For South Africa’s motorsport fans, Gqeberha is far more renowned for its sandy terrain than its impressive wind. Home to the popular Rover track, the city has become a hub for motocross riders that enjoy the challenge of thick sand and deep ruts.

As the second round of the National Motocross Championship approaches, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna head to Gqeberha for one of the most highly anticipated events of the season. The team’s leading MX1 and MX2 rider David Goosen commented: “I’m super excited for Rover – it’s always been a really good track for me. It’s a race that will definitely show who has come prepared and done their homework and who hasn’t. If you show up without having put in the work, then you’re in trouble!”

Having won several events at Rover in his career, Goosen has a wealth of experience to fall back on and is eager to repeat his past victories. Confident in his preparation for the event, he said: “The thing that gives me the most confidence going into this is the way I’ve prepared for it. I’ve been doing a lot more testing on my Husqvarna FC 450 / FC 250 since the first round and I’m feeling really comfortable on the new bikes. We’ve improved on a couple of things and I feel like I’ve really settled into the swing of racing for the new team.”

Teammate Neil van der Vyver will line-up with a target on his back as he attempts to stake his claim in what is still very new 85cc territory. The rising star faced the setback of a bad start by his own high standard in the opening round and is out for redemption this weekend: “I’ve mostly been working on starts and techniques for the past couple of weeks. I’ve made sure that everything from the bike to my body is where it needs to be – I’ve been keeping my fitness up and also dialled in my suspension after lots of testing,” he said.

Like Goosen, the youngster is undaunted by the sandy track and even rated Rover as one of his favourite places to race.

Husqvarna South Africa’s Brand Manager Fred Fensham shares a parting shot as his team prepares for what will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting races of the season: “Rover has been a good hunting ground for us in the past. We really feel that our riders have done such good preparation and are as ready as can be!”

Published by: Fred Fensham