Motoring Today with Roger McCleery

Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Automotive
  • Updated Weekly

Few voices have shaped South African motoring quite like Roger McCleery's. A six-time Western Province Motorcycle Champion in his youth, he went on to build the local Honda motorcycle business in the 1960s, then ran PR and marketing for Alfa Romeo and Nissan before founding Motoring Media Promotions in 1985. He has commented on motorsport on radio and at race circuits since 1969 and on television since 1976, served seventeen years on South Africa's Formula 1 Grand Prix committee, and represented the country on the FIM, bringing motorcycle and motocross Grands Prix to local soil between 1980 and 1993. On Motoring Today, Roger brings that depth (and the address book that goes with it) to a weekly conversation covering motorsport, road cars, the global and local industry, and the heritage that built it all. From Kyalami's glory years to the latest launches, from F1 to bakkies, this is motoring through the eyes of the man who has seen, driven and called most of it.

Episodes

  1. 5d ago

    MotoGP Airbags, SA Car of the Year Goes Chinese, and Mugello Race Results

    Johnny Shand (Bike Man | Owner) Tony Els (Motorsport Photographer) Colin Windell (Motoring Journalist | SA Car of the Year) Roger Houghton (Motoring Journalist | Veteran Correspondent) Global motorsport news, racing results and South African motoring Motoring Today is South Africa's weekly motorsport and motoring news show, and this episode is for petrolheads who want the latest from MotoGP, the 2026 South African Car of the Year results, delivery bike safety, historic racing crashes, and a deep dive into how MotoGP airbag suits actually work. Roger McLeery opens with full MotoGP results from Mugello, Italy: Besecki leads the world championship on an Aprilia, Jorge Martin takes second, Brad Binder flies the South African flag in eleventh, and the Bagger World Championship Harleys steal the show. Superbike results from Aragon in Spain follow, with Buliga on a Ducati taking the win. KTM's struggles in the top MotoGP class are analysed, and Moto3 results including Rich Mudley's progress are covered. Johnny Shand of Bike Man on the West Rand joins to discuss winter riding gear, Suzuki's new Gixxer 250, affordable Chinese delivery bikes enabling micro-entrepreneurship at around R23,000 all-in, and the serious question of whether large fleet operators like Checkers are investing in proper rider training for their four thousand delivery riders nationally. Veteran motorsport photographer Tony Els reflects on forty years behind the lens at circuits including Kyalami, East London and Cape Town, the prohibitive cost of modern telephoto lenses, and what made South African motorsport crowds special in their golden era. Colin Windell breaks down the 2026 South African Car of the Year, organised by the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists and sponsored by Old Mutual. The Zotye T2 becomes the first Chinese vehicle to win the overall title in the competition's forty-year history. Category winners include the Audi RS Q8 in performance, the Land Rover Defender Octa in adventure, the Audi A5 in premium, the Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI in compact, and the Elmo de C7 in family. Seven of the eighteen finalists were Chinese brands. Roger Houghton reports from Nampo, the massive South African agricultural show, and shares observations on traffic and classic cars in Mauritius, including a forthcoming Millstone Automobile Museum housing the real Aston Martin DB5 James Bond car and a McLaren F1. He also raises pointed questions about the Zotye T2's fuel consumption of 11.2 litres per 100 kilometres as a judging concern. The episode closes with a detailed technical explanation of how MotoGP airbag suits work: ECU-triggered gas inflation in under 25 milliseconds, gyroscopes and accelerometers sampling a thousand times per second, crash detection algorithms differentiating high-sides from normal lean angles, and the body zones protected on impact.

    52 min

  2. May 26

    Montreal GP Recap, BYD Parts Scam and 900hp BMW Builds on Motoring Today

    Ian Groth (Automotive Refinisher Magazine | Publisher) Rion Esterhuizen (Toyota South Africa | Senior PR Manager) Matteo Camara (Stellantis South Africa | Head of Citroen Brand) Digby Weston (Turbo Direct | Automotive PR and Turbocharging Specialist) Colin Windell (Motoring Journalist | Independent) Brian Smith (GAC Motor South Africa | Salvador Caetano) Johnny Shand (Motorcycle Dealer | Bike Shop Owner Westrand) Roger McCleery covers F1, Chinese brands, turbos and bikes Motoring Today with Roger McCleery is South Africa's weekly deep-dive into cars, motorsport and the industry behind the wheel - produced at the Solid Gold Podcast Studio in Randburg and sponsored by Toyota. This episode is for petrolheads who want real insight, not press-release fluff: from Formula One results to turbocharged street builds, Chinese brand strategy to delivery bike safety. Automotive Refinisher Magazine online · GAC Motor South Africa · Citroen South Africa - Stellantis

    57 min

  3. May 19

    MotoGP Barcelona Crashes, Nurburgring 24H, Nampo Show and Mahindra Bolero Max

    Roger Hutton (Independent | Veteran Motoring Journalist) Peter de Toit (Killarney International Raceway / Swakopmund -- PLEASE VERIFY | Circuit Owner) Colin Windell (Independent | Veteran Motoring Journalist) Rajesh Gupta (Mahindra South Africa | Outgoing CEO) Johnny Shand (Bike Man | Owner) South Africa's longest-running motoring radio show - weekly news roundup This is the Toyota Motoring News weekly roundup on Radio Today - South Africa's go-to motoring radio programme for petrolheads who want the full picture on local and international motorsport results, new model news, and South African motor industry developments, all in one hit. Veteran journalist Roger Hutton calls in from Mauritius to debrief on the Nampo Agricultural and Motor Show, covering the record-breaking Toyota Hilux gathering, the new Ford Ranger Super Duty, the Kia Tasman making its South African debut, the Isuzu facelift, and the bittersweet farewell of Nissan Navara production moving from Roslyn to Egypt. Colin Windell sits down with outgoing Mahindra South Africa CEO Rajesh Gupta for a first look at the Mahindra Bolero Max platform - a one-point-three, one-point-five and one-point-seven ton payload single cab launching in June, and news of a potential full manufacturing facility following an MOU with the IDC. On the motorsport front: full reaction to the Spanish MotoGP at Barcelona, where multiple crashes including Brad Binder's first-corner fall, Fabio Di Giannone's maiden Grand Prix win on the Ducati, and Pedro Acosta's last-lap tumble leading the race made it one of the most dramatic weekends in recent memory. Max Verstappen's two-hour stint at the Nurburgring 24 Hours gets its own breakdown, along with a preview of the Canadian Grand Prix and the DTM at Zandvoort. South African racing fans get a full guide to the Kyalami Nationals round at Swakopmund Raceway on Saturday, featuring Formula Four, single seaters, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Volkswagen, Kawasaki bikes, and 150 national-level entries. Elsewhere: South African car brand loyalty data shows Volkswagen tops repeat-purchase charts at 26 percent while BMW sits last at 9 percent; the Beijing Motor Show sets a record with 150 exhibitors; Toyota reaches 11.8 million vehicles produced globally; Ducati's ownership by Audi/Volkswagen Group explained; spark plug costs hitting R700 each on some motorcycles; delivery bike economics and rider training with Johnny Shand of Bike Man; a history of motorsport's worst crashes from Le Mans to Kyalami; and the dark story of Jimmy Guthrie at the 1937 German Grand Prix. Mahindra South Africa - official website · Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit · Nampo Harvest Day agricultural and motor show

    54 min

  4. May 15

    Chinese Brands Take 26% of SA Car Sales, Kimi Antonelli Wins Miami GP and More

    Roger Houghton, Dennis Klopper and Johnny Shand on wheels. Motoring Today is South Africa's longest-running motoring radio show, and this is episode one of its new format on Radio Today 1485. Hosted by one of SA's most experienced motor journalists, Roger McCleery, this episode is pure petrolhead fuel: Formula 1 results, MotoGP from Le Mans, South African hill climb news, the Chinese car invasion of the local market, new book releases on Ferrari and Porsche history, and a conversation with a Suzuki motorcycle dealer on the West Rand. If you love motors, motorsport, and the stories behind the machines, this is your show. Roger Houghton, calling in from George Airport on his way to Namibia, gives a frank breakdown of the South African new vehicle market: Chinese brands now account for 26 percent of passenger vehicle sales, Chery alone sits at number four nationally, and legacy dealerships are being rebranded across the country. He also covers declining vehicle exports, fuel price pressures, and what GWM partnering with Mercedes in East London could mean for local manufacturing. Denis Klopper, reached in Colesberg on his way back to Cape Town, joins to talk about his new book: 70 Years of Ferrari in Southern Africa, launched at Cavallieri in Johannesburg. He also covers 60 Years of Kyalami Memories, 60 Years of Porsche at Kyalami, and upcoming biographies of Cyril and Ian, as well as a planned Alfa Romeo title. Books are available via SA Motorsport Memories online or through Exclusive Books. The show covers the Samola Hill Climb, with Peter Zealey's Toyota MR2 taking fastest modified car honours, Rob Walker's Gould Climb Special, and a nitrous oxide tank drama that spread oil across 300 metres of track. There is also a round-up of the greatest F1 drivers in history, from Juan Manuel Fangio and Jim Clark to Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, plus Hamilton's push to bring Formula One back to Kyalami as Africa's only Grand Prix circuit. Colin Windell runs through the updated Ford Ranger lineup: 23 derivatives, a new Sport variant, the 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine producing 222 kW and 452 Nm, and a six-year 90 000 km service plan. Johnny Shand of Bike Man on the West Rand reports that new bike sales are up, fuel prices are pushing commuters onto two wheels, and Brad Binder's KTM contract situation may explain his 2025 MotoGP struggles relative to teammate Pedro Acosta.

    41 min
  • 4 Episodes

About

Few voices have shaped South African motoring quite like Roger McCleery's. A six-time Western Province Motorcycle Champion in his youth, he went on to build the local Honda motorcycle business in the 1960s, then ran PR and marketing for Alfa Romeo and Nissan before founding Motoring Media Promotions in 1985. He has commented on motorsport on radio and at race circuits since 1969 and on television since 1976, served seventeen years on South Africa's Formula 1 Grand Prix committee, and represented the country on the FIM, bringing motorcycle and motocross Grands Prix to local soil between 1980 and 1993. On Motoring Today, Roger brings that depth (and the address book that goes with it) to a weekly conversation covering motorsport, road cars, the global and local industry, and the heritage that built it all. From Kyalami's glory years to the latest launches, from F1 to bakkies, this is motoring through the eyes of the man who has seen, driven and called most of it.

Information