A team of 19 riders was selected to represent South Africa in Uganda at the Garuga motocross track on the shores of Lake Victoria from the 19th to 21st August 2022.

Leading up to the event the team faced a few challenges, the biggest however was logistical, getting 19 bikes the 4800km journey to Uganda and back, which was accomplished via Air freight and Road freight.

Friday was documentation and gate picks which we managed to get top 4 in each class as well as scrutineering and the team did the track walk.

The track was ripped extremely deep in preparation for a full weekend of motocross action.

Saturday  started off with free Practice  and  Sheldon and Jayden (team manager and captain) told the team that because  it was super muddy, the riders must just go out  and find a flow of the track. The senior riders and MX Lites managed quite easily however the juniors battled, especially the 50’s as some couldn’t even do a single lap. Unfortunately, one of our MX 125 riders, Luke Quatember, crashed and sustained an injury which was unfortunate and was going to affect our points in the races to follow.

For 2nd practice (qualifying) the track had been slightly changed for 50cc and 65cc classes.

The team managed to do really well getting really good flow and finding good lines before heat 1 in the afternoon.

• Heat 1: The track had dried out a bit and there were better lines and the track got faster as the day progressed on the Saturday.
• Heats 2 and 3 on Sunday started off with some muddy patches but dried out substantially.

MX1: Jayden Proctor (team captain) clinched the holeshot in heat 1 and 2 and won all 3 of his heats. Heat 3 he would have to push for the win and winning the class as well as winning the Ray Wilson trophy for fastest lap time of the weekend. Well done Jayden!!

MX3: Sheldon Watkins (team manager) narrowly missed the holeshot and came away with 2nd just behind a Zambian rider. Sheldon took the holeshot in heat 2 on Sunday and in heat 3 had a mishap on the start and would start in 18th but made his way to 2nd and achieved 2nd overall for the weekend and SA 3rd in class.

MX2: Callan Broskie got all 3 holeshots and won all 3 of his heats and SA taking 3rd in class with only 1 rider in class as with MX1 and MX3.

MX 125: The team had 2 riders remaining after Luke’s injury, Breece Romans got all 3 holeshots and won his class, Danyll Brunette had a few bike issues but managed a 4th in heat 1 on Saturday and on Sunday his bike failed in heat 2 with 2 DNF’s.

MX Lites: The team had 3 riders in this class where there was very close racing from the gate drop.  RSA riders Blade Tilley, Caden Weise and Ronald Graven. Graven went 3rd, 1st and 2nd to take 2nd overall, Tilley went 2nd in 1st heat and unfortunately broke his arm in heat 2 on Sunday. Caden went 3-3-2 for 3rd overall and SA taking the win in this class.

WMX: The team had 2 riders in this class, the 2 De Lima sisters, Cheyenne and Jadene.  Cheyenne went 2nd, 3rd and 2nd in all 3 heats and got the holeshot in heat 3 getting 2nd overall. Jadene went 3rd, 2nd, 3rd for 3rd overall and getting holeshot in heat 3 with Zambia’s Heygate taking the overall win, but SA taking the overall win for the class.

MX 65cc: SA’s 4 riders competed extremely well. Aiden Retief took a bad start but eventually finding his way to the front and winning heat 1 and 2 and 2nd in heat 3 to achieve the overall win. Casey Tilley taking 2nd, 3rd and 2nd for 3rd overall. Kyle Brunette in 6th overall and Connor Munro in 7th with SA taking overall in class.

MX 50cc: The track was altered for the 50’s, due to mud on the Saturday in heat 1 and it was Ross MacKenzie with the win, with Lou Rademeyer in close 2nd and Kaylin Oosthuizen in 5th with Alistair Maycock in 7th. Heat 2 and 3 they would finish the same, unfortunately Kaylin tangled with another rider in heat 3 and broke her leg. Ross with 1st overall, Lou with 2nd, Alistair with 8th and Kaylin 9th. Team SA with overall win in class.

Overall Win went to South Africa with just 1 point over Zambia and in 3rd was host country Uganda.

Overall Achievements of the team:

• 1st     –    South Africa

Individual Achievements of the team:
50cc –

• 1st Ross Mackenzie, 2nd Lou Rademeyer, 8th Alistair Maycock and 9th Kaylin Oosthuizen;

65cc –

• 1st Aiden Retief, 3rd Casey Tilley, 6th Kyle Brunette and 7th Connor Munro;

MX Lites –

• 2nd Ronald Graven, 3rd Caden Weise and 10th Blade Tilley;

MX 125 –

• 1st Breece Romans, 12th Danyll Brunette and 14th Luke Quatember;

WMX –

• 2nd Cheyenne de Lima and 3rd Jaydene de Lima;

VMX Vets –

• 2nd Sheldon Watkins;

MX 2 –

• 1st Callan Broskie;

MX 1 –

• 1st Jayden Proctor;

Congratulations to the entire team on a sterling performance on the African continent for their achievements as well as bringing home the number 1 country award.

2023 FIM Africa MX of African Nations will be held in South Africa.