Witbank drag racer Leon du Plooy sets bold new South African record
Leon du Plooy [centre in blue plants] is surrounded by his team at Tarlton Raceway in Krugersdorp. Leon du Plooy [centre in blue plants] is surrounded by his team at Tarlton Raceway in Krugersdorp.
A little under three decades ago when a twenty-something Leon du Plooy hoped in a drag racing vehicle for the first time, he had no idea that he'd become a South African 'legend'.
Du Plooy, who hails from the northern City of Witbank in Mpumalanga, became the first South African to cross the quarter mile trap in 7.5 seconds in a bakkie.
His Nissan 1400 bakkie, which is the country's most beloved utility vehicle aside from the Toyota Hilux, is also the fastest 4 cylinder drag racing vehicle in the country.
Du Plooy set a new record at Tarlton International Raceway on Saturday, May 31, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Mecca of South African drag racing. 7.57 seconds at 290km/h was his fastest time of the day.
What's in it?
Now, let's just state at the outset that this is not some Nissan 1400 that anyone can jump in and start driving. The engine is made of a range of custom parts, from the pistons, crank and rods. The base structure that Leon used is a Toyota twincam 16 valve engine, that comes out of a Corolla RSI.
It's been fitted with custom, aftermarket parts from the United States, which is also where Du Plooy sourced the G-Force 2000 gearbox from. The G-Force 2000 gearbox is one of the most expensive parts within this machine.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
2 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
The difference? Lungi Ngidi just needed a change of ends
At the end of the first day, when asked what advice he might give to Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada mentioned, steak, milkshake, a movie and a good night's sleep. Ngidi wouldn't confirm if he followed any of his good pal's counsel — besides the sleep obviously. But as it turned out, all he needed was to change ends. His two four-over spells in Australia's first innings on Wednesday's day one of the World Test Championship final at Lord's were dreadful. Ngidi couldn't find the right length and as a result, he also battled to locate the right lines to bowl. He conceded seven boundaries, the majority of them because he either over-pitched or bowled too wide of off stump. 'I was just struggling with a bit of rhythm from (the Pavilion End). I swapped ends and I felt a lot better,' he told the BBC. At the Pavilion End, where the infamous Lord's slope runs from Ngidi's left as he bowled, it would have felt like he was falling away from the stumps. For visiting bowlers it can always be a challenge here no matter how many overs are done at training. The @ProteasMenCSA 's shining star of the day shares his post-match thoughts 🎙️🇿🇦 #WTC25 | #SSCricket — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 12, 2025 For a bowler with Ngidi's height and physique, it can be extremely difficult and that was certainly the case on the first day where his economy rate of 5.7 stood out among all the bowlers — from both teams. No-one else conceded more than 3.5 runs an over. There were understandable groans when he was handed the ball after tea, with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne on strike in Australia's second innings on Thursday. The feeling from a number of ex-players commentating on the World Test Championship final was Rabada, who had kept the Proteas in touch before the interval by taking two wickets, should have continued to bowl, particularly before Smith, had settled. But the South African brains trust chose to show faith in Ngidi, whose height and pace were given as reasons for his selection ahead of Dane Paterson for this match. 'It doesn't make a difference to me, opinions or whatever it is,' he said. While he may not have read or heard the criticism after his performance in the first innings, he'd have known he wasn't up to standards, the team has set, but most importantly that he has for himself. 'Obviously, it's been a very long time since I've played Test cricket — about nine months, 10 months, something like that. And that's with me. I obviously know why I was selected.' The best of Lungi Ngidi in isiXhosa 😏🎙️🇿🇦 #WTC25 | #SSCricket — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 12, 2025 It was August last year in Trinidad that Ngidi last played a Test match. He bowled 16.5 overs, and took one wicket in that match. He was dropped for the second Test of that series against West Indies and with injuries and then having to complete a strength and conditioning block, Ngidi missed the six Tests South Africa played and won to qualify for the Lord's showpiece. Offered an opportunity for redemption, and with that change of ends, Ngidi ripped South Africa back into a contest that Australian had taken firm control of. 'Obviously it was very disappointing not to get up to their [first innings total]. But credit where its due, they bowled very well. They put us under pressure and unfortunately we were that far [74 runs] behind,' Ngidi said. 'But once we started bowling, we realised that there was still enough in the wicket to bring that margin down. I was really looking to just finding a bit of rhythm.' That Ngidi certainly did, bowling a nine-over spell that took him through the first hour of the final session and beyond the drinks break. 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐖𝐎 | 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐌𝐏𝐒 Lungi Ngidi is the star of the show at Lord's as the @ProteasMenCSA build momentum 😤🇿🇦 #WTC25 | #SSCricket — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 12, 2025 'Lungi struggled in the first innings, but he is a chilled guy. I don't think he was too affected by it,' said his teammate David Bedingham. 'To bowl nine overs on the bounce, takes a massive amount of effort. We are lucky to have him.' The wicket of Smith was the confidence booster Ngidi needed and instilled belief in his teammates at a time it may have been flagging. Their reaction once television replays came up with three red blocks, confirming Smith was out lbw, set the spark for what turned into a thrilling couple of hours of play. 'Once you get a moment like that, you don't want to really let it go because it could change the game. So I just kept going until my legs pretty much told me that's enough now,' Ngidi said. He described Smith's and Beau Webster's wickets as personal highlights. 'They got the better of me in the first innings.' 'But once I got a bit of rhythm and the ball was moving around a bit, I felt very confident again.' And at the end of the second day, so do his teammates. Australia, on 144-8, led by 2018 runs after South Africa had been out for a miserable 138 in their first innings earlier. South Africa have two wickets to get, and won't want Australia's advantage to reach 250. Pat Cummins, who also produced a mesmerising spell earlier in the day to his side in the ascendancy, said such a target would allow him to attack when South Africa batted. 'If you told me this was a position we'd be in at the end of the day, I definitely would have taken it,' Ngidi said. Excitement and confidence are high in the Proteas camp, Bedingham confirmed. 'It's an amazing chance, we are very, very excited by the opportunity to win. It could go either way, but we are very excited.' Ngidi's impact, so profound, so thrilling, created that chance. His redemption act has given them all hope.
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Kaizer Chiefs transfers: Percy Tau and Renaldo Leaner
Kaizer Chiefs supporters have not been able to ignore the possibility of Percy Tau finding a new home at Naturena. Soon before Tau left Al Ahly last season, Amakhosi were said to be targeting the 31-year-old, but he opted to join Qatar SC. Tau is a free agent again, all while Kaizer Chiefs are in the market for experienced attacking players. Find out what the former Sundowns ace has said about the prospect of going to Naturena. 'If Sundowns were not to send me an offer and Chiefs do, then it is not my fault,' Percy Tau said… Full story here. Reports say Sekhukhune United and Bafana Bafana's newly-capped 27-year-old goalkeeper, Leaner, has been noticed by the Glamour Boys. 'Kaizer Chiefs are set to make an enquiry to Sekhukhune United over goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner, who has broken into the senior national team,' iDiski Times reported… Full story here. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
AUTO ambitions: 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT review
While the 2025 Suzuki Fronx may not be one of the Japanese manufacturers best-sellers in its lineup, it's certainly one of the most compelling. Moreover, the 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT keeps all the good stuff from the slope-roofed, coupe-styled crossover that impressed us last year. Let's also not forget how well the humble Japanese carmaker is doing in a contracting South African economy. The firm continues to set sales records, seemingly each month, according to NAAMSA sales data. As a result, the high-value marque is comfortably ensconced in third position for South African new-car sales in the passenger segment. There's no practical situation the 2025 Suzuki Fronx GLX 4AT doesn't handle with aplomb. Image: File Now the brand has brought a 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT to market. Clearly, it's aimed at motorists who'd rather not bother with a manual gearshift and third pedal. And as excellent as the 5MT Fronx is, we totally accept South Africa's unique market demands. Chat to any layperson in the street about commuting and the vast majority will say they just want something easy in traffic. Nevertheless, Suzuki's slope-roofed crossover joined the market somewhat late. But launching back in 2023 did at least allow the brand to survey the segment and make appropriate provisions. Key of which was the introduction of the 4AT in top-wrung GLX spec, retailing for R362 900. It hails from India – like most of Suzuki's cars sold in SA – because the Indian government gives tax breaks to cars manufactured that are shorter than four metres. Which, in turn, means savings are passed onto the consumer at the end of the day … Suzuki Fronx GLX 5MT model pictured. Image: File Accordingly, the 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT measures 3 995 mm long to adhere to the Indian restriction. It is 1 765 mm wide and stands 1 550 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2 520 mm. Inside, there is no issue with head and shoulder space. The boot is rated at 304 litres, which is par for the course for compact crossovers nowadays. And you can fold the rear seats really easily for plenty of extra utility space. What we most enjoy is that the GLX is the highest-spec Fronx on offer. So, there's the contrasting black roof that gives it a sleek silhouette. Gunmetal alloy wheels, distinctive two-tier LED headlamps and the largest 9-inch touchscreen available comes with wireless Apple CarPlay. Plus, a 360-degree reverse camera, 4.2-inch LCD driver-info display, automatic climate control and cruise control, mean you'll want for nothing in the 2025 Suzuki Fronx GLX. The Fronx is yet another impressive offering built in India for Suzuki. Image: File As before, there's only one engine available in the 2025 Suzuki Fronx range. It's the bomb-proof naturally aspirated 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol, which is good for 77 kW and 138 Nm of torque. It's a rev-happy engine that combines comfortably with the easy-shifting, four-speed automatic gearbox. Unfortunately, like in the CVT Swift and auto Jimny models we drove recently, going for two pedals instead of three does have its downsides though. Against the stopwatch the 2025 Suzuki Fronx 4AT is a bit tardier to 100 km/h, coming in slower than 10 seconds. Likewise, you'll be using more fuel to commute around. Our average eventually settled on 6.9 l/100 km, when the three pedal was closer to 5.9 l/100 km. Despite this, it accelerates in a linear fashion and is suitably easy-going and quiet at moderate throttle. You'll spot a 2025 Suzuki Fronx GLX by the contrasting roof and gunmetal alloy wheels. Image: File On the evidence of our review, we think the 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT will find plenty of happy homes in South Africa. The high-spec 9-inch infotainment and other bells and whistles is worth the R362 900 price of admission alone. Likewise, the build quality for the sub-continental offering really impressed us. Perhaps, the only slightly divisive issue is the name: Fronx. 'Yes, I just brought a new Fronx!'. Which you can explain to your mates is a portmanteau of 'Frontier' and 'Crossover,' just by the way. However, when you experience its peppy drive and composed road manners, you'll care less what it's called. 2025 Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 4AT Engine: 1.5-litre petrol 1.5-litre petrol Transmission: 4-speed automatic 4-speed automatic Power: 77 kW 77 kW Torque: 138 Nm 138 Nm 0-100 km/h: 10.20 seconds (tested) 10.20 seconds (tested) Top speed: 170 km/h 170 km/h Consumption: 6.9 l/100 km (tested) 6.9 l/100 km (tested) Price: R362 900 Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
