In Bobby Nitro’s book, any initiative that get racers off the streets and onto the track is an initiative to support.
Thing is, for some, the distance between the street and the track is daunting, in terms of building a car that’s got the quarter-mile krag to stand out.
That’s where Robot Racing at Killarney comes in. All you need is a safe car that passes scrutineering, and you’re into the fray of racers battling it out head-to-head in untimed quarter miles, calling each other out, establishing reputations, and on a properly prepped track with proper safety procedures in place.
It’s what we’ve always needed as Cape petrolheads, and it kicks off again this year every Wednesday evening at the track.
Bobby spoke to one such racer, Daiyaan Rodriques, 31, from Surrey Estate. Coming from a background in mechanical engineering, Daiyaan has an intimate understanding of his 2000 Nissan Turbo Sentra, the STi 200, that he acquired when he got married some years ago.
He says: “I removed the standard sr20de motor and bought a sr20det from Mike’s Place. I’ve done some mods, such as forged JE pistons, 264/264 cams, 550cc injectors, lightened flywheel, Quantum fuel pump, LSD short ratio gearbox, 76mm one-box exhaust system, and it’s governed by a STD Diktator Management system.”
He had some practice beforehand though, with a VW Polo during his campus years, and did the work on it himself, fitting a new motor, cams and suffice to say the modifying bug bit.
In the Sentra, Daiyaan has improved suspension by replacing all bushes and mountings with polyurethane products, although the brakes are standard.
Bobby had to ask what kept him motivated through his project car journey. Daiyaan says: “Many people lose motivation as time goes by and the car ends up being incomplete, but what kept me motivated was the challenge of building a boosted car. As we see on the car scene overseas 99 percent of their cars are boosted, so that's what I wanted to have. It took me three months to get the build done.”
The interior is stock, but for a few gauges, for boost, oil pressure and water temperature, so Daiyaan can keep an eye on what’s necessary.
Daiyaan started robot racing in 2020. He says: “The vibe at Killarney was amazing. I lost my first race, but then won the rest. Racing on the track is safe. The track is prepped properly and everything is in a controlled environment.
He remembers his second ever race, saying: “A Honda S2000 pulled next to me but by the fourth gear I was a few cars ahead and I won. From then, I had a six-race winning streak, ended the night on a good note.
“Robot racing is a great way to test your car against other cars to see where your car stands. I haven’t done a timed event yet because I’m not ready. One day I hope to do a timed event when my car is prepped. I’m hoping for 13 seconds.”
About keeping racing off the street, he says: “It’s no fun when you make an accident, or get arrested, so that’s why I prefer the track. It’s just you and your car, you can race as much as you want, and not cause unnecessary harm to yourself or the next racer.
“My advice to anyone entering the car scene, build your car to how you want it, don’t care what people think about your build, as long as you are happy. Your car puts that smile on your face at the end of the day.”