Spin City brings back the legends this weekend
Spira Tlhankane | Tuesday October 4, 2016 14:47
It will be the last spinning event before the awards ceremony next month. The event is meant to celebrate the event pioneers and leaders who started the sport of spinning in Botswana years back.
The legends are Turbo Charge, Eric Maswaya (Mr 360), Sunesh of Speed and Sound Army fame, Mr Carls and Magiya. Besides the legends, eight local spinners will continue where they left off in the Botswana Motorsport Spinning Championship. The spinners are Team Graveyard, Team BW Spin MASTERS, Team Block 8, Team Abashwe and Team Sheriff.
The last time the event was at Fairgrounds, Mafikeng’s Austin ‘Powers’ Kruger and his 13-year-old brother Jean ‘Panjero’ Kruger calmed The Earthquake and they will also be there to finish off what they started. With the legends of spinning watching, Panjero is expected to show everyone that age is just a number.
The most popular car being the BMW 325i, also known as Gusheshe will aim to fix their reputation after South African veteran spinner, Eddie Rasta humiliated them with his modified Ford V6 during Spin and Speed’s ‘Head to Head’ event at Mmopane in winter.
Performing his death defying stunts for the first time at Fairgrounds this year, The General who is a crowd favourite, will not miss the upcoming spinning event after setting the standard in Mmopane twice this year.
During a press briefing yesterday, one of the local spinners Thuso V-Mud Mudongo said spinning is not for thugs therefore people should stop associating spinning with drugs and crime. “We can never get into the pitch in an intoxicated state, we have to be physically fit,” he said.
He said as spinners they have to communicate with their cars. “This cars are modified before we can use them and each car is different,” he said.
Mudongo, who is currently leading the championship, said they have to safeguard their spectators all the time. “Safety comes first; we have to make sure that people watching don’t get hurt,” he said.
Mudongo said they would like to take the sport to the next level, but they still face challenges like inadequate resources. “We don’t have sponsors, but it will not discourage us,” he said. Mudongo said his car alone would cost him P3,500 to maintain before the event this Saturday. He also said clerk of courts will be there to scrutinise every spinner before they get into the track. “They don’t allow petrol packages and anything loose in the car,” he said.
For her part, the brand manager of Spin City Morongwa Mmutle said they will introduce Botswana Spinners Fund. “After every event, a percentage of the proceeds will be put into the fund to be used by all registered local spinners. The funds are to be used for upkeep of vehicles,” she said.