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Off-road riders, quads head for Swazi

<b>SWAZI RIDERS IN ACTION:</b> Swazi rider Jono van Wyk will be in action in front of his home crowd at the Swazi Cowboyz 400 on March 21. <i>Image: Elza Thiart-Botes</i>
<b>SWAZI RIDERS IN ACTION:</b> Swazi rider Jono van Wyk will be in action in front of his home crowd at the Swazi Cowboyz 400 on March 21. <i>Image: Elza Thiart-Botes</i>
Jono van Wyk

Swaziland will return to the SA National Off-road championship calendarafter a nine-year absence as competitors head to the land-locked country for Round 2 of the 2015 ‘Swazi Cowboyz 400’.

The event will take place at the Usutu Country Club, 30km from Mbabane, on Saturday (March 21). The race will see competitors from South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland at the country club which, organisers say, will becomea “racing village” on the day before that.

THE RACE

Competitors will take on a 60km time trial on March 21 (from 7.30am) with the main event, a 360km trek comprising of two loops from 10.30am in the order in which they qualified. Motorcycle and quad riders will race on different loops and switch at the halfway mark.

The race organisers say the route will consist predominantly of disused forest roads. Riders will have their work cut out for them as there will be many corners.

Organiser Mark Deakin said: “To have a National off-road race back in Swaziland is like a dream come true. We hope this event will kick-start racing in Swaziland and would like Swaziland to be a riding hot-spot in southern Africa.”

SWAZI RIDERS

Swaziland can look forward having its own riders in the event, such as Ezulwini businessman Jono van Wyk (KTM).
Van Wyk is fourth in the OR3 Class (for 250cc four-stroke / 200cc two-stroke motorcycles) with only seven points separating the top four riders after the first round of the series.

Swaziland motorsport veteran Danny Heenan will also be in action along with Laurence Murton. In the quad category Gareth Emmett, who previously competed in the SA off-road Junior class as well as the Senior series, will participate in his home race.

Visit Dirtracing.co.za for more information. Follow the event on Facebook.

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