Ballington Unkorked, the story of South Africa’s first motorsport world champion, was well worth the wait, writes Gavin Foster.
Kork Ballington may have been one of the quickest men of all time on a motorcycle, but the four-time world champion sure took his time writing his autobiography.
Ballington Unkorked, the story of South Africa’s first motorsport world champion, was well worth the wait, though, telling the story of Kork’s childhood in Pinetown, his South African career, and then his thrilling 250cc and 350cc double titles for Kawasaki in both 1978 and 1979.
Ballington, who now lives in Brisbane, Australia, has written a fascinating 250-page book, filled with great pictures and detailing just how a boy from Natal managed to win 31 grands prix and four world titles in an era when two or three GP racers were killed on the track each year.
He describes in detail how promising the Kawasaki KR500 was, and why the project to win the premier-class championship ultimately didn’t do as well as it should have. I found the bits covering the impact his brother, Dozy, had on his career, and the section documenting Kork’s little-known post-GP career, racing in the United States and at the Suzuka 8 Hour, particularly fascinating.
Ballington Unkorked is an A4-sized, glossy hardcover that’s an essential for any bike-racing enthusiast’s library or coffee table.
The book can be ordered from Thundersport in Pinetown, at Tel: 031 701 6304.