Legendary racing driver Batshobonke ‘Tschops’ Sipuka is back in the driver’s seat, making a comeback after a six-year break from the adrenalin pumping world of motorsport racing for the Terry Moss Racing, Audi South Africa team.
He starts his season with the 2019 Global Touring Cars (GTC) Championship which kickstarts this weekend at Dezzi Raceway in Port Shepstone, where he will be a team driver again, steering the #8 Audi A3 GTC.
The Qumbu-born legend accepted an invite from his former teammate, Terry Moss, who asked if he’d be keen to join the team when there was an opening after Michael Stephen, one of his longest serving teammates, crossed over to Volkswagen Motorsport.
“Terry asked if I could come to the track when they are having a shakedown. This would be to just be part of the shakedown to see how I felt about the car. Of course I was a bit hesitant about it, because after all these years you don’t want to embarrass yourself. I took the task and I did very well,” he said.
Sipuka, 40, stopped driving six years ago, after a career of 17 years, having scooped several accolades, and he made history as the first black South African to win a national single-seater race when he took the opening heat of the Formula Volkswagen in 2009.
“I stopped because I had been in it for 17 years and I felt it wasn’t shaping up in the way I would have liked, and I felt it was time to move on and venture into business going forward.
“This time we start afresh, with the same team that propelled me to the two championships I won. The vibe is very different and everybody has welcomed me warmly, and the horizon looks good.
“I was privileged to previously drive alongside Simon in single-seaters, and back then it was mind boggling on how fast he was. We’ve come a long way since then,” he said.
Siphuka said it was great to see some young black drivers getting into the sport, namely 18-year-old East London-born Kwanda Moekwena and Sisa Ngebulana junior, who’s a Squadra Corse Junior Rok kart-racing driver. Junior is the son of Mthatha property mogul Sisa Ngebulana, and was selected to attend the prestigious McLaren Youth Development Programme (YDP) in England.
“There hasn’t been many black industry involved in motorsport, not for as long as I can remember. There is so much room for expansion in the industry, but the entry cost is a barrier in the extreme sport, and with the lack of sponsorships there can be no racing at the highest level competition,” he said.
Head of Audi South Africa, Trevor Hill, said the relationship between Audi and Terry Moss Racing began in the early 1980s, and their brand could not be more proud to show their support and back the new team in the 2019 GTC Africa Championship.
“For us, the new racing team structure represents advancement, progress and a position that we are ready to take this team to the next level,” he said...