Image from 2021 MX National | Round 1 | Captured by Sage Lee Voges for http://www.zcmc.co.za
The gates finally dropped for the start of the highly anticipated National Motocross Championship at Gauteng’s Terra Topia. The riders of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna lined up with not only an all-new look, but with the opportunity to conquer brand new territory.
For new recruit David Goosen, the opening round came with facing the unknown of racing his Husqvarna machines for the first time. As he set off for the first MX1 heat, Goosen described the feeling as something he could have only dreamed of. He explained: “I just felt so comfortable on the bike and before I knew it, I had overtaken everyone and found myself in the lead! I took the first heat win of the year and it was really cool – I don’t think I’ve ever done something like that.”
The rest of the day was filled with banging bars and hard-fought battles that ultimately saw Goosen take second overall in MX1 and MX2. The rider was especially proud of his MX2 result and commented “The final heat was one of the most competitive races the championship has seen in years. I was in a five-way battle for the lead in MX2 – one moment I was winning and the next moment I was in fifth place. I had to dig really deep as I worked my way back up to second place – possibly the deepest I’ve ever had to dig in racing. I was so chuffed to finish the day with some solid points in the bag.”
The season opener also marked a big moment for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna teammate Neil van der Vyver, who stepped up to the 85cc Pro Mini Class for the first time. With four national championship titles under his belt, he decided to take on new territory this season.
The youngster was off to a blistering start as he pushed to pace to set the fastest qualifying time. He commented, “It was really exciting to take on something new! I had no idea what to expect so it gave me a lot of confidence to qualify first.”
He unfortunately suffered a setback in the first heat after a bad start, but he managed to defy the odds and work his way back up from 11th place to finish fifth. After shaking off the nerves, he positioned himself to fight for the lead from the moment the gates dropped for the second heat. With a solid second place finish in the final moto, Van der Vyver secured a spot on the podium in third overall.
The team will now get back to the drawing back in preparation for the second round of the series that is set to take place at Rover in Port Elizabeth – a track notorious for its unforgiving sand and deep ruts.
“I was absolutely over the moon with the way our new season started. Having changed the majority of the personnel in the team as well as the look and feel, the results were beyond my expectation. I feel super excited for the rest of the season after such an awesome start,” said Husqvarna South Africa’s Brand Manager Fred Fensham.
Brother Leader Tread KTM Reveal 2021 Line-Up Oozing with Talent
With a strong team of riders preparing for the highly anticipated start of the 2021 National Cross Country and Enduro Championship, Brother Leader Tread KTM announces a line-up oozing with talent.
Leading the charge for national glory in the Cross Country Championship is Charan Moore. Fresh off an unforgettable debut season for the orange team, Moore will line up as the reigning OR1 champion. Having proved that he has the pace to take on South Africa’s frontrunners in this sport, the rider steps into the season as a firm favourite for the prestigious 2021 title.
As the director of the Roof of Africa, it comes as no surprise to discover that Moore has also committed to racing the Enduro Championship this season too. With his years of experience marking the unforgiving routes of Lesotho, he will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with.
Joining him in the OR1 Class this year is Brother Leader Tread KTM teammate Jarryd Coetzee. Having ticked off his goal of snatching up the OR2 title, Coetzee enters the OR1 Class ready to battle it out for the ultimate Cross Country glory.
Rounding out the Cross Country team is Bradley Cox, who will now represent the team in the OR2 Class. The move comes after an unforgettable 2020 season where Cox stormed to victory in the OR3 Class for the second time in his career.
As a multi-disciplined star, Cox has his sights set on snatching up two national titles as he races for the top step in the E1 Enduro Class. After multiple podium places and event wins last season, the rider has established himself as a firm favourite in the highly competitive class.
Brother Leader Tread KTM teammate Kirsten Landman will once again line-up as South Africa’s Enduro queen. As one of the few female riders to race in the challenging championship, Landman has once again signed up for the E2 Class. With a determination to take on some of the toughest trails the country has to offer, the rider will also compete in the National Enduro Extreme Championship.
With the first round of the National Cross Country Championship set to unfold in in Jolivet, KwaZulu-Natal, this weekend, KTM South Africa’s Louwrens Mahoney commented: “I am really excited for the 2021 racing season to kick off. I can’t wait to see the team battle it out against some of the country’s top riders and take on some of the most beautiful, yet challenging terrain South Africa has to offer. I am optimistic that the team will do us proud – yet again. Having done some valuable off season training, I am confident that the season will be off to a good start.”
Published by: Louwrens Mahoney – KTM Motorcycles SA
Due to uncertainties related to the ongoing Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the FIM, the Japanese Motorcycling Federation (MFJ) and local organiser Mobilityland regret to announce the cancellation of TrialGP Japan originally scheduled to take place on 14-16 May in Motegi, Japan.
The FIM would like to thank the MFJ and Mobilityland for their dedication and efforts to try to reschedule this major event on the Trial calendar since 2000 and looks forward to seeing the Japanese round return to the calendar in 2022.
Red Bull KTM couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2021 National Motocross Championship. Star rider Tristan Purdon snatched up three out the four heats he raced in to stamp his authority in both the MX1 and MX2 Class overall.
Having stepped into the season as the 2020 MX1 Champion, Purdon was especially pleased to taste victory in the MX2 Class for a change. He commented, “I usually feel a bit heavier in the MX2 Class than the rest of the guys, so it was really good to prove that I have what it takes to keep the pace up front on my KTM 250 SX-F.”
Purdon will now prepare for the next round in Port Elizabeth – a track the rider is particularly fond of for its thick sand and deep ruts.
It was an epic start to the season for Red Bull KTM’s newest recruit Cameron Durow, who got off to blistering starts in both MX2 heats, securing the holeshot on each occasion. After battling it out with some of the country’s top riders, the 18-year-old secured a spot on the podium in third overall.
“To be honest, I feel like I got a bit tired in the second heat and made some mistakes that cost me. Overall, I’m really happy with my results but also know what I need to work on for the next round,” said Durow.
Red Bull KTM’s High School Class hero Jonathan Mlimi also ended the day with silverware. As the reigning National Champion, the rider entered the season with a steely determination to defend his 2020 title. After a victory in the first heat and third place in the second heat, Mlimi finished in second overall.
“Something I learnt last year is that the championship isn’t won in the first round – last year I ended sixth in the first round, I’m feeling good about the way I’ve started the season and still have the red plate,” he said.
Rounding out a successful day for Red Bull KTM was Trey Cox, who made his debut race for the orange team in the 85cc Class. The rider had the perfect start to the season with a win in the first heat. Despite an unfortunate crash in the second heat, he managed to finish fifth to take second place overall.
What 2021 South African Motocross Championship Round 1 Report Where Terra Topia, Diepsloot Gauteng. When Saturday 20 February 2021 Community South Africa National
Purdon takes double first blood at terrific Terra Topia
Splendid racing, excellent fields and a little controversy on the side were highlights of an action packed 2021 Cannabis Energy Drink & TRP Distributors South African National Motocross Championship season opener at Terra Topia in Diepsloot, Gauteng on Saturday. But it was national MX1 champion, Cathcart EP hero Tristan Purdon and his Red Bull KTM who stole the headlines with overall victory in both the 15-bike strong MX1 and MX2 races.
Purdon will have the championship leaders’ red plates on both his machines when he arrives at his home province Rover races in Port Elizabeth after fighting back to win the second open class MX1 race, and a dominant double in the quarter-litre MX2 motos.
Holeshot king Johan Vogelesang took the early opening heat MX1 lead with Tinswalo Yamaha rider Anthony Raynard in pursuit before Jesse Wright’s Out of Africa Monster Energy Yamaha took over. But David Goosen was soon on the move after biding his time on his maiden outing aboard his new Rockstar Energy Drink Husqvarna and he soon passed Raynard and then fought Wright before moving ahead for the win.
Purdon meanwhile, extracted his KTM from the pack after a middling start to move up and follow Goosen home from Raynard, Wright and KTM lads, SA OR3 Cross Country champion Bradley Cox and Jayden Proctor. But SA MX1 champion Purdon made no mistakes in the second moto, while Raynard beat Goosen to second ahead of Wright, Cox and Proctor. So Purdon heads to PE with a two point lead over Goosen, with Raynard in close attendance.
Tristan Purdon then took his turn to take a come from behind opening 250cc MX2 win from Red Bull KTM teammate Cameron Durow. He entertained in a dice with Raynard and the closing Goosen’s Husqvarna, ahead of Dalton Venter’s Yamaha and Jayden Proctor on a KTM. Purdon then made it a double over Goosen, Raynard, Durow, Venter and Leonard du Toit to take a strong early title lead over Goosen, Raynard and Durow, who are split by a point.
Yamaha duo, over-30s Senior man Grant Frerichs and over-40 Masters champion Ian Topliss diced hard for the first MX3 win. Dwayne Kleynhans’ KTM and Deon du Toit on a Kawasaki were next up in over 30s and Jaco Smit’s KTM and Bruce Viljoen completed the over 40 podium. Frerichs then held Kleynhans off to win in race 2 with Topliss topping the over 40 field in third as Frerichs and Topliss took their respective classes for the day.
The Ladies Motocross status quo was intact after the first heat as dominant 2020 champion Kayla Raaff was back up to her old tricks on her Kawasaki ahead of Leah Heygate’s KTM, Husqvarna sisters Jadene and Cheyenne de Lima and Dakota Grobbelaar’s Kawasaki. But it was all change in heat 2 as a delighted Heygate put one over Raaff, Jadene, Cheyenne and Grobbelaar, to head to Nelson Mandela Bay in April in the joint title lead with Raaff.
The school kid motocross action was not only fraught between packed grids on track, but there was ample action off it too. Not so much in the 125cc High School class that saw 27 machines line up at the gate as Jonathan Mlimi picked up where he left off in High School motocross. He took a couple of laps to reel in and pass Ethan Hoffman’s Out of Africa Monster Energy Yamaha and clear off to win the opening heat on his Red Bull KTM.
Hoffman’s Yamaha teammate Hayden Tully ended up second, while KTM duo Miguel de Waal and Mark-Anthony Filip also moved ahead of Hoffman who slipped to fifth ahead of Luke Grundy’s Husqvarna. De Waal then sped to the second moto win from Tully, Mlimi, Grundy, Hoffman and Filip. That sees de Waal and Mlimi in the joint championship lead, with Tully and Grundy in close attendance en route to the Port Elizabeth second round.
A monster 30 bike entry lined up for the 85cc races as 65cc graduate Trey Cox took the holeshot aboard his Red Bull KTM before holding Lucca Mynhardt’s KTM, Emmanuel Bako on a Gas Gas and Husqvarna trio Wian du Plooy, Neil van der Vyver and Jordan van Wyk’s Husqvarna to win Pro Mini. Mynhardt then took the second moto from van der Vyver, Bako, du Plooy, Cox and van Wyk, to score the Rider of the Day award and free entry to the PE weekend.
Matthew Correia led Tyler Petersen and Ashton Martin to an opening heat small-wheel 85cc Junior KTM 1-2-3, with Caden Weise’s Husqvarna the interloper ahead of Kassim Hassim and Andrew Venter on two more KTMs. Petersen then won the second race from Andrea Mynhardt’s KTM, Correia, Hassim, Martin and Venter to see Petersen and Correia split by just two points.
There was drama in the Pro Mini races as a trio of midfield riders were excluded for ‘jumping under yellow flags’, a factor that would have a far more drastic effect on the 65cc results as another heartening 28 riders lined up for the start. Gas Gas rider Blade Tilley made a forceful move to pass Jack Pullen’s Husqvarna as those two came home ahead of Trent Valsecchi’s KTM. But all three were excluded for jumping under yellow flag conditions…
Which meant that fourth placed rider Blake Frost took the win on his KTM, ahead of Aiden Henley’s Yamaha and Husqvarna trio Sven Larsen, Nicol Smit and Alex Cooper. Tilley and Pullen were back in charge as they took the second moto 1-2 ahead of Frost, Henley ,Valsecchi and Smit to leave Frost, Henley and Smit in that championship lead. This should now prove an intriguing title table to watch…
A strong field of 25 baby class 50cc motocrossers is always a good sign. Champion Trenton Kretzman and his Husqvarna wasted no time to move ahead of Rayden Woolls’ Gas Gas for the win. KTM kids Maxwell Fourie, Ross Mackenzie, Aiden Retief and Travis Liddell followed. As it was in other classes, Woolls struck back to beat Kretzmann in moto 2 and go even in the title chase. Casper van Zyl’s KTM was third from Retief, Fourie and Ross MacKenzie.
There was more to be positive about beyond great fields and brilliant racing at Terra Topia. With an increased presence of brands like Kawasaki among the KTMs, Husqvarnas and Yamahas, as well as the winning arrival of Gas Gas in the paddock, it seems Motocross is certainly back on the up in South Africa.
The 2021 South African National Motocross Championship is proudly presented by Motorsport South Africa in partnership with Cannabis Energy Drink, TRP Distributors, Prepsol, Bridgestone, Thor, Gaerne, FMF, Pro Taper, 100%, Fly Racing, Ogio, Bandit Graffix and the Race Shop.
The second round of the 2021 Cannabis Energy Drink & TRP Distributors South African National Motocross Championship goes down at Rover in Port Elizabeth Saturday 3 April.
