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Exciting racing with unpredictable results is what is in stall for the 2011 SA National Off-road Motorcycle and Quad Championships that will kick off with the Diamond Route 400, a brand new event on the national racing calendar that will take place this weekend (4 and 5 February) in the Wolmaransstad area in the North-West Province.
All the big players in the motorcycle category will be on the start line where the defending title holder, Jade Gutzeit, will compete with and against his Proudly Bidvest Yamaha team-mate, Louwrens Mahoney.
Gutzeit will race in the OR1 (Open) Class where he will face other top riders like Bollie van Rooyen (Off Road Racing Concepts Kawasaki) and the Webster brothers, Jonathan and Christopher (Mick’s Motorcycles Yamaha).
Former champion, Gray Dick, has joined the Brother Broadlink KTM team and will compete in OR1 together with his Swiss team-mate, Lionel Seydoux while Wade Blaauw (Salley’s Yamaha) and Laurie Murton (Ramco Honda) are also some of the main contenders in this class. Botswana MX-ace, Ross Branch (Naledi Motors Wesbank Racing Honda), will also tackle the SA national off-road championship for the first time in his career.
The OR2 (250cc) Class is just as competitive where Mahoney; the 2010 class champ, Riaan van Niekerk (Brother Broadlink KTM); Ruan Roberts (Full Throttle Yamaha); Mark Garland (Husaberg); Zac Botha (Shimwells Yamaha) and Wynand Delport (Kargo Racing KTM) will all have an eye on the podium. After winning the OR4 (125cc) Class in 2010, Charan Moore (Leo Racing Yamaha) has now moved up to OR2 where he will show his steel with a bigger machine.
In 2010 the battle for the OR3 (200cc) Class title went all the way to the wire and if last season’s nail biting racing is anything to go by, Brother Broadlink KTM’s Scott Scheepers will be a busy man defending his title. His opposition will include his team-mate, Altus de Wet as well as the 2010 runner-up, Bradley van Aswegen (Kargo Yamaha) and the 200cc Class champion in the Liquorland National Enduro Championship, Marc Torlage (Mr Price Yamaha) who will now also compete in the national off-road championship. The 2010 Silver Challenge winner, Timothy Young (Race Nation Honda) will also compete in this class.
Junior adrenalin junkies
Lots of electrifying racing can also be expected in the new OR4 Class where riders under the age of 21 years compete on 125cc motorcycles where 2009 Silver Challenge winner, Francois de Greef (FD Racing KTM) will take on the 2010 Silver Challenge runner-up, Tyron Miller (Brother Broadlink KTM) and Michael Creevy (Actnet Liqui Moly Yamaha Support) as well as Botswana rider, Ian Dykes (Naledi Motors Wesbank Racing KTM).
There are a bunch of new names in both the Senior and Master Classes, but the fight between the top seniors will most probably again be between defending champion, Errol Dalton (Leo Racing Kawasaki); former champ, Wayne Farmer (LCP Racing Gas Gas) and 2010’s third-placed man, Guy Henley (Off Road Racing Concepts Kawasaki).
The Master Class for competitors older than 46 years has received the most entries for the weekend’s race where 2010 runner-up, Jan Berning (KTM) and third-placed Greg Blackwell (Kargo Racing KTM) can expect stiff competition from former Dakar competitor, Tom Classen (Yamaha) and other regulars.
The names of some of the top riders in the quad category do not appear on the entry list for the season opener. These include the defending champion, Dirkie Baard (he is competing in the USA) as well as former champion, Brendan Badenhorst, Juan Coetzee, Leander Pienaar and Dale Stock. The racing will, however, still be exciting.
In the Q1 (450cc) Class former champion, Brian Baragawanath (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) and the younger Baard brother, Philipie (PS Storm Honda), who has finished third in the overall standings last year, will be in action as well as André du Plessis (EMD Racing Suzuki) and Jacques Struwig (Boesman Racing Suzuki).
Multiple former Junior National Off-road champ, Giacomo Antiga (Can-Am Racing) has now moved to the senior championship and can cause an upset while 2010 Silver Challenge winner, Henrique Marques (Yamaha) will also play with the Big Boys.
Hannes Saaijman (EMD Racing Suzuki) and Vincent Loubser (Team Yamaha) would like to better their 2010 results in Q1 while former Q2 (Open) Class champs, Stefan Swanepoel (Suzuki) and Jacques de Bruyn (Southern Diesel Services Suzuki) are both back in this class after injuries.
In the Senior Class regular top ten riders like Vic Seabra (Quad Revolution Honda); Russell Ferreira (Sandpalm Doors Yamaha); Riaan Stander (CDV Racing Can-Am) and Roxy dos Santos (Suzuki) will come face to face with former Dakar and multiple champion, Cornel de Villiers (CDV Racing Can-Am) while Sarel van Biljon (CDV Racing Can-Am) will also make a come-back to racing.
The Master Class will again be fiercely contested with defending champion, Jurie Meyer (Team Yamaha); Geoff Ochse (CDV Racing Can-Am) who finished third in 2010; Tony dos Santos (Suzuki) who was fourth and Kobus Visser (Team Echo 4x4 Powersport Can-Am) who claimed fifth place all back in action. Karen Wentworth (Suzuki) will be the first female competitor in this class since it was declared a championship.
The Diamond Route 400 will start at the Rietkuil farm outside Wolmaransstad on Friday (4 February) with a 54km time-trial that will determine the starting order and start times for the main race on Saturday (5 February) that will kick off at 08h00.
Total race distance will be just over 400km and the race will finish on Saturday at the Rietkuil farm. Spectators welcome.
All the big players in the motorcycle category will be on the start line where the defending title holder, Jade Gutzeit, will compete with and against his Proudly Bidvest Yamaha team-mate, Louwrens Mahoney.
Gutzeit will race in the OR1 (Open) Class where he will face other top riders like Bollie van Rooyen (Off Road Racing Concepts Kawasaki) and the Webster brothers, Jonathan and Christopher (Mick’s Motorcycles Yamaha).
Former champion, Gray Dick, has joined the Brother Broadlink KTM team and will compete in OR1 together with his Swiss team-mate, Lionel Seydoux while Wade Blaauw (Salley’s Yamaha) and Laurie Murton (Ramco Honda) are also some of the main contenders in this class. Botswana MX-ace, Ross Branch (Naledi Motors Wesbank Racing Honda), will also tackle the SA national off-road championship for the first time in his career.
The OR2 (250cc) Class is just as competitive where Mahoney; the 2010 class champ, Riaan van Niekerk (Brother Broadlink KTM); Ruan Roberts (Full Throttle Yamaha); Mark Garland (Husaberg); Zac Botha (Shimwells Yamaha) and Wynand Delport (Kargo Racing KTM) will all have an eye on the podium. After winning the OR4 (125cc) Class in 2010, Charan Moore (Leo Racing Yamaha) has now moved up to OR2 where he will show his steel with a bigger machine.
In 2010 the battle for the OR3 (200cc) Class title went all the way to the wire and if last season’s nail biting racing is anything to go by, Brother Broadlink KTM’s Scott Scheepers will be a busy man defending his title. His opposition will include his team-mate, Altus de Wet as well as the 2010 runner-up, Bradley van Aswegen (Kargo Yamaha) and the 200cc Class champion in the Liquorland National Enduro Championship, Marc Torlage (Mr Price Yamaha) who will now also compete in the national off-road championship. The 2010 Silver Challenge winner, Timothy Young (Race Nation Honda) will also compete in this class.
Junior adrenalin junkies
Lots of electrifying racing can also be expected in the new OR4 Class where riders under the age of 21 years compete on 125cc motorcycles where 2009 Silver Challenge winner, Francois de Greef (FD Racing KTM) will take on the 2010 Silver Challenge runner-up, Tyron Miller (Brother Broadlink KTM) and Michael Creevy (Actnet Liqui Moly Yamaha Support) as well as Botswana rider, Ian Dykes (Naledi Motors Wesbank Racing KTM).
There are a bunch of new names in both the Senior and Master Classes, but the fight between the top seniors will most probably again be between defending champion, Errol Dalton (Leo Racing Kawasaki); former champ, Wayne Farmer (LCP Racing Gas Gas) and 2010’s third-placed man, Guy Henley (Off Road Racing Concepts Kawasaki).
The Master Class for competitors older than 46 years has received the most entries for the weekend’s race where 2010 runner-up, Jan Berning (KTM) and third-placed Greg Blackwell (Kargo Racing KTM) can expect stiff competition from former Dakar competitor, Tom Classen (Yamaha) and other regulars.
The names of some of the top riders in the quad category do not appear on the entry list for the season opener. These include the defending champion, Dirkie Baard (he is competing in the USA) as well as former champion, Brendan Badenhorst, Juan Coetzee, Leander Pienaar and Dale Stock. The racing will, however, still be exciting.
In the Q1 (450cc) Class former champion, Brian Baragawanath (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) and the younger Baard brother, Philipie (PS Storm Honda), who has finished third in the overall standings last year, will be in action as well as André du Plessis (EMD Racing Suzuki) and Jacques Struwig (Boesman Racing Suzuki).
MOVING ON UP: The former Junior National Off-road (quad) champion, Giacomo Antiga (Can-Am Racing) has moved to the senior championship. Watch his go this weekend…
Multiple former Junior National Off-road champ, Giacomo Antiga (Can-Am Racing) has now moved to the senior championship and can cause an upset while 2010 Silver Challenge winner, Henrique Marques (Yamaha) will also play with the Big Boys.
Hannes Saaijman (EMD Racing Suzuki) and Vincent Loubser (Team Yamaha) would like to better their 2010 results in Q1 while former Q2 (Open) Class champs, Stefan Swanepoel (Suzuki) and Jacques de Bruyn (Southern Diesel Services Suzuki) are both back in this class after injuries.
In the Senior Class regular top ten riders like Vic Seabra (Quad Revolution Honda); Russell Ferreira (Sandpalm Doors Yamaha); Riaan Stander (CDV Racing Can-Am) and Roxy dos Santos (Suzuki) will come face to face with former Dakar and multiple champion, Cornel de Villiers (CDV Racing Can-Am) while Sarel van Biljon (CDV Racing Can-Am) will also make a come-back to racing.
The Master Class will again be fiercely contested with defending champion, Jurie Meyer (Team Yamaha); Geoff Ochse (CDV Racing Can-Am) who finished third in 2010; Tony dos Santos (Suzuki) who was fourth and Kobus Visser (Team Echo 4x4 Powersport Can-Am) who claimed fifth place all back in action. Karen Wentworth (Suzuki) will be the first female competitor in this class since it was declared a championship.
The Diamond Route 400 will start at the Rietkuil farm outside Wolmaransstad on Friday (4 February) with a 54km time-trial that will determine the starting order and start times for the main race on Saturday (5 February) that will kick off at 08h00.
Total race distance will be just over 400km and the race will finish on Saturday at the Rietkuil farm. Spectators welcome.
