Pilane bags best Rookie award in debut season
Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday December 11, 2021 06:00
Pilane got into history books in August, becoming the first Motswana rider to compete in the super motorcycle discipline of the sport. The 31-year-old made his debut at the Redstar Raceway track in Mpumalanga in the third round of the championship in August.
He finished second in the race. In his second race, the Tlokweng native competed in the FIM sanctioned race debut in the World Of Motorsport ZA (WOMZA) series in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
In the fourth round of the RSR championship held in October, Pilane suffered an engine failure in the heat two of the race and finished third. Over the past weekend, he was confirmed as an RSR Beginner600 overall champion, claiming the rookie of the year award in his first try over a four-race series. "It is an unbelievable feeling to get first place in a championship on your first try. It is a humbling experience, a surreal experience and at the same time it is a scary experience because when you do so well in the first time around, there is a little bit of pressure and expectation that is either you repeat that or you do better.
You never know what next season brings, what kind of talent is going to show up, or what would happen with your bike, your health because it is motorsport and it's very unpredictable,” Pilane told Mmegi Sport this week.
The rider further said he had to overcome a couple of humps along his debut season adding that he would be targetting the elite class in his second season. “It is a beautiful feeling to have taken a leap of faith and dared to dream and to get away with a championship (win). Showing up so late, because I only did the last two races. I had an engine failure. I also got an injury but it all goes down to the support I got ahead of the races and I must thank everyone who believed in me.
We are hoping to do much in the years to come,” he said. Pilane is currently out with an injury with an inflamed hip. He confirmed that he has started the rehabilitation process and should be back on the saddle for the 2022 season opener scheduled for March 2022.