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Yamaha team mates Jade Gutzeit and Brian Baragwanath won the motorcycle and quad categories of the Bell 400, round four of the 2011 SA National Off-Road championship, in very wet and muddy conditions in the Hluhluwe area of kwaZulu-Natal.
Each also won earlier this season.
Gutzeit took the lead from team mate Louwrens Mahoney, who started first but retired with engine problems after about 10km. Motocross rider Ross Branch (Honda), who also led the race for a while, made the first podium appearancen of his first National off-road season - second overall and second in the OR1 Open Class.
TOUGH CONDITIONS
Riaan van Niekerk (KTM) won the OR2 Class and finished third after starting seventh.
The tough racing conditions took their toll on quad competitors. Many withdrew due to mud flying into unprotected eyes.
Behind Baragwanath, who led from start to finish, was Philipie Baard (Honda) who didn't let an injured hand hold him up, and third was David Hollis (Yamaha) with his best National result yet.
Vincent Loubser (Yamaha) posted his best result of the season with fourth; Cornel Kannemeyer (Suzuki) was fifth after he losing time with electrical problems; Christopher Fell (Yamaha) was sixth, followed by Hannes Saaijman (Suzuki), Leonard dos Santos (Suzuki) and John Aylward (Yamaha), the ninth and last finisher.
There were no Q2 (Open) Class finishers.
ONLY 22 FINISHED
In the motorcycle category Altus de Wet (KTM) was fourth and won the OR3 Class when he beat OR3 class leader Marc Torlage (Yamaha) who injured a knee during the timed trial. Christopher Webster (Yamaha) was sixth – his brother Jonathan was 10th after a front sprocket had to be replaced – with Juan van Rooyen (Kawasaki) seventh and 13sec ahead of eighth-placed Jonathan van Wyk (Honda) who was third in OR3.
Scott Scheepers (KTM) was ninth.
Just outside the top 10, only six seconds separated 11th-placed Mark Garland (Husaberg) from Laurence Murton (Honda), who started 32nd. Wade Blaauw (Yamaha) was 13th; Nicholas Pienaar (Kawasaki) was 14th and 40sec faster than CJ Blackman (KTM) after more than seven hours and 400km of racing.
There were no OR4 Under 21 finishers.
22 competitors made the full race distance. Stephen Williams (KTM) was 16th and was followed by Michael Spencer (KTM). Anthony Drysdale (KTM), Darren Pienaar (Beta), Francois de Greef (KTM), Brett Cummings (Kawasaki) and George de la Rosa (Yamaha).
Wayne Farmer (GasGas) lost time with a broken exhaust but still won the Senior Motorcycle Class when he beat arch-rival Guy Henley (Kawasaki). The technical conditions suited enduro rider Steve Landman (GasGas) who was third. Johan Gray (BMW) was fourth, Glen Croeser (KTM) fifth.
FOURTH VICTORY
Only two Senior competitors finished in the quad category: Amanda Eardley (Can-Am) beat Claude Newberry (Can-Am). She also won the Q3 4x4 Utility Class (her team mate Kobus Visser was second and Newberry third) and was the first finisher in the Ladies Quad Class, beating second-placed Melissa van Rensburg (Yamaha) and Anita Uys (Kawasaki).
Visser was also second in the Master Class in which defending champion Jurie Meyer (Yamaha) took his fourth consecutive victory of 2011. Geoff Ochse (Can-Am) was third.
The Bell 400 was in the back yard of defending Master Class champion in the National Enduro series so Denzil Torlage (Yamaha) he decided to use it for practice and won ahead of Neil Gailey (Yamaha) and Raymond Crozier.
ONLY JUNIOR
Local Junior National off-road competitor Michael Pentacost (Yamaha) won the Silver Class Challenge in which seven of the top 10 finishers were youngsters competing in the Junior series. Michael de Beer (KTM) was second and Junior rider Ruan Smith (Yamaha) third.
Junior off-road competitor from Vryheid, Gerhard Steenkamp (Can-Am), was the only quad rider to finish in this category.
Round 5 of the 2011 National Off-Road championship, the RORMC 400, will be run over August 26/27 near Vredefort in North-West province.
Each also won earlier this season.
Gutzeit took the lead from team mate Louwrens Mahoney, who started first but retired with engine problems after about 10km. Motocross rider Ross Branch (Honda), who also led the race for a while, made the first podium appearancen of his first National off-road season - second overall and second in the OR1 Open Class.
TOUGH CONDITIONS
Riaan van Niekerk (KTM) won the OR2 Class and finished third after starting seventh.
The tough racing conditions took their toll on quad competitors. Many withdrew due to mud flying into unprotected eyes.
Behind Baragwanath, who led from start to finish, was Philipie Baard (Honda) who didn't let an injured hand hold him up, and third was David Hollis (Yamaha) with his best National result yet.
Vincent Loubser (Yamaha) posted his best result of the season with fourth; Cornel Kannemeyer (Suzuki) was fifth after he losing time with electrical problems; Christopher Fell (Yamaha) was sixth, followed by Hannes Saaijman (Suzuki), Leonard dos Santos (Suzuki) and John Aylward (Yamaha), the ninth and last finisher.
There were no Q2 (Open) Class finishers.
ONLY 22 FINISHED
In the motorcycle category Altus de Wet (KTM) was fourth and won the OR3 Class when he beat OR3 class leader Marc Torlage (Yamaha) who injured a knee during the timed trial. Christopher Webster (Yamaha) was sixth – his brother Jonathan was 10th after a front sprocket had to be replaced – with Juan van Rooyen (Kawasaki) seventh and 13sec ahead of eighth-placed Jonathan van Wyk (Honda) who was third in OR3.
Scott Scheepers (KTM) was ninth.
Just outside the top 10, only six seconds separated 11th-placed Mark Garland (Husaberg) from Laurence Murton (Honda), who started 32nd. Wade Blaauw (Yamaha) was 13th; Nicholas Pienaar (Kawasaki) was 14th and 40sec faster than CJ Blackman (KTM) after more than seven hours and 400km of racing.
There were no OR4 Under 21 finishers.
22 competitors made the full race distance. Stephen Williams (KTM) was 16th and was followed by Michael Spencer (KTM). Anthony Drysdale (KTM), Darren Pienaar (Beta), Francois de Greef (KTM), Brett Cummings (Kawasaki) and George de la Rosa (Yamaha).
Wayne Farmer (GasGas) lost time with a broken exhaust but still won the Senior Motorcycle Class when he beat arch-rival Guy Henley (Kawasaki). The technical conditions suited enduro rider Steve Landman (GasGas) who was third. Johan Gray (BMW) was fourth, Glen Croeser (KTM) fifth.
FOURTH VICTORY
Only two Senior competitors finished in the quad category: Amanda Eardley (Can-Am) beat Claude Newberry (Can-Am). She also won the Q3 4x4 Utility Class (her team mate Kobus Visser was second and Newberry third) and was the first finisher in the Ladies Quad Class, beating second-placed Melissa van Rensburg (Yamaha) and Anita Uys (Kawasaki).
Visser was also second in the Master Class in which defending champion Jurie Meyer (Yamaha) took his fourth consecutive victory of 2011. Geoff Ochse (Can-Am) was third.
The Bell 400 was in the back yard of defending Master Class champion in the National Enduro series so Denzil Torlage (Yamaha) he decided to use it for practice and won ahead of Neil Gailey (Yamaha) and Raymond Crozier.
ONLY JUNIOR
Local Junior National off-road competitor Michael Pentacost (Yamaha) won the Silver Class Challenge in which seven of the top 10 finishers were youngsters competing in the Junior series. Michael de Beer (KTM) was second and Junior rider Ruan Smith (Yamaha) third.
Junior off-road competitor from Vryheid, Gerhard Steenkamp (Can-Am), was the only quad rider to finish in this category.
Round 5 of the 2011 National Off-Road championship, the RORMC 400, will be run over August 26/27 near Vredefort in North-West province.
