National Motocross Championship – BORC
The penultimate round of the National Motocross Championship took riders to BORC, the well-renowned track in Bloemfontein. As the season finale edges closer, Red Bull KTM left nothing to chance as they put everything on the line to snatch up every last championship point available.
Taking centre stage was Tristan Purdon, who tightened his grip on the championship lead in the prestigious MX1 Class. After qualifying quickest, Purdon entered a bar to bar battle with Red Bull KTM teammate Cameron Durow in the first moto. After a game of cat and mouse, it was Purdon who pulled a gap and got the upper hand. He now leads the class by an impressive 29 points.
Another win in the second heat made it a perfect day for the rider in MX1. Elated with the result, he commented, “The second heat took a big push in the soaring temperatures, but I couldn’t be happier to have gone 1-1 to take the win. I’ve won every MX1 race overall except one this year and hope to keep it that way in the last round.”
It was Durow who took the win for the orange team in MX2. The rising star has been relentless in pursuit of the prestigious national title, and in his debut season has stepped up to challenge his teammate. Like Purdon in the MX1 Class, Durow had a perfect day in the MX2 Class and went 1-1 to take the victory overall.
“I pulled out all the stops this weekend. I controlled the first heat from the front but had to work a bit harder in the second moto. With just a few laps to go, I managed to hit right back after an earlier attack from Tristan and take the lead. It was very exciting,” enthused Durow.
With 10 points separating the riders as they prepare for the final battle of the season, Durow said, “It’s a bit of an outside chance, but I’ll take it! The race is far from over and I still have a shot at the championship.”
Adding to Red Bull KTM’s winning streak was yet another High School Class victory from Jonathan Mlimi. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the young talent, who after a slower start by his own high standards had to fight his way back to the front.
After just one lap, the rider made his move and took back control: “I was sitting in the top five after the first lap, and quickly worked my way up front to regain control of the race by the second lap. I stayed consistent for the rest of the race to bring home the win.”
To save himself the pressure of playing catch up, the rider took the holeshot in the second moto and established a strong lead by the first lap. With the championship now withing his grasp, Mlimi is counting down the days until the season finale. He commented, “I only missed securing the championship by four points this round. Working for that victory in the last round will make it so much sweeter, though, and I can’t wait to get out there!”
Rounding out the squad was young gun Trey Cox, who had a tougher day in the saddle. The rider finds himself locked in a nail-biting battle for the Pro Mini Championship, going head-to-head with Neil van der Vyver.
The season finale will come right down to the wire, but Cox remains undaunted and looks forward to the challenge: “After thrashing it out with Neil, I finished fourth overall for the day. It was tough out there, but the result was enough for me to defend my points lead and keep the championship alive for the final round!”
Published by: Louwrens Mahoney
Photography by: Sage Lee Voges