Spinning has very quickly come to the fore in the sporting world and with Minister Gayton McKenzie officially supporting it, now seems to be the time for it to shine. We spoke to Red Bull athlete Samkeliso Samsam Thubane, who is doing his part to make the name better known worldwide.
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Sharing the stage with the likes of David Coulthard at the Red Bull Showrun, or theatrics and drifting sensations in the BMW M Fest drift pit, is a sure way to get noticed by those who haven’t been exposed to it. In recent months, South Africa’s outspoken Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has made bold statements on a spectrum of topics relevant to the world of motorsport. It appears his words are becoming reality, with progress already being made in Formula 1 following several meetings with stakeholders and a commitment from Kyalami to spend millions on upgrading the facility for FIA class motorsport. Closer to home, with motorsport already mainstream and popular across the country, we had the chance to find out exactly where spinning is going, both locally and internationally, after speaking to Red Bull Motorsport athlete Samkeliso Samsam Thubane .
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It looks positive for the motorsport that the Hazyview local has risen to. He praised McKenzie for recognizing spinning as a local motorsport and provided some insight into exactly how it would be formalized for national competitions.
“The minister has now recognized spinning as a motor sport, as well as competitive spinning, which could be a little more formalized with stages and open opportunities for sponsorship. The normal form of spinning is freestyle spinning, which has no rules or regulations. It simply entertains the masses, but the minister wants to implement competitive spinning with rules and regulations that formalize it.” – Thubane.
While formalizing spinning would divert some of motorsport’s core elements and competitors, it would likely improve safety for both drivers and spectators and, as Samsam further explains, serve as a template for foreign countries to adopt.
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“Making it a formal sport will open more doors and gain more recognition, as seen with Red Bull, a global company, coming to the party to recognize spinning. So spinning is already on the map and other countries are looking at what it is, and there is an opportunity for them to get involved and for me as a Red Bull athlete I want to take it to the world…’
Thubane added that nothing has been confirmed yet, but with shows and car events organized by Red Bull abroad he remains confident that spinning will soon be part of it, with South African athletes leading the demonstrations. As for his choice of vehicle, Thubane uses the revered matchbox/Gusheshe BMW E30, adding that it is a car that can handle the punishment and abuse of turning. With the formalization of this motorsport in South Africa, he also added that it would be a bonus if BMW saw the value that spinning brings to their brand and became an integral sponsor in the years to come.
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