Ivor Markman
Copyright, 2010.

In 1922 the Pretoria motor club proposed the establishment of tourist Trophy races in South Africa to the motorcycle union of South Africa. They proposed a SATT be held at Bloemfontein each year because of its central geographic location. The motorcycle union accepted the basic proposal but felt the races need to be held every year at the home of the organisation's current executive. As Durban was the current home of responsibility to stage the first 1923 SATT fell on their members shoulders but they were unable or unwilling to accept the responsibility.

The Eastern Province Motorcycle Club came to the rescue and agreed to stage the race but the Union Committee or race committee which was collaborating with the Port Elizabeth Race Committee in staging the event were over ambitious they were insufficient entries in the four classes so the 1923 SATT was abandoned. Port Elizabeth entered the world of serious motorcycle racing in 1924 with the birth of the first SATT.

As the quality of motorcycles improved, enthusiastic riders competed for the first ever South African tourist Trophy (SATT) races, run on the same lines as the Isle of Man TT, staged on January 1 and 2nd on the Kragga Kamma circuit. With the exception of a small tarred section of Cape Road the entire circuit was gravel.

In order to get the most out of their mother cycles, the riders removed the battles -- effective and very noisy.

After the 1924 SATT races some of the riders were summonsed for contravening Port Elizabeth's noise regulations.

Lilienfeld, leading towards the end, turned into the pits to refuel. In those days motorcycles had two tanks, one for petrol and one for oil. He filled the petrol tank but neglected to fill his oil tank.
3 miles from the pits he realised his mistake, discovered the tank was dry and had to make a second stop in the pits, a mistake which cost valuable time.

During the stop Don Hall of Natal and CW Scott shot past and cost him his victory.

There were no particularly outstanding events during the 1926 South African tourist Trophy races but in 1927 the races were eventful for other reasons after an ordinance was passed allowing individual councils to ban road races. The Administrator of the Cape, Attie Fourie, cancel the races scheduled for January 1 and 3 1927.

The banning was instituted after he received a petition, signed by 500 people, calling for the races to be stopped after a motorcyclist was involved in a bad accident while illegally racing around the circuit. In the two days the club had to organise a counter petition, over 4000 people signed.

A deputation from the Eastern Province Motor Cycle Club, headed by the ER Mellraith, met with the administrator when he came to Port Elizabeth two weeks before the scheduled event.

The administrator was told that the club members were aware the intention of the ordinance was to prevent promiscuous and uncontrolled racing from town to town by irresponsible people as it was becoming a menace to the public but he did not believe the purpose of the ordinance was to veto organised events such as the TT races which were conducted with great responsibility towards the safety of the spectators.

Permission was given for the races to continue but by that time there was such a damper on the races there were only sufficient entries for two events to be staged.

In January 1932 the final SATT races were held under the worst possible conditions. The heavens opened and the mainly gravel road of the now famous Kragga Kamma circuit turned into a soggy mess of mud and water, far worse conditions under which to race than the heavy winds of 1925.

The last of the South African tourist Trophy races was held in 1933, when the race was won by Johannes Strydom on a 359cc Rudge for the second successive year. Much credit went to him for a hard, well judged ride to victory. He started with four other machines of the same capacity and outrode them all to win in one hour 37 minutes 34 seconds.

1933 was the last time the South African tourist Trophy race was held.

During the great depression financial hardships swept across the entire country and very few entries were received for the 1934 event. Consequently the races were cancelled and the SATT died a natural death.

With the recovery of the economy, 1936 saw a revival of motor racing and the introduction of a new race -- the PE 200.

Contrary to what people thought, the "200" denoted the £200 prize money, a substantial amount in those days, and not the distance raced. The first PE 200 was organised by the Port Elizabeth Car and Cycle Race Committee in ideal conditions, the crowd being much larger than expected.
The start of the PE 200 was moved to the Port Elizabeth side of the Greenbushes Hotel. When the racers return to Port Elizabeth a record crowd of 60,000 spectators turned out around the circuit on January 6 for a day of high speed and thrills.

The crowd was able to witness Johnny Galway's record lap on close to 145km/h, at that stage a new world record. The fastest total rider on the course was Transvaal rider Joe Sarkis on his 500 Sunbeam who, despite losing both his foot rest and back brake mechanism 56 km from the finish, road on grimly to eventually claim seventh place.

With the PE 200 being held during the end of the year festive season, there were huge crowds in Port Elizabeth. Even though the racers finished in the afternoon, activities continued well into the evening when contestants, administrators and special guests celebrated with the prize-giving dance at various venues.

In January 1937 Alan Reeves, of Port Elizabeth, came first. Many of the finest riders in the country were expected to attempt to break the 144, 8 km/h course record established by Johnny Galway in 1936 and plenty of thrills and spills were anticipated. The race attracted a tremendous crowd of spectators and proved to be one of the most successful sporting event ever staged in the city. It was estimated over 3000 cars parked at the party to point on the circuit while the actual number of spectators vary between 15,000 and 16,000. HP Hall, on his 249 TS James came in first and was awarded the Jack Hirsch Trophy and £125.

The PE 200 of 1939 was recorded as one of the most successful races ever held. A new record lineup of 58 entries delighted the spectators as motorcycles became faster and more reliable. 
Barney Barnett came first on his 250cc TS Francis. Johnny Galway, on his 498cc ohc Norton, said a new lap record of 152.2 km/h.

When the 1939 he 200 ended there was genuine belief the next race, scheduled for January 1940, would bring forth even greater results. Unfortunately this was not to be as the gathering war clouds over Europe finally brought on a deluge of vicious fighting and the outbreak of the Second World War. Days after the outbreak of war, South Africa joined the Allies and the armed forces took control over virtually everything to boost the war effort, including commodities considered vital, such as petrol and motorcycles.

During the war the government issued a decree giving the military authorities the power to commandeer many items for the war effort including motorcycles. In the immediate post war years you couldn't get the popular makes such as Speed Twin Triumphs and Tiger 100s until about 1947, when they started coming through.

At a meeting of the PE 200 race committee in 1948, the committee, comprising six members of the Eastern Province Motorcycle Club and representatives of the City Council, Divisional Council, traffic department, Publicity Association and influential businessmen, resolved to revive the PE 200 race for early in 1949 on a new 16 km tarred course in Bethelsdorp.

The new track was named after William Menzies Gray, who was about to retire as chairman of the divisional Council. The 32 km long, Kragga Kamma circuit was scrapped largely due to difficulties in gaining enough marshals to secure the track.

The PE 200 was regarded as South Africa's premier road race, and offered the largest winner's purse in the country. The race, featuring 46 riders, was held on February 5, 1949, after a break of 10 years. It was very successful and was attended by an estimated 30,000 spectators. Colin Graves, a radio operator with Central African Airways, came in at first place was a time of 106 minutes two seconds at an average speed of 134.09 km/h.

During the 1950 PE 200 on the WM Gray circuit in Bethelsdorp, Cape Town's motor ace, Vic Proctor, set a new British Commonwealth lap speed record.

On January 1, 1951, dogged, plucky riding, a slice of good luck and the help of two Port Elizabeth men, Basil Jones and John Croft, enabled WAG "Wag" Gwillam, a 29-year-old railway fitter from Durban, to send his 348 cc Velocette screaming over the finish line to victory during the annual race. Riding at an average speed of 144.6 km/h for the course, Gwillam took the lead in a battle that was one of the highlights of the thrilled packed race. Unlike riders of the new bikes who did not need to refuel, he would have to make up at least one minute when he refuelled during the course of the race. When Gwillam crossed the line he was 17 seconds ahead of the next rider.

With only three seconds to spare, Eddie Grant narrowly beat Beppo Castellani to win the 1952 PE 200 held on New Year's Day. The race was one of the toughest races in many years was the first four machines finishing within 34 seconds of each other and the first 14 riders finishing within four minutes of the winner. Although narrowly beaten into second place by a mere three seconds, scratch man Beppo Castellani, on his 1951 500 cc Featherbed Norton, provided most of the thrills, riding with superb skill and cool confidence.

The 1953 PE 200 race on the WM Gray circuit was held on January 1. Instead of the usual one off handicap race, the day was split into three classes -- the 250 cc:, 350 cc: and 500 cc races, each race consisting of eight laps or a distance of 115, 9 km. The last time class races were held was before the Second World War. Boet Ferreira of Johannesburg on a 1934 250 cc ohv Velocette, racing in his first PE 200, set a new record in the 250cc class with a lap of 131,37 km/h in six minutes, 37 seconds. The announcement was greeted with jubilant cheers as his was the oldest bike in the race. Frank Cope, the elderly British rider, received a few scratches and bruises when he came off his bike at the Kleinskool corner after breaking two hard on his 248 cc AJS. A footrest broke off his bike and a brake cable was severed. Undaunted, Cope hopped back on to his bike and, with one foot dangling in the air, completed the 250 cc class race for fifth place.

In 1954, much to the disappointment of racing enthusiasts, the PE 200 was cancelled.

Certain Uitenhage residents were fed up with the closure of the main Port Elizabeth/Uitenhage Road and the resultant inconvenience of having to detour through Rocklands to Cape Road and then into the city. They like to the divisional Council not to close the road for the famous annual race and got their way. Not surprisingly, racing did not stop and several other circuit opened in the Port Elizabeth area but it was totally unsuitable for the PE 200.

In 1956 after a two-year break, the PE 200 race committee decided to restart the famous race.

The cancellation of the 1954 and 1950 PE 200 came at a time when personality clashes within the Eastern Province Motorcycle and Car Club resulted in the club splitting. As a result the Rovers Motor Cycle Club was formed. In 1955 relations between the two clubs had settled, but all the young riders joined the Rovers and was in another year or two the EPM&CC ceased to exist.
Someone was in the PE 200 race committee persuaded the provincial council to issue a new race permit the races were restarted. The news of the resumption of the PE 204 January 2, 1956, was received with great joy in the city.

As before, the race consisted of 16 laps on the 14th, for 8 km WM Gray circuit around the salt pan in the northern areas. The race was to be a handicap event, but prizes were awarded to the fastest riders in the 250cc, 350cc and 500cc classes. As well as receiving the Woolavington Trophy, the prize money for the winner of the handicap race was increased to £800. A Johannesburg sewing machine buyer on a 29-year-old Velocette he'd bought as scrapped in 1950 for £10, Doug Holmes, won the event and completed the 232 km race at an average speed of 123,48 km/h.

In 1957 one of the highlights of the PE 200 was a lap by Geoff Duke only is new, four-cylinder Gilera at 173,85 km/h. Thirty thousand spectators crowded around the William Gray circuit to watch the 1957 PE 200 winner, motor mechanic Johnny Stander, 27, of Johannesburg, on a 10 year old to 50 cc ohv, converted to an overhead cam, Velocette running on methanol. Stander, who started 20 minutes, 30 seconds before Geoff Duke, led for most of the race. In second place was world champion Duke, known to his admirers as "The Duke", whose handicap proved to be just a bit too much to overcome. In the 14th lap he smashed the old record of 160,94 km/h set up by Vic Proctor.

The next time a Port Elizabeth rider came close to winning the PE 200, was in 1958. Lionel Rowe, was pipped at the post through a lack of communication with the crew at the end of the 13th of the 200 and almost certainly cost him victory. The winners laurels slipped from his grasp only metres from the finishing line he pulled into the pit to refuel. In those pre-pitboard days Rowe had made arrangements to signal him as he went into the last lap by holding up a beer bottle. As he came around the sweeping curve on the uphill, his bike coughed, spluttered and cut out. Thinking he still had a lap to go, he coasted into the pits as spectators, but the mechanics and officials screamed at him to push his 35cc BSA Gold Star over the finish line, barely 45 m away.
Rowe took some fuel from the neighbours pit, poured it in and the bump started the bike, but as he got back onto the track, Karl Rorich from Durban came flying through and won the race.

Nigel dare-devil Beppo Castellani on a 500 cc Norton, was among the record breaker's of the day.
His fastest speed, 170,3 km/h, was 3.9 km/h slower than Geoff Dukes 1957 record but was a record for a South African on a South African course. Castellani had the greatest handicap, starting 13½ minutes after the limit man.

In 1959 the last PE 200 was held at the WM Gray circuit. Neither the wind nor the alcohol beating from his fuel tank and burning his legs could prevent 64-year-old Englishman Frank Cope of Birmingham from winning the 232km 1959, PE 200. Riding a 250cc Norton his total time was 105 minutes and 53 seconds. It was Cope's ninth attempt to win the prestigious Woolavington Trophy. Many in the crowd felt his 30 minute handicap had been far too lenient. Out of the 50 riders who started the race, only 21 finished.

Even though negotiations started immediately when the prisons Department gave notice to vacate the Darryl Allam circuit at St Alban's, it was another 15 years before work on Port Elizabeth is new race track commenced.

The Aldo Scribante circuit was opened with much fanfare November 1974. Alan Wilson and Peter Bulbring was the first to pursue negotiations in 1969 with the Port Elizabeth principalities for a new site. Negotiations were continued by the various chairman of the Algoa Motor Sports committee, namely Martin Vorster, George Harvey and Bob Stephan, who were authorised by the Rover Motorcycle and Car Club and the Sports Car Club to negotiate with the municipality.

A decision was taken to merge the two clubs resulting in the formation of the Algoa Motor Sport Club on August 28, 1972.Kingsley Wood negotiated with Aldo Scribante and obtained the best price to pull the circuit. In exchange it was agreed to name the circuit after him. The cost to build the track was R54,000. Scribante allowed the club to have the road building equipment charged at cost and on a loan basis but they were required a cash for the macadamised premix.

Finally after 18 years, the PE 200 was revived as Port Elizabeth's premier racing event.

One lap of the Aldo Scribante circuit is 2, 4 km. The PE 200 roared off to a fresh start when 71-year-old Johannes Strydom, the only Port Elizabeth entrant to ever won the race, dropped the starter's flag in front of 5000 spectators. Strydom won the race in 1936 riding a Norton 500 cc motorcycle. As winner of the 1977 PE 200, Les van Breda, 27, of Springs, was awarded the solid silver, 1924, Woolavington Trophy and R200 in prize money. Veteran rider Dennis Guscott, 40, was the first Port Elizabeth rider home and the oldest rider in the race.

In 1978 Mike Crawford, a former Rhodesian champion, riding a pork racing team Castrol Yamaha, in a masterful display of aggressive riding. The Johannesburg ride the past other riders in a manner that led the 6000 spectators Aldo Scribante circuit in no doubt why he was the favourite to win the 1978 35cc racing class championship. The race was an open race and all the bike started at the same time, irrespective of their capacity.

The 1979 PE 200 was won by the former Rhodesian champion, Keith Peterson, on a 250 cc Suzuki who, in the closing stages of the race, opened the throttle and past Keith Zeeman, on a Suzuki, and Johnny Scott on a Yamaha.

In the 1980 PE 200 which was held on January 3, 1980, David Estment at the up, 22, son of port Elizabeth Chief Fire Ofc, won the race, the first time a rather from the Eastern Cape won the race since Johannes Strydom won on the Kragga Kamma circuit in 1936. Estment led the Algoa motor sports club sponsored, 20 lap race right from the moment the flag dropped and even though Scott, on a Honda, ruthlessly pursued him, Estment increased his lead every lap and eventually won by more than 12 seconds. After the 1980 PE 200 the famous race became a distant memory until the year 2005.

On November 13, 2005, thanks to port Elizabeth racing driver, Terry Moss, the prestigious PE 200 motorcycle event returned to the Aldo Scribante circuit. The race time of year that changed a move to November is riders did not want to race on New Year's Day. Moss obtained the Woolavington Trophy in 1977, after bailing out cash-strapped Algoa motor sports club to the tune of about R85,000. In return for the loan he was given the club's trophies and assets of the club.

The 2005 race was run as a trial. Instead of individuals entering the race, the PE 200 became team insurance rates. In the team event at the cost is shared by two riders making entry a lot more affordable. The first time around there were only 10 competitors, it rained and it was wet and the 125 cc bike was just that more consistent. Even though the event was organised and advertised through e-mails and the media nobody actually realised the value of the event. Despite the pouring rain, Port Elizabeth's Brett Croucamp and 14 year old Shaun Carver mastered the tricky conditions on their 125 cc Aprilia and emerged victorious. The two riders produced the best time of 1:27:311 seconds and an index of 90,62 percent, putting the second placed team of Glen Boscombe of Knysna and Gary Redmond (90,47%) and third placed team of Andres Swartz of Port Elizabeth and Andrew Whelan, an east London living in Australia, (90.13%).

With the racing flame rekindled, the PE 200 was held again on November 17, 2006. For the second year running, wet weather made traction a pipe-dream and several riders became croppers to such a degree the Herald motoring correspondent commented “Racing  at Aldo Scribante Raceway in Port Elizabeth started out like Skittle Alley.” Several riders came a cropper. The endurance racing event the PE 200 was the highlight of the day for motorcycle fans. With between one and three riders provide, a total of 13 riders entered the prestigious event. In first place, with a time of 1:25:82.086, were Remi van den Berg and Allan Strydom on their Aprilia.

The PE 212 on November 17, 2007 was a special race. After 71 years the first woman entered the race. Cindy Brown partnered Jurie Wessels on a Honda VFR 1000.