What Trademore Feeds SA Cross Country Round 6 Report
Where Virginia Trails, KZN
When Saturday 15 October 2022
Community South Africa National

Trademore Cross Country crowns its champions

Multiple South African dirtbike champion Brett Swanepoel rode his factory Husqvarna home second overall behind OR1 man Mike Pentecost to take the OR2 win and claim the overall and his class Trademore Group South African Cross Country Championship titles at Virginia Trails on Saturday. It was also Swanepoel’s second historic SA Cross Country and Enduro double in three years.

Pentecost clinched the open class OR1 title in the process, while Matthew Wilson was crowned the 250cc OR3 champion. Kenny Gilbert took the Seniors title and Mielies Le Roux Masters. On the other end of the scale, Wian Wentzel is the 2022 South African 125 cc high school champion, while primary school lads, Brandon Clarke took the national 85 cc title and
Werner Kleinhans the IPC 65 cc championship.

Tork Craft CIT Kawasaki rider Pentecost just needed one point to clinch a back-to-back open class OR1 title. But that’s just not this style and he went out and won the race overall by almost seven minutes from 350 cc OR2 winner Swanepoel. Second in OR1, Bradley Cox was third overall from Gareth Cole’s OR1 Sleepover Tork Craft CIT Honda, with Zambian Scott Heygate fifth overall and second in OR2 aboard his Brother Leader Tread KTM.

Jaycee Nienaber rode home sixth on his OR1 Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki followed by 250cc OR3 winner, factory Husqvarna rider Davin Cocker who made his return from injury in flying style. He was closely followed by class rival Ryan Pelser’s KTM. Rally Raid and Dakar driver Daniel Schröder brought his KTM home a fine tenth overall and fifth in OR1.

Honda rider Hayden Louw ended up sixth in OR1, albeit just behind battling OR2 KTM trio, third in class Kerim Fitz-Gerald’s Red Bull Machine, Erik Merry, and Kyle Eggar. They were separated by just 30 seconds. Third in 250cc OR3 was enough for Brother Leader Tread KTM rider Matthew Wilson to secure that tight title. He was followed in class by Taki Bogiages’ Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki in fourth from Branden Swanepoel on a Sherco and Tork Craft CIT Kawasaki rider John Botha.

Senior champion Kenny Gilbert made it a perfect six wins out of six races on his Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki from Fletcher Broad’s Husqvarna and Marco Cocci’s Yamaha. Mielies Le Roux rode his KTM to Masters victory to clinch that title. Husqvarna men, Greg Nairn and Wayne Farmer rode home second and third.

Wian Wentzel was another to ease his Husqvarna to third in class to clinch the High School 125 title. He left KTM lads Ross Ramseyer and Luke Walker to fight it out for the race win. Daniel Peckham was fourth on the day aboard his Sherco from Cobus Bester’s Husqvarna and Derek Karam on a KTM.

In primary school action, Brandon Clarke powered his Husqvarna to race and 85 cc Junior championship honours from Bruno Niebuhr and Murray Smith’s KTMs, with Husqvarna lad AJ Louw in chase. Liam Scheepers’ took Interprovincial 65 honours for Husqvarna from Yamaha lad Wilco du Plooy and GJ Coetzee on another Husqvarna. Werner Kleinhans’ Husqvarna stole the title with fifth place after Kawasaki lad Jake Pretorius failed to finish.

The Trademore Group South African Cross Country returns for a fresh season from February 2023. Watch for calendar details and more info at http://www.saxcnationals.co.za.

Issued on behalf of Trademore SA Cross Country