The Cape Town spinners get lekker amped when there is a trip to be made, and especially if there’s a celebration to be had too.
That was the case last weekend when a group of local spinners lashed their cars onto trailers and headed out to Gqeberha to celebrate Shaukat-Ali Abdullah’s birthday.
By the sounds of things, it was one of those meets that go down in the history books, with solid spin action from 9am to 7pm.
Bobby Nitro chatted with Shaukat, also known as Mr Wheels, in the trade.
He says: “I’ve travelled a lot with spinning, and I wanted to host a big show in PE and return the hospitality I’ve received all over the country.”
And that’s exactly what he did. Securing the Triple S driving facility, he invited the CT, PE and Humansdorp spinners, about 40 cars in all, for a day of fun and games. Shaukat says: “We don’t get this size of event in PE often, and the turnout was amazing.”
Thabiet Weir, a renowned Cape spinner and father to Raees, who is making his name in juniors, adds: “A freestyle spinning show, where there is no competition, is a great way to get back to the entertainment basics of this sport. It was more a celebration.”
Shaukat Spins with a retro Nissan Skyline kitted out with a 2.5-litre Nissan VQ25 powerplant with plenty of grunt. He says: “We wanted to put PE on the map, and here’s a shout-out to all the out-of-towners, the locals and the spectators who made the day what it was.”
Thabiet talks about how these trips are a family outing, what with his son Raees and his son-in-law Tashreeq Jedaar both being spinners, and both of them piloting Escorts.
He says: “When we go on trips, it brings us as a family together. Also at home, being involved with maintaining a car at this level keeps youngsters out of mischief. I see some youngsters, who are not involved in an engaging activity becoming stoutgatte.”
It’s known that Spin brings the generations together. You will often see youngsters and the older generation hanging out together by the pitch, with the younger generation learning mechanical knowledge but also the important character traits of perseverance, fairness, overcoming setbacks and community support from their role models. Spin is a medium to convey all this.
Thabiet adds: “Even though Raees is still 16, I see him being an inspiration to young kids who hang around. It’s great to see that. Plus, I’d say my son is a much better driver than I was after three short years in the Spin game.”
This is partially because times have changed for spinners. Back in the day it was Strandfontein Pavilion, whereas now the motorsport has become a lot more professional, with events at which newcomers can learn the ropes fast from old hands, and the learning curve is steep.
Next up for the Weir family is an event in Kimberley in mid-September, called Wiet jou ma d’jy spin?
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