from Red Yamaha's pole position setter, Gary Galway (Hillcrest, KZN). It was not to be however, as Petersen lost grip on the front wheel, sliding into the tyres just a few laps in. With sheer determination, he remounted to finish fourth. Groove Bar Honda's Errol Dalton (Florida, Gauteng) earned himself second place just ahead of Stihl Tools Andre Kriel (Pietermaritzburg, KZN).

Galway kicked off the dramatic second heat with an impressive start, and held the lead for a few laps, until contact with Petersen in a corner forced him wide and almost into a barrier. Galway put his close shave behind him and posted the class' fastest lap time in an effort to catch his rival. He managed to catch second place Andre Kriel, who put up a fight until a few laps from the end. Galway passed Kriel on the dirt, finishing hot on the heels of heat winner Petersen. The Red Yamaha rider sealed his overall win with this result, with Petersen and Dalton second and third respectively.


The Ladies class was a phenomenal display of speed and agility, with the top women posting lap times only five seconds slower than the men.
Championship leader and reigning Champion Nanda Swiegers (Vaalpark, Gauteng)was out in full force, and brought Team Red Yamaha top honours by taking the coveted pole position and winning both her heat races. Universal Transport Kawasaki's Cindy Porobich (Edenglen, Gauteng) kept up with her recent good form to secure second ahead of Privateer Nicolle Welch (Sundra, Gauteng) in third.

In the Junior class, diminutive Cameron Petersen blitzed the rest of the field in this exciting addition to Supermoto, adding yet another feather to the Red Yamaha team's cap. The rider from Dainfern, Gauteng showed that he is a force to be reckoned with, trumping second and third place finishers
Jason Jones and Chesney Buchanan with an impressive lead. He has even made the pro's nervous, as Brian Capper explains: "These young riders are really going, I can't believe their pace; I want to go out there and win as much as I can, before they get a bit older!"

Press Release compiled by Nicole Capper

Issued By:
Pierre Tostee
Cell: 083 447 9 448
Phone: 031 310 8582
Website: www.mrprice.co.za
E-mail: patostee@mrpricegroup.com