Monthly Archives: February 2022

FMN News South Africa

PURDON, DUROW AND COX KICK START THE SEASON WITH VICTORY

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National Motocross Championship – Zone 7

It was a riveting start to the 2022 National Motocross Championship for Red Bull KTM. The first round of the season took riders to Cape Town’s Zone 7 track on Saturday, where the orange team blazed their way to three overall victories.

Star rider Tristan Purdon was untouchable in the MX1 Class and in a perfect winning streak took back-to-back victories to defend the red plate. Purdon mentions feeling most confident on the ‘whoop section’ of the track – a section of evenly spaced bumps that the rider cashed in on, affecting most of his overtaking maneuvers in this sector.

Purdon set off with a blistering pace to secure yet another heat win in the first moto of the MX2 Class. An unfortunate crash in the second moto, however, narrowly kept him from securing the victory overall. He commented: “I feel confident when it comes to whoops, so I used that section of the track to make most of my passes. I’m really happy to have taken the MX1 win! Unfortunately, I ran out of time to make up enough ground in MX2. I had a bad start and fell at one point, which is something I’ll work on before the next round.”

The MX2 victory was snatched up by fellow Red Bull KTM rider Cameron Durow. Having only narrowly missed out on winning the championship last year, the young gun has entered the new season swinging.

Undeterred by a third-place finish in the first moto, Durow lined-up for the final heat with more determination to win than ever. He said: “I had a much better start than in the first moto and pushed to get up front early into the race. I worked hard to take the lead and created a decent gap with five minutes to go. I’m super excited to take the red plate going into the next round!”

It was a more demanding day in the saddle for Durow in the MX1 Class. He was off to a slow start by his own high standards but managed to charge through the pack to make his way back up to second. In the final moto Durow had a technical issue that kept him from pushing the pace up front, but after doing some damage control secured fourth place to finish in third overall.

It was a big day for the team’s rising star Jonathan Mlimi, who made his MX2 debut after a highly successful season in the High School Class. While the rider admits that he felt nervous to line up with the competitive class, he also felt more ready than ever to step up to a new challenge.

“After spending time getting used to the KTM 250 SX-F, I felt comfortable enough on the bike to ease my nerves. The first heat went well – I never stopped pushing until the end and managed to finish in fifth, which is something I was really proud of,” said Mlimi.

The rider was off to a blistering start in the second moto and found himself battling it out for a podium spot. While he only narrowly missed a third place finish in the final moto, to push the pace with the front runners in his new class was a massive confidence boost.

“To battle it out with the ‘big boys’ was such a cool experience. It made me realize that I have what it takes to fight for the championship. I know I’m a rookie, but that doesn’t mean anything. I will push to win because I train to win,” said Mlimi.

Making his Red Bull KTM debut in the High School class was Luke Grundy. It was an incredible first moto for the rider who stormed to take the holeshot and lead for most of the race. The crowd held its breath when he was overtaken and later crashed, but Grundy managed to get back up in time to regain his lead and take the moto win.

After yet another holeshot in the second moto, Grundy had an unfortunate collision that damaged his KTM 125 SX. The rider was forced to ride the rest of the heat in third gear and finished in 10th overall for the day.

A cherry on the top of a memorable day for the orange squad was a victory from South Africa’s rising motocross star Trey Cox. It was the first time that the rider took the overall win in the Pro Mini Class, something he describes as a massive confidence boost for the season ahead.

Despite a slow start in the first moto, Cox pushed his way from eighth to second place. After a much better start in the second moto, he made his attack to take the lead and didn’t look back. He commented, “I’ve been waiting to win the overall for so long, so it was really cool to get that out the way at the first race of the season. I feel so ready for the next round to come! This weekend is a race that I will never forget,” said Cox.

Published by: Louwrens Mahoney – KTM Motorcycles

Photography by: ZCMC Media

Leisure, Touring and Road Safety

MORE THAN 100 ENTRIES FOR 2022 DJ RALLY FOR CLASSIC MOTORCYCLES

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Tony Lyons-Lewis, well known in the classic car and motorcycle world, is aiming for another top 10 finish in the 2022 DJ Rally, which will be his 38th. He will again ride his 1928 Norton CS1 (standing for Cam Shaft 1, Norton’s first OHC engine, with the shaft and bevel drive to the overhead camshaft prominent in this photograph).
Gavin Walton will be one of the favourites to win the 2022 DJ Rally for classic motorcycles between Durban and Johannesburg on 11-12 March, after winning three of the last four of these regularity trials. Walton will be riding his 17th DJ Rally this year, with all but one of them having been on his trusty 1936 500cc AJS.  Gavin’s brother, Kevin, has completed all 17 DJs he has started on the late George Corlett’s 1931 500cc BSA Sloper. This motorcycle had already been ridden by Corlett in more than 20 DJs before Kevin bought it.
 
Hylton Allison, a seasoned DJ Rally competitor, is Clerk of the Course for the first time and pleased to have an entry of more than 100 pre-1937 motorcycles in the field.

This year’s annual Durban-Johannesburg regularity rally for motorcycles made before 1936 has attracted an entry of more than 100 riders. The event will start at 06:00 on Friday, 11 March from the Hillcrest Corner Shopping Mall, outside Durban, and finish at the Benoni Northern Sports Club, Northmead, Benoni the following afternoon after an overnight stop in Newcastle.


The route of 700km from Durban to the Witwatersrand is similar to that followed when this event was a road race on public roads between 1913 and 1936. The authorities refused to give permission for the event in 1937 due to growing traffic volumes on these roads and following the death of 25-year-old Jock Leishman during the 1936 race. This is why the cut-off date for competing motorcycles is 1936.


The big drawcards for DJ Rally spectators this year – as it was in 2020 – will be the participation of the Binder brothers, Brad and Darryn, who are both riding in the world championship MotoGP this year. They will ride with their father, Trevor, a keen classic motorcyclist and regular on the DJ Rally. He will ride his favourite 1925 600cc Indian, while Brad will be mounted on a 1935 500cc Sunbeam and Darryn on a 1936 500cc Ariel. The three of them took part in the 2020 DJ Rally, just before the COVID-19 lockdown and all three finished the route which went from Johannesburg to Durban on that occasion.


This year the Binder brothers are fitting in the DJ Rally between the opening round of the MotoGP championship in Qatar on March 6 and the next round in Indonesia two weeks later.


There are only two entries from outside South Africa in this year’s big field, being Anthony Weber, from Zambia, who will ride a 1930 250cc Sunbeam, and Les Youngman, from the United Kingdom who will ride a 1934 250cc New Imperial. Youngman, who has brothers living in Cape Town who will supply him with the New Imperial, will be riding his third DJ Rally


There are only three women on the entry list this year, being Stephanie Meyer, who will ride a 1932 250cc Royal Enfield, Bev Jacobs, a regular entrant, on a 1935 250cc Triumph, and Annel Hertog, who has entered a 1934 500cc Norton.


Fifteen riders will be competing in the famous international event for the first time, which is good news for the sustainability of an event of this nature.


Neville Smith, who is 87, will once again be the oldest rider in the field. His competition number is 35 (he was born in 1935) and his motorcycle, a 250cc Rudge, is also a 1935 model making it the same age as its rider!


Another special number allocation is 39, which will be on the 1933 500cc AJS of Trevor Jones to signify the fact this this year’s DJ Rally will be his 39th.


Tony Lyons-Lewis is another rider with considerable experience on the DJ and the 2022 event will be his 38th. He started riding the DJ on an uncompetitive 350cc OK Supreme, but then switched to Nortons, first a Model 18 and latterly a 500cc overhead CS1 (Cam Shaft 1).. He says winning the event continues to elude him, but he has finished in the top 10 many times, but has never finished either first or sixth, but in all the other positions. Tony’s brother, Jon, is not riding the DJ this year but will be his second on the event.


Three of the riders will be on sidecar combinations, with one of them – Nicholas Chapman on a 1936 550cc Triumph – electing to run without a passenger, while Brian Lange (1928 1000cc AJS) and Adrian Hollis (1936 600cc Sunbeam) will have passengers in their sidecars.


Several previous winners will be in the field this year, headed up by Gavin Walton, who has won four events (2009, 2017, 2018, 2019), Martin Davis with three wins (2006, 2007, 2011), Mike Ward (2004) and Ralph Pitchford (2016) each with one victory. Mark Broady, who won in 2020, has emigrated from South Africa.


Gavin Walton, who is one of the favourites to win again, made a good start to his preparations for the 2022 DJ Rally by winning the Pre-DJ Rally on February 20, with an error of only 89 penalty points. Stewart MacGregor was second with 131 penalty points and he was followed by Ralph Pitchford (137), Mike Ward (205) and Niel Stander (221).


“We, as the organising team, are delighted with the good response we have had from competitors, making this one of the biggest fields in recent years and this enthusiastic support is a fitting tribute to the 50-year history of the DJ Rally which commemorates the annual road races between Durban and Johannesburg between 1913 and 1936,” commented Hylton Allison, who is Clerk of the Course for the first time this year, although a seasoned DJ rider. (The DJ Rally is organised by a team from several car and motorcycle clubs on behalf of the Vintage and Veteran Club of South Africa).

For more information on the event, including the entry list, go to http://www.djrally.co.za

Published by: Roger Houghton

FMN News South Africa

GOOSEN SPEARHEADS THE HUNT FOR NATIONAL GLORY

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Image from 2021 MX National | Round 1 | Captured by Sage Lee Voges for http://www.zcmc.co.za
Image from 2021 MX National | Round 1 | Captured by Sage Lee Voges for http://www.zcmc.co.za

The wait it over…

This weekend marks the start of the 2022 National Motocross Championship. The first round of the series takes riders to the Western Cape’s Zone 7 – a track that gives Husqvarna Racing’s David Goosen and Neil van der Vyver the home ground advantage. Also joining the team this year is the talent-tacked Davin Cocker, who will make a welcomed return to motocross racing in the MX2 Class.

Goosen will spearhead the hunt for national titles in the MX1 and MX2 Championship this season. As he gears up to chase motocross glory on his Husqvarna FC 450 and FC 250, we catch up with the rider about his thoughts for the new season:

You came so close to snatching national glory last year. What are the greatest lessons from last season that could help you get your hands on those titles in 2022?

The best way to describe last season is “steady”. There wasn’t that excitement that comes from knowing I was riding to my full potential. I was consistent and close to the championship, but I ended the season wanting to push for more. I’ve spent the off season preparing myself to take things to the next level.

Tell us about your weapons of choice this season.

The Husqvarna FC 250 and FC 450 is what we’ll be running with this season. I’m starting right where I left off with these bikes – I spent last season finding the perfect setup, so there’s no more fiddling anymore. That’s a great place to be in! I really do enjoy these motorcycles – they’re fast, nimble and handle well. I’m very excited to be on them again.

Is there anything new you’ve been working on in the off season that could possibly give you an extra edge?

The biggest thing is consistency in my training. Working full time makes it hard to train as much as I would like to, so I’ve found a way to start to take some time off during the week to ride now. That’s the first time in a few years that I’ve managed to do that and it’s going to be massive in my preparations. I’m also doing a lot of running recently to up my fitness, which has been an exciting addition to the programme.

What are your short-term goals with the Husqvarna Racing team?

I think we all have the same short-term goals – to win. As one of the oldest riders in the paddock now, winning a premier championship would be a dream come true. I’ve had so many second places, so to end my career with another win would be incredible.

What are your bigger, long-term goals as a motocross rider?

I feel like this is one of my strong points – I had a real good go at trying to make a career of racing overseas. I came back to South Africa, however, and realised that I wanted to focus on building career that wasn’t just racing. I’ve managed to build up a business in the motorcycle trade that I really enjoy, but still get to live out my passion for racing at the same time. I’m so content knowing that once my racing career is over, I still get to succeed in my job. I love that racing gave me another career choice that I really enjoy.

The first round of the season is coming up soon. What your thoughts about this event?

As a Cape Town based rider, I’m very excited to have the home ground advantage! I felt like I flew to Joburg a lot last season, so to have a race on here for a change is extremely exciting. With that being said, there are going to be a lot of good riders traveling here – so I know that the fact that it’s a familiar track won’t make the racing any less challenging.

Published by: Grant Frerichs

Picture Caption: David Goosen when he first joined the Husqvarna family.