What South African National Motocross Round 2 Report
Where Zone 7, Cape Town
When Saturday 25 April 2026
Community South Africa National

Smith, Bam, star as Team Tork Craft shines at Zone 7

Travelling all the way to the Cape did not deter Team Tork Craft bringing home the silverware when the third round South African National Motocross Championship visited a muddy Zone 7 in Cape Town on Saturday. Slade Smith was dominant in OR1 and also won an MX2 heat, while Mackenzie Bam extended her Ladies Motorcross advantage with a strong run on a day where team riders impressed at every level.

Cape Town was a huge day for Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha rider Slade Smith who dominated the senior action with three heat wins across the 450cc open class MX1 and 250cc MX2 classes. Slade made the big banger MX1 heats his own with a double win and bounced back from fourth in the opening 250 race to win the second moto for second overall on the day.

Mackenzie Bam delivered another positive performance with two second places to take second overall in Ladies Motorcross as she extended her championship advantage aboard her Tork Craft Junior Team Husqvarna. Katelyn Pretorius was meantime ninth and tenth in the heats and ninth for the day on her Tork Craft Pepson Plastics Yamaha.

It was another good day for Team Tork Craft in junior motocross too. Lourens Erasmus rode his RTR Tork Craft KTM to a third and a fifth in the 85cc heats to grab fourth for the day. Teammates Adam Meyer and Hanru du Plessis’ similar machines came home tenth and fourteenth overall.

And in the High School action Kabelo Ledwaba was ninth aboard his Tork Craft Husqvarna with RTR Tork Craft riders Cameron Stuckie’s Yamaha tenth and Armandt Milijo twelfth on his KTM.

“It’s never easy to travel to the Cape to take on the locals in their own back yard, so Team Tork Craft can be proud of their National Motocross performance at Zone 7 over the weekend,” team patron Ryan Hunt pointed out. “Congratulations to all our riders who shone at every level.”

Issued on behalf of Team Tork Craft

Photography by: Abri de Bruin

Changeable weather conditions in southern Spain finally settled on sunshine and blue skies for the 40th year of MotoGP at the Circuito de Jerez. The 4.4km course is one of the most familiar on the Grand Prix calendar thanks to its constant presence both as a world championship host and testing venue.

The Grand Prix began with Pedro Acosta, Enea Bastianini and Brad Binder starting from P6, P8 and P13 on the grid respectively.
For the duration of the race Brad circulated on the edge of the first ten positions and made sure of 11th at the flag, just behind teammate Acosta.

After the one-day IRTA test on Monday in Jerez, the historic Le Mans circuit will host the popular Grand Prix of France in two weeks.

Brad Binder
11th and 11th in the championship:

“It was a long race. I got a decent enough start but then missed some speed and the front pushed when I leant in [to corners]. To control it I had to brake earlier. When the tire performance dropped then I could get in easier but it was really tricky and very hard to be clean. A more difficult race than I anticipated and we need this test tomorrow to figure out some changes to hit the point.”

Published by: https://bradbinder33.com/

Brad Binder endured a frantic and exciting flag-to-flag Spanish Grand Prix Sprint at a soaking Circuit de Jerez today. The South African brought his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 home in 4th place for round four of the season.

MotoGP gathered at the busy Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for the 40th year in a row and for the first European date on the 2026 schedule. Friday practice took place in overcast, breezy and warm weather but conditions deteriorated for Saturday’s morning qualification.

Bard tried to force his way into Q2 on Friday and worked to refine his set-up for the faster corners of the Jerez layout. He ended the Q1 session with 13th on the grid. Binder attacked hard in the Sprint and sliced through to P8, fighting with his fellow KTM riders. He then persisted as long as possible in the rain before making his bike change at a timely moment that allowed him to be in the running for the podium. Brad was also a victim of the worsening weather. He briefly hit the ground but recovered to guide the #33 machine to P4 for his highest classification of the year to-date.

The 25-lap Grand Prix begins at 14.00 CET time on Sunday with a dry forecast.

Brad Binder
13th in qualification, 4th in the Sprint:
“Happy and heartbroken at the same time. I felt like I timed my pit-entry well but from one lap to the next there was so much water. When I braked in the same place I was like: ‘Oh s**t’. Lost the front, slid off, picked up and carried on. To bail and still finish 4th is pretty good, so happy about that. A bit unfortunate because I would have loved to have won again. Another day.”

Published by: https://bradbinder33.com/

What South African National Motocross Round 2 Report
Where Thunder Valley, Pietermaritzburg KZN
When Saturday 28 March 2026
Community South Africa National

A triple podium for Team Tork Craft in ‘Maritzburg

Team Tork Craft enjoyed another strong day at the races when the South African National Motocross Championship visited a muddy Thunder Valley in Pietermaritzburg, KZN over the weekend. Mackenzie Bam once again took Ladies Motorcross honours, while Slade Smith was second in MX1 double and Rayden Woolls third in the 85cc action.

Mackenzie Bam enjoyed a brilliant day with her second overall Ladies Motorcross victory on the trot. Steady as ever, Bam rode home to two fine second places in the heats to secure the overall win aboard her Tork Craft Junior Team Husqvarna. Tork Craft Pepson Plastics Yamaha lass Katelyn Pretorius was fourth and seventh en route to claim sixth for the day.

Slade Smith continued to impress in senior motocross, taking two second places en route to claim the silver medal on his 450cc open class MX1 Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha. Also in the open classes, Ger-Drie de Beer ended sixteenth in 250cc MX2 on his Tork Craft KTM.

It was also a great day for Team Tork Craft in junior motocross. Rayden Woolls rode his Tork Craft Junior Team Husqvarna to fifth in his opening heat before taking second in race 2 as he ended up a podium third in the 85cc action. Right behind him, Adam Meyer came home fourth for the day on his RTR Tork Craft KTM.

Little Damien Kritzinger’s RTR Tork Craft Husqvarna enjoyed a steady day to tenth in the baby 50cc class, while Keegan Miles also riding a RTR Tork Craft KTM, raced home 12th in 125cc High School. Kabelo Ledwaba was 14th aboard his Tork Craft Husqvarna and Tyler Petersen’s Yamaha 16th in the 125s after each endured challenging days at the races.

“Team Tork Craft continued to impress in the 2026 National Motocross championship in the weekend’s second round at Thunder Valley” team patron Ryan Hunt confirmed. “We salute Mackenzie on another overall victory, to Slade and Rayden on their podium finishes, and the rest of the team on another excellent outing in KZN.”

Issued on behalf of Team Tork Craft

A short and tight layout at the Ayrton Senna International Circuit in Goiânia provided a fresh challenge for MotoGP as the teams worked towards optimum race set-up with Michelin hard carcass tires. A reduced 23-lap distance awaited the grid in the afternoon as 60,800 people gathered for the first Grand Prix in the country in 22 years.

Brad Binder began the GP from 21st and needed to make one of his customary hard charges in the early laps to gain ground and positions. The South African reached the limit of the points but then fell on lap four.

Brad Binder
DNF and 9th in the championship

“Just a really short race. I started fast and passed a few guys at the beginning but then went into Turn 1, locked the front wheel and that was about it. I would definitely have enjoyed a few more laps. Onto America from here and we will see how we line-up.”

Published by: https://bradbinder33.com/