Racing cars with Gennaro Bonafede

Gennaro Bonafede is a 23 year old race car driver currently racing for AudiSasolRacing.

It turns out motorsport is an art that takes up an enormous amount of time, passion, grit and 100% commitment and dedication. During the time I spent with Gennaro at the Killarney Racecourse, he talked me through his current 'motorsport career', the pros and cons of the industry and his many other achievements along the way.

Here's what went down on Saturday 11 April:

The L.A Dosage: How did you get into motorsport?

Gennaro: I have always been a sporty person. I started with go-kart racing at the age of 6 and its been pretty much a passion ever since then.

The L.A Dosage: What's it like racing the cars?

Gennaro: Its crazy man. The minute you put on that helmet and start that engine, it literally just takes over everything. Its all about the adrenaline. It's also very frustrating because its such a competitive sport and industry, but can be rewarding at the same time.

Man of the hour in all form

The L.A Dosage: What sort of training do you do for motor racing?

Gennaro: Well, I do a lot of heat training. It gets crazy hot in these cars. The temperature can be anything between 50 and 55 degrees; which why one must keep very fit and keep their heart healthy to be able to handle it.

The L.A Dosage: Who is your racing idol and why?

Gennaro: Definitely Ayrton Senna- He was the epitome of racing. The complete package, winning at all costs. He lived for racing. And another one would have to be Michael Schumacher for his confidence on the track. These two are just what passion is all about.

The L.A Dosage: What else do you do when you are not racing?

Gennaro: I am currently finishing my degree. I am also an Advanced Driving instructor at Kyalami and the most one that takes my time, is DJing.

The L.A Dosage: Who would you say is your biggest competitor on the track?

Gennaro: Definitely my team mate. The problem is when you have the exact same car, equipment, technical team and so forth. The only thing that now differs is your driving styles. Its always a concern.

The coolest helmet ever seen

The L.A Dosage: What has been your greatest achievement in motorsport?

Gennaro: I would have to say, when I received my Protea colours in 2007/8. I was racing in Germany and Italy. I ended up coming 4th in the world championships which were in Italy; so that was quite something for me.

The L.A Dosage: Where do you see yourself in, lets say 5 years in this industry?

Gennaro: Probably overseas. I might go Dubai next year for a business opportunity. I will definitely still be racing. This is one thing you can do even when you are at the age of 50.

The L.A Dosage: How would you advice someone who wants to get into racing?

Gennaro: The motorsport industry is quite hard to get into. You need to know that you have stable, financial backing. Sometimes one has to spend money to get money. But, the most important thing is to start off with go-karting. It teaches you everything you need to know for when you eventually get to the big tracks.

Here are the following snippets from all the racing at the Killarney Racecourse this past weekend featuring Mr Bonafede.

Upon arrival, his car was being given a good clean

His Audi that he races with. #32 

The goodies that make it take-off the way it does

Preparing for the starting line

His team mate, Hennie leading the way #8

It was a great pleasure finally meeting and chatting to this young gentleman. He did quite well despite a hiccup in race 2 but knowing him, he managed to make a comeback for some points.

Stay tuned. . .