Newly crowned Superbike champion Greg Gildenhuys (BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000RR) aims to celebrate his second successive title in the top echelon of two-wheel competition with a couple of wins in the final round at Zwartkops on Saturday (November 26).

With his fourth national motorcycle title secured (he won back-to-back Supersport titles in 2005 and 2006), the pressure is off the 22-year-old from Boskruin in Gauteng and his rivals can expect a champion performance from the tall rider.

"The last round (at Zwartkops three weeks ago) was a bit tense for me," he said. "Shez (former champion Sheridan Morais) was back from overseas and Chris (Leeson) was breathing down my neck in the championship race. After my bad start in race one (he finished behind the Kawasakis of Morais and Leeson as well as the BMW of James Egan) I settled for the points that won me the championship in race two.

"That's not my style. I race to win and that's what I aim to do this weekend.

Gildenhuys has won four races out of 16 and finished second 10 times on his way to the title. "Two more wins will be sweet," he said.

The current state of play is that Gildenhuys has 329 points, 52 ahead of Leeson with 50 on offer in the final two races. Morais, who has missed three rounds because of overseas racing commitments, is third with 240 points and within striking distance of Leeson for the runner-up position in the championship. Egan is fourth with 205 points.

Morais and Leeson will be back to do their best to frustrate the new champion and Egan (Rocket 88/Ryder Motorrad BMW S1000RR), who has been having an impressive first season in the premier bike category, will lead a strong BMW challenge.

This includes Nicolas Grobler (Jonway BMW S1000RR), currently fifth in the championship 25 points behind Egan, and Ryan Simon Ottens, who made an auspicious Superbike debut in the last round at Zwartkops on Guy Fawkes Day with two seventh place finishes.