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Self-confessed speed freak Kerwin Rampono is the only non-white South African to have raced in both the SA Formula 1 Powerboat Championship and the V8 SASCAR Championship. Originally from Red Hill in Durban, Kerwin now lives in Muldersdrift, Johannesburg with his wife, Dr Joy Rampono, and their two children, Gary-Dean and Cameron. 
Kerwin made his debut in the National Ports Authority team at the Cape Town Port Festival on 15 February 2003. He has enjoyed a rather prolific racing career over the past several years, but his arrival on the power boating scene began only three years ago. Since then, his rise in the sport has been nothing short of meteoric.
He began racing in 1975 in the 50cc motorcycle class, after which he moved up the ranks to 125cc, and then finally to 600cc super bikes. He also raced go-karts then super cars in 1999 and 2000. Kerwin first took to the waters at the 2002 NPA Durban Port Festival. In the 2002 V8 SASCAR Championship he finished in 9th place overall. He only raced five times during the 2002/3 season but still managed to finish in a solid 10th place. 
Plagued by sponsorship problems, Kerwin's first race of the 2002/3 season only took place during the 3rd round, where he finished in 13th place. His placing didn’t perturb him, as he used the race to reacquaint himself with the water. Then, in the first round of this season he redeemed himself and took a promising fourth position! Following Peter Lindenberg's retirement, Kerwin has now joined the National Ports Authority as the number three driver.
When he’s not racing on the water, he enjoys playing soccer and firing a few rounds at the shooting range (he won gold at a Natal shooting Championship in 1984). He also spends time on managerial duties at the National Ports Authority head office. At the moment, Rampono is sitting in fifth place after the fifth round at Abraham Rust Racing.  Best moments: Taking a podium finish in leg 7 in 2003 in Port Elizabeth, and again in Saldanha 2004, then in Klerksdorp this year.
Worst moments: There have been none yet – and he hopes to keep it that way.
Kerwin Rampono’s racing ambition is to be ranked in the top three in South Africa. And to that we say the sky is the limit! 
From the Bruin-ou.com team, we wish you all the best! I've now suddenly got a keen interest in powerboat racing :-)
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