NATIONAL ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP – SEASON FINALE
The curtains of the National Enduro Championship are about to be drawn to a close. This weekend marks the highly anticipated season finale, where riders will have one last opportunity to battle it out for national glory.
All eyes will be on Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Heinrich Aust, who enters the event with only 9-points separating him from the top of the E1 Class leaderboard. It’s been a nail-biting season for the youngster who has been locked in a bar-to-bar battle with championship rival Bradley Cox all season long.
Having also committed to the Extreme series this season, the weekend will be a double header event for Aust. The rider is on the cusp of snatching up the Extreme title as well, and lines up tied for points in the E1 Class with Stefan van Deventer.
“I’m up for the challenge of a double-header event this weekend! As a technical rider, the more challenging the route, the better. I’m really looking forward to seeing the kind of terrain that Creighton has in store and giving this last event everything that I’ve got!” said Aust.
Having pulled out of an event this season due to an illness, it’s no secret that teammate Brett Swanepoel’s chances of snatching up the E2 Championship are slim. With a 12-point gap to bridge, the rider has nothing to lose this weekend and will undoubtedly give the final race everything he’s got.
As a Natal local, Swanepoel will line-up with a significant advantage having spent countless hours using the technical terrain as his training ground. After recent rainfall, the already technical route will present the added challenge of being slippery. Undaunted by the terrain and the leaderboard, a confident Swanepoel commented: “Like they always say – it’s not over until it’s over. No matter what the leaderboard says, my goal has always been to win every race I compete in. That’s all I have to focus on this weekend.”
In the Extreme Championship, the rider finds himself in a similar position to Aust. Swanepoel is bracing himself for a three-way battle as he enters the event tied for points with Scott Bouverie and Luke Walker.
With what will certainly be the most exciting event of the season in store, Husqvarna South Africa’s Fred Fensham commented: “Our Enduro season has been a tough one for the team this year. Brett has had a tough fight back after having to pull out of a round due to illness, and with such a short season it’s an impossible task. For our young gun Heinrich, in his first season with us he has battled against a very on form rider in the form of Brad Cox. You can put your money on the fact that he won’t give up chasing the win till the checkered flag drops!”
Published by: Husqvarna Motorcycles SA
Picture Caption: Rising star Heinrich Aust.
Photography by: Sage Lee Voges