Spin City storms into F/town
Residents of Francistown were treated to an exhilarating adrenaline rush over the weekend as motorcars spun their way into the second city in spectacular style.
From noon until midnight, the sound of exhaust pipes screeching and spectators screaming, while the smell of tires burning through clouds of thick smog filled the air at Ghetto’s packed spinning arena (just past Dumela).
Amongst the star attractions at the Francistown Spinning Extravaganza 2.0, were South Africa’s Bamjee Mash and local legend, Goitseone ‘The General’ Leetile.
Other top spinners showcasing their skills on a scintillating Saturday in F/town included: King Joe, Thuso ‘Vmud’ Mudongo, Thabang Rabana, Smarts ‘Mathizo’ Mbaiwa, Thuto Sherriff, Kagiso Binda, and Given.
Some of the top moves on display, which had the audience roaring in delight were: power sliding, burnouts, roll blocking, drifting and tyre bounce.
As for the rule of the sport, the spinner had to drift their car till the wheels fell off or their tire burst, with judges awarding points based on how well competitors executed their maneuvers.
Thrilling in his BMW E20 – commonly known as the Gusheshe and the most popular car on show – Leetile proved a firm favourite with the crowd.
Speaking to Voice Sport, the veteran Gaborone-based spinner said he was delighted at the turnout, with numbers noticeably up from last year’s first edition.
“I am always excited when I get booked outside of Gaborone because it shows that the car spinning culture is growing and it is taken serious as a professional sport,” declared the delighted General.
Similarly, one of the organiser’s, Thuso Mudongo thanked Francistowners for their support, admitting he was pleasantly surprised by the big attendance.
“We did not expect to see such a large number of people come to grace our event. We were also pleased to see parents bringing their children to the show, this demonstrates that the Francistown people are now familiar with the sport of spinning cars,” reflected Mudongo, who is also the Botswana Spin Master Chairperson.
He also praised the sports stars for helping dispel the notion that car spinning is for gangsters and reckless drivers.
TERMS EXPLAINED
Spinning – using the engine’s power and revs to create a wheel spin and smoking tyres while the vehicle is in motion.
Power Slide – spinning sideways along the perimeter of the spinning platform almost like a drifting motion.
Tyre Bounce – spinning as near as possible to the tyre barriers without touching in a circular motion known as a doughnut.
Burnout – vehicle stands still while either the back or front wheels are spinning, creating as much smoke as possible.
