Look out for these local lads overseas

Sheridan Morais and co take on the twowheeled racing world

SOUTH African race fans will have a host of local talents to root for on WSBK weekends, as four Mzansi-based riders have signed deals to line up on the World Supersport and new World Supersport 300 grids in 2017.

Joburg’s Sheridan Morais is no stranger to racing at international level with appearances in World Superstock as far back as 2006, top level WSBK rounds from 2009, as well as various showings in World Supersport races up until 2013.

More recently he’s been in the USA riding in the MotoAmerica series, but the 31-year-old will this year compete in World Supersport aboard a Kallio-sponsored Yamaha R6. Morais is also racing in the FIM World Endurance Championship on a Yart-sponsored R1 when rounds don’t clash with his Supersport commitments.

A new entry-level feeder class called Supersport 300 (SSP300) will take over from the previous European Junior Cup, and here we’ll have three South African youngsters taking on the globe’s best up and comers.

After three years in the Junior Cup, Port Shepstone-based Troy Bezuidenhout has signed a deal with Hungarian Team Toth to race in 2017’s SSP300 category on a 300cc Yamaha R3. The 17-year-old is a third generation racer - his dad Charles was a South African National Champion motocrosser in 1979 an 1981, and his grandfather Neville Riddell was the only South African to race at the Isle of Man in a sidecar.

Capetonian Jared Schultz makes a move from the South African Super Junior KTM 390 series to SSP300 with the Italian BWG squad where he’ll ride a Kawasaki Ninja 300. The 16-year-old recently raced in the KTM RC Cup World Final at Assen, and rode in wild card roles last year at Assen and Donington Park.

Finally we have Dorren Loureiro who was born in, and is based in Johannesburg but for recent seasons has raced under a Portuguese flag at international level. Dorren’s also graduated from EJC to the new SSC300 series, and will contest the season on a DS Junior Team Ninja 300.

The World Superbikes and Supersport season kicks off at Phillip Island this weekend, while the Supersport 300 season will begin at Motorland Aragon in Spain on March 31.