You would never think it, but a 50cc motorcycle can have more impact on a rider’s career than you could ever imagine… but more on that later.
On April 10, 1951 in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare in Zimbabwe), John and Joan Ballington had their third baby, Hugh Neville ‘Kork’ Ballington. Little did they know it at the time but Joan Ballington had just given birth to a future four-time world champion grand prix racer who would later be named as one of South Africa’s most successful sportspersons in history.
Johnno Ballington was a printer mechanic by trade and not a keen motorcyclist, but Kork still got the odd ride around as a pillion on a two-stroke Corgi scooter when he was three or four years old. By five he had already developed an interest in things mechanical. Says Kork: “We had a black Citroen and it was Johnno’s pride and joy, I loved it too and couldn’t wait until my feet reached the pedals so I could drive it!”
Life was romantically uncomplicated for the Ballington family. Dad worked, mum looked after the house and kids, and the kids?... well they just got to be kids. It was a far cry from the multimillion dollar highflying world of grand prix racing, that’s for sure… but it was perfect.
Before he started school, Kork developed a friendship with a neighbour who had a pedal cart. He wasn’t interested in the pedal power – far too slow – but got a kick from running it down the steepest hills around home. The Ballingtons couldn’t stretch the budget for Kork to have his own cart, but that didn’t stop him…
When he was six, Kork and his older brother Dozy put together a billy kart out of parts Dozy had collected. Dozy was already showing signs of a natural ability for all things mechanical (he would go on to be Kork’s GP mechanic among many other accomplishments). The cart had cable steering and steel rear wheels. Dozy
